Eye Opener March 22

Issue 33 –– Monday, Monday, March March 22, 22, 2010 2010 •• An An Official Official Publication Publication of of the the Canadian Canadian Curling Curling Association.

Association.

Issue

Schoepp-shape

German skip Andrea Schoepp’s commitment to physical fitness paying dividends on the ice ... See story on Page 10

CANADA’S TOP TEAMS ARE HEADED FOR THE HAT.

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Teams skipped by Jennifer Jones, Cheryl Bernard, Kevin Koe, Shannon Kleibrink and Kevin Martin have already qualified.

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Page 2

Leaders of the pack

Eye Opener

Jones rink only perfect team after Day 2 LARRY WOOD The Eye Opener

C

anada’s Jennifer Jones and her Winnipeg mates have their noggins in front of the Ford Worlds pack.

Question now is, can they fight off the almost certain charges from the rear?

Jones skipped the lone unbeaten team at the world women’s curling championship heading into this morning’s action at the Credit Union Iplex, advancing its cause to 3-and-0 on Sunday night with an 8-3 decision over Norway’s Linn Githmark.

Earlier, Jones executed a spectacular raise-triple takeout with her last rock of the eighth end which preserved a 6-4 victory over Switzerland.

“Three wins is good,” allowed Jones, severely understating the case. “We were a little sloppy but both teams missed big shots for big ends.”

Jones was scored at 91 per cent on her 19 shots in the afternoon.

Leading 5-3 with the hammer in the eighth, the raise-triple was the key, Jones admitted.

“I’d just thrown a bad one so it was a huge momentum change and I knew we needed that,” said Jones. “I didn’t know if we’d scored but you could see the angles were set up.”

Swiss second player Heike Schwaller suffered an embarrassing tumble while sweeping a stone in the early going, fell on her shoulder and smacked her chin on a rock handle but emerged uninjured.

Germany’s Andrea Schoepp of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, meanwhile, tumbled to her first loss of tournament on the same shift, bowing 10-3 to Denmark’s Angelina Jensen.

Last-rock thrower Madeleine Dupont said her Danes showed marked improvement on Sunday.

“We just weren’t ready in our first game,” said Dupont, “but were much better today and we have to keep it going.”

Six teams trailed Canada by a game with 2-and-1 records — Germany, Denmark, Scotland, Sweden, Russia and the U.S. Defending world champion Bingyu Wang of China lost her

Swiss second Heike Schwaller is consoled by teammate Corrine Bourquin after taking a tumble against Canada. Cathy OvertonClapham and Jennifer Jones look on with concern.

“We need to get better if we’re game. Obviously she changed her lot. Every end they were drawthird straight Sunday night in going to the playoffs. I think mind or had it changed for her. ing against a lot of stones which what has thus far developed into playing tonight was good for me.

“It’s true I didn’t want to play made it good for us. That’s the a China meltdown. but I come here so I should play,” I need to solve my problems on name of our game, really. That’s Scotland’s Eve Muirhead, who the ice. I hope we can learn from what we have to do. Keep playing said the Chinese skip who won defeated Wang in the Olympic the Olympic bronze at Vancouver. these three losses.” like that.” opener at Vancouver, pummelled Sweden’s Cecilia Ostlund “We make so many mistakes Was Muirhead surprised by the the Chinese 14-4, wrapping it up rolled in a front rock and her last today. We try to play well but in the eighth end with a six-ender. Chinese struggles? shooter to score a 10th-end four nothing works.

“They’re known as slow start“We didn’t have many slack in one other late game, defeating “I think I have fallen down ers,” she responded. “It’s good shots at all,” said Muirhead after winless Binia Feltscher of Switreading the ice. I’m not thinking that we got them out of the way directing a devastating perforzerland 7-6. the right way. I felt better tonight tonight.” mance by the Scots.

Wang earlier had told her coach but we still lose so I have to work “That’s the way we want to Please see WOOD, hard to turn this around. she didn’t want to play in the play. They were up against a Page 3

Monday, March 22, 2010

WOOD From Page 3

Swedish skip makes big shot

Feltscher’s unit blew a pair of three-point leads in the game.

In the final end, she missed both her shots to enable Ostlund the opportunity to execute her last stone for the winning four-count.

The U.S. team skipped by Erika Brown of Madison, Wis., fell from the unbeaten ranks after two wins when the Yanks were upended 7-6 by rookie Latvia in the afternoon.

The Latvians, playing in their first-ever world championship, scored a 10th-end deuce to defeat the Americans on a last-rock draw from skip Iveta Stasa-Sarsune.

“We did not expect to win that game,” admitted the Latvia skip from Jelgava.

“But (when they scored three in the eighth end to tie the score at 5-5) we believed that we can play better and maybe win.”

Stasa-Sarsune admitted the win over the U.S. probably was bigger than the victory over Katja Kiiskinen of Finland that earned the Latvians the berth in the Ford Worlds “We were in control until the eighth end,” moaned Brown. “I had some bad misses and it cost us. They played a good end.

I had two chances to make a

Page 3 double and didn’t make it either of them. In the end, it was really bad. We had someggood chances but I didn’t broom myself properly.”

Brown admitted StasaSarsune “made a lot of good draws”.

“And she made the last one.”

Informed she would be the answer in the newest world curling trivia question, Brown allowed: “Oh good. I’ll get my name in the book one way or another.”

In other afternoon action, Ostlund rebounded from a first-round loss to Canada and whipped Norway’s Githmark 9-5 while Anna Sidorova of Russia battled from behind to steal an 7-6 extra-end decision from Moe Meguro of Japan.

Said Ostlund: “We took the first half of the Canadian game and went from there. That game really set the table for us. It was good to have that tough first game. Now we have great confidence.”

Wang surrendered after eight ends to Denmark in the morning, trailing 8-3.

Schoepp scored four in the final end of an otherwise tight thriller to defeat Muirhead’s troops 9-6 on an adjacent sheet.

The match boiled down to the final end with Scotland leading 6-5 and Germany owning the hammer.

The Scots had a counter stashed away until German third Melanie Robillard executed a perfect runback takeout that left her squad locked behind cover with Muirhead forced to play draws she failed to get hidden.

Norwegian third Henriette Lovar and second Ingrid Stensrud display the now-famous Norway curling pants – female edition. Norway dropped an 8-3 decision to Canada in draw 5.

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Eye Opener

Page 4

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German lead (fifth) Corinna Scholz and third Melanie Robillard. The Germans dropped their first game, a 10-3 decision to Denmark.

CITYofSC_EyeOpener_DAY3.pdf

Monday, March 22, 2010

1/14/10

4:59:40 PM

Latvian skip Iveta Stasa-Sarsune

Latvian history Heavy underdogs tip undefeated Americans

LARRY WOOD The Eye Opener

The scoreboard read Latvia 7 U.S.A. 6 Try to imagine that score in headlines . . . in the Riga Daily Bulletin!

Latvia defeats U.S.A. . . . in anything?

“This was huge,” gasped Brian Gray, the Scottish-born, Swiss-based coach of the rookie Latvian curling team at the Ford World women’s curling championship.

“When you looked down this lineup at the start of the week, you really started to wonder, where’s a win going to come from?” he said.

“But all three games have been a lot closer than I expected. So, from here, I guess anything’s possible.”

It certainly is.

We’re talking here about a curling team from a curling country that never has (a) competed at a world championship of any gender, junior, women’s, men’s, (b) a competed in the A division of the Euro championships.

“The girls came in here and we stressed there would be no problems,” said Gray, in the wake of skip Iveta Stasa-Sarsune’s 7-6 in over Erika Brown of the U.S. on Sunday afternoon at the Credit Union Iplex.

See Latvia on Page 6

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1/14/10

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Page 5

Eye Opener

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From Page 5

Latvia: First Worlds win “Just concentrate on what you’re doing and don’t worry about results,” Gray said he told his charges from Jelgava, Latvia.

“There’s no question we’re performing as good as we can right now. What more can you expect?

“Here we are, representing a country with two sheets of curling ice. Until two months ago we didn’t have a dedicated ice facility with any curling sheets.

We had two ice hockey stadiums in the country, one in Jelgava which is about a half-hour south of Riga and, more recently, one in (the capital city) Riga, about five or 10 minutes from the city centre. We had the ability to make good curling ice there.

“There’s a strong winter sport culture in the country and we have 200-250

people curling in Latvia. People are really focused on winter sports.

“Actually, I’d say starting conditions are better than average for an eastern European country of that size.”

Poor Erika Brown.

She’ll always been in Latvian coach the books as the first Brian Gray skip ever to lose to Latvia at the Ford Worlds.

“Of course it’s huge to come here and play teams like those of Jennifer Jones, China and the U.S.,” said Gray.

“We’re surprised that we were able to beat the U.S. but it’s great to be able to come here and play these teams. The goal was to stay close in these games in the first five or six ends, and then see what happens. We’ve done that really well.”

Over the first three games, these raw curling neophytes merely have been outscored 13-17. And they’re 1-and-2.

Word is, the word was back in Latvia poste haste.

See Latvia Page 7

Editor: Larry Wood Associate Editor: Fred Rinne Photography: Michael Burns, Jr.

Friends of the Ford World Women’s Curling Championship Chamber of Commerce Coffee News GES Canada Jet Ice Ltd. Photography By Corla Weins Agtech

Monday, March 22, 2010

Page 7

From Page 6

Latvia: Curling growing in this Baltic nation

U.S. Skip Erika Brown and her American crew were undefeated until they ran into the upstart Latvians Sunday.

“They’ll know about this already,” said Gray.

“There’s a website with a blog. I’ve seen 30 or 40 comments on there and during the games people are actually chatting.

“This will make the middle sports pages. It’s not ice hockey, that’s big at this time of year, but it certainly will command space in the papers.

“You go to the Worlds to make a point and theoretically, next time around, start making points to go to the Olympics. It’ll be headline news.

“When the (Latvia) men got a B-division bronze in the Euros a couple of years ago it was pretty well reported. There probably were 150 articles on that one event, in papers and on sports websites.”

A month ago, Latvians got all the Olympic curling telecasts they could handle so they know all about the game. Gray said Eurosport goes right across Europe with 30 hours of curling on TV. “How do you calm down the girls?” Brian Gray repeated a question. “That’s a good question. I’m not entirely sure what to do now. They’re pretty excited. I was, too. It’s an amazing achievement. We don’t have another game today, so we can just go out and have something to eat and calm down that way.”

There was a post-game period of winding down prior to the obligatory media interviews.

“There was a lot of hugging and celebrating and prancing about,” said Gray. “We all were doing it.

I’ve been coaching a long time and when they won the world qualifier to come here it was awesome, but this is wilder and it’s one step further.”

How does the 41-year-old Gray figure in all this?

His home curling club is situated deep in the Alps, in Adelboden, Switzerland. In 2003, “I met some Latvian guys there who had just come back from the European championships”.

“I wound up playing with them in a bonspiel. They invited me to a summer competition in Jelgava. I went there in 2004. They were aware I’d coached a couple of pretty good Swiss women’s teams (skipped by Luzia Ebnother and Nicole Strauzak). I built those two teams from the Berne Curling Club.”

Ebnother won Olympic silver in 2002 as the Swiss skip.

Gray had been visiting the Alps for 10 years prior to that.

“I really loved the country, and I always wanted a chance to work there. And I got that chance after the 1997 Worlds in Berne. I said, ‘OK, I’ll do it for one year’.”

That was 13 years ago.

But, back to Gray’s first trip to Latvia;.

“A guy walks up and says, ‘would you coach us’? I said, ‘let’s look at it’. We started with some seminars with my project (www.smartcurling.com) and, pretty soon, we had three women’s teams and four men’s teams and an excellent development program.

“The Latvian association is excellent. The directors are supportive and don’t get caught up in the financial or political stuff. It’s been a great environment to do what we wanted to do.”

Now the whole story is worthy of headlines. In Latvia, and most other places where curling rocks are tossed.

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The Party Line • Your guide to what’s goin’ on

Page 8

your guide to what’s goin’ on

A Little Country, a Little Rock…

with a Lot of Energy!

Cool Curling’s Getting Hot! The Cool Curlers are back at the tables today playing for the daily prize and the chance to make it through to Saturday’s championship final.

Cool Curling is a four end shuffleboard style version of real curling played daily in Keith’s Patch. Think you have the cool touch? Find yourself a partner and sign up for the competition in the Patch. I’s free to enter and the daily winners receive a $100 cash prize. Great sponsor prizes are awarded to the second place team.

The daily winners earn the right to compete for the Grand Prize in the championship playdowns on Saturday.

The winners from Day 1 competition were Mr. and Mrs. Boker from Mankota, SK. Vern Michael’s resume on the music scene dates back to the late 80’s when he enjoyed considerable success playing guitar with Edmonton’s much sought after cabaret act, Blackwater Jack.

Since 2002 Michaels has been making waves around Saskatchewan and across Western Canada, touring with his own band. They’ve appeared regularly at clubs, casinos and major events – including Keith’s Patch for the 2006 Tim Hortons Brier in Regina. He has also shared the stage with a number of notable acts including Trooper, Honeymoon Suite, Prism, Sass Jordan and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

The band’s live performance features a blend of energy-infused country and the best of the classic rock covers – along with an assortment of original numbers. Every time they step on stage you can expect a high level of energy and enthusiasm that rubs off on the entire crowd!

Make sure you’re there to see the Vern Michael’s Band, tonight at 10:30 pm in Keith’s Patch.

Try a Taste of Swift Current What could be better than a hearty meal and an enlightening tour of the cultural heritage of southwest Saskatchewan?

“A Taste of Swift Current” combines both tomorrow between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm at the Swift Current Art Gallery. Enjoy a traditional Ukrainian dinner – including perogies, cabbage rolls, Ukrainian sausage and Saskatoon pie – followed by a tour of the gallery. The current exhibit is the Newfoundland Series, featuring the works of Campbell Tinning, a young war artist who visited Canada’s newest province in 1949 to capture his impressions.

Then it’s on to the Swift Current Museum where you’ll view exhibits illustrating the historic and contemporary connections between human activities and the natural environment and resources of the southwest.

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Tickets are just $12 and must be purchased by noon today at the Credit Union i-plex Information Booth.

I ’S TIM ES BREWIN

on stage

Tuesday, March 23 – Vern Michaels Band • 10:30 pm Wednesday, March 24 – Bakersfield • 10:30 pm Thursday, March 25 – Blackwater • 6:00 pm

Wonderland • 10:30 pm Friday, March 26 – Blackwater • 6:00 pm

The Chevelles • 10:30 pm Saturday, March 27 – The Chevelles • 3:00 pm & 10:30 pm Sunday, March 28 – Bakersfield • 8:30 pm

Take a

Free Ride

Last Call for Shaunavon…

The Grand Transoceanic Match takes to the ice at the Shaunavon Curling Club Wednesday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. If you want to say you curled during the 2010 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship, the deadline to sign up is 6:00 pm today.

The entry fee for the traditional international fun ‘spiel is $45 (CDN) including transportation from Swift Current, continental breakfast and lunch. Lunch-only tickets are $18. The field is limited to the first 64 curlers – if you want to be one of them, register at the Credit Union i-plex Information Booth.

Complementary shuttle buses - provided by Tim Hortons and the City of Swift Current - offer transportation between the Credit Union i-plex and destinations throughout the city.

The complete schedule is available at the Information Booth.

Today to Thursday, bus runs begin at the Credit Union i-plex at the bottom of the hour from 7:30 am to 1:00 am.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Page 9

It’s Simply up close

personal

and

Oh Say, You Can See…

Drop by Keith’s Patch at noon to meet the world’s best women curlers – from today until Saturday.

Today – 4:30 pm

Today Teams China & Germany Erika Brown, skip for Team USA at the 2010 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship, will be sitting down today in Keith’s Patch to field questions from the fans.

Tuesday, March 23 Teams Norway & Sweden

A veteran of the country’s national curling scene, Brown is also familiar with the competitive environment of the world championships. She currently has two silver medals to her credit and is looking for the first medal performance playing in the skip position.

Thursday, March 25 Teams Switzerland & Canada

up close

Wednesday, March 24 Teams USA & Latvia

&personal

Saturday, March 27 All Teams (3:30 pm)

Join Brown and teammates Nina Spatola, Ann Swisshelm and Laura Hallisey for the Up Close and Personal session today at 4:30 pm.

Hit Us With Your Best Shots!

Twenty-four young curlers - representing clubs in Swift Current and communities throughout Saskatchewan were selected as Junior Stars through a random draw of applicants.

Picture Perfect is the “fan’s eye” view from Swift Current. When you’re capturing your favourite memories from the Ford World Women’s, send them in… they may just show up in The Party Line.

Today’s feature stars are: Team Russia • 1:30 pm Cassidy Sim, Swift Current Daiten Greenway, Swift Current Switzerland • 7:30 pm Peter Shields, Shaunavon Karlee Fessler, Estevan

The Great Tastes of the Patch

Picture Picture Perfect Perfect Email pictures to: partylinepics@curling.ca

(Please note: Cameraphone images may not be of suitable quality to reproduce.)

Keith’s Patch is the perfect place to enjoy a beverage and a bite. Choose from an appetizing array of menus from our featured food vendors:

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Eye Opener

Page 10

Schoepp’s way IS the highway

LARRY WOOD Eye Opener Editor

skipping assignment in her 17th world women’s curling championship.

The other members of her team headed for the Iplex in the Germany team van.

“I’m doing this now for about 15 or 20 years,” she is saying.

But, no, she doesn’t cart her own two-wheeler around the world like

she would a pair of skis.

“I try to borrow the bikes,” she says.

“Sometimes you get really special things when you do that.

When we played in Aomori, in Japan, it was really difficult to rent one. But I found one and it was kind of a good one for a Japanese bike. And we met some fairly

high-level people and they showed us so many things we never would have seen without the bikes.

“You get a lot of contact when you take the bicycle and you see a lot of things. Biking is the best way to see the country and a new area you haven’t seen before.”

see WOOD Page 15

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he rose early the other morning, hopped on a bicycle and pedalled 14 kilometres up the highway toward Rosetown.

Then she reversed the run to the Holiday Inn Express.

An hour or so later, she was back on the bike, heading down No. 4 to the Credit Union Iplex for her first

Monday, March 22, 2010

Page 11

Time out for Ford World Women’s trivia

Always plan a safe ride home.

The 2010 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship promises to be one of the best parties to ever hit Swift Current. But before you jump into the fun at the various events, make plans for a safe ride home.

Larry Wood

Eye Opener Editor

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Three skips have won 10 or more games in a world women’s curling championship and failed to win the title. They are?

1. Name the country each represented.

only once.

2. In what years did they win 10 or more and lose the title?

12. Name their conquerors, where and when?

5. In world women’s curling championship round-robin play since 1979, a team from which country has beaten the eventual champion a record eight times.

6. Two skips have beaten the champion in consecutive years. Name them. (Hint: They’re from the same country) 7. One skip has beaten the champion in three WCC renewals. Name her and her home country.

8. Name the winners she beat in which years.

9. Name six other two-time WCC giant-killers and their home nations?

10. Sandra Schmirler of Regina twice won the world women’s championship while losing only one round-robin game. Who were her conquerors, from where and in which years?

11. Name six other Canadian skips who won the world title while losing

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4. How about the number of wins each required for her title?

Answers

QofD — Colleen Jones, Cassie Johnson (Potter), Debbie McCormick.

1. Jones (Canada), Potter (U.S.), McCormick (U.S.) 2. Jones (2003), Potter (2005), McCormick (2006) 3. Debbie McCormick, Anette Norberg (in 2005 and 2006).

4. McCormick won seven in 2003, Norberg won 13 in 2005 and 12 in 2006.

5. Canada.

6. Kirsty Hay, Kelly Wood 7. Helena Blach-Lavrsen, Denmark.

8. Dordi Nordby (1990), Sandra Schmirler (1994), Elisabet Gustafson (1998).

9. Anne-Jotun Bakke, Norway; Almut Hege-Scholl, Germany; Colleen Jones, Canada; Patti Lank, U.S.A.; Dordi Nordby, Norway; Trine Trulsen, Norway.

10. Helena Blach-Lavrsen defeated Schmirler in 1994 at Oberstdorf, Germany; Andrea Schoepp defeated Schmirler in 1997 at Berne, Switzerland.

11. Marilyn Bodogh (twice), Marj Mitchell, Connie Laliberte, Pat Sanders, Kelly Scott.

12. Anne Jotun-Bakke beat Bodogh (then Darte) in 1986 in Kelowna; Kirsty Hay beat Bodogh in 1996 at Hamilton; Elisabeth Hogstrom beat Mitchell in 1980 at Perth, Scotland; Almut Hege-Scholl beat Laliberte in 1984 at Perth, Scotland; Marianne Flotron beat Sanders in 1987 at Chicago; Kelly Wood beat Scott in 2007 at Aomori, Japan.

3. Name the winning skips in those years.

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Eye Opener

Page 12

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Monday, March 22, 2010

Page 13

Switzerland GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Skip: Binia Feltscher

Home: Flims Began curling at age: 10 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Housewife, mother Employer: None Age: 31 Place of birth: Chur, Switzerland Marital status: Married Spouse/Partner: Reto Children: Cla (1) Favourite food: Capuns Favourite drink: Rivella, milk Celebrity dream man: Richard Gere, Wentworth Miller All-time favourite movie: Prison Break Last movie she loved: Prison Break Last movie she hated: Star Trek Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: Cla (her son) Ten ends or eight? Eight ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

Tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends?

Extra ends Competed in: 05 Worlds, 06 Olympics.

Third: Corinne Bourquin Home: Basel Began curling at age: 10 Delivery: Right Occupation: Social worker Employer: FHNN Basel (school) Age: 28

Plenty of experience to go around for the Swiss

Place of birth: Basel many Marital status: Single Marital status: Married Spouse/Partner: Lukas Giger Spouse/Partner: Andi Schwaller Children: None Children: Daughters (2) and (7) Favourite food: Italian food Favourite food: Pasta, seafood Favourite drink: Red wine, water Favourite drink: Apple juice with Celebrity dream man: soda Lukas Giger, WentCelebrity dream man: Richard worth Miller Gere Most annoying Most celebrity: None All-time favourite movie: Dirty Dancing Last movie she loved: Dirthy Dancing, Twilight Last movie she hated: The Hangover Tattooed?

Yes, two Never leaves Sand home rine ra Rams Bour t without: quin ein-Attin ger ( .

Purse left), Heik Ten ends or e Sc hwal eight? Eight ends Tieler a nd a breakers or no tiebreakers? Tiend C orbreakers Extra ends or no extra ends? Extra ends annoyCompeted in: 01, 02 World Juniors. ing celebrity: Sohne Mannheim, Robbie Williams All-time favourite movie: Pretty Second: Woman Heike Schwaller Tattooed? No Home: Obwengstringen/Zurich Never leaves home without: HandBegan curling at age: 16 bag, mobile phone Delivery: Right Ten ends or eight? Eight ends Occupation/title: Housewife/mother Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

Age: 41 Tiebreakers Place of birth: Schwenningen, GerExtra ends or no extra ends?

Latvia:

Extra ends Competed (for Germany) in: 91, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 01, 02 Worlds, 89 World Juniors, 98, 02 Olympics

Lead: Sandra Ramstein-Attinger Home: Zurich Began curling at age: Five Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Restaurateur - office Employer: Restaurant Zur Rossweid Age: 26 Place of birth: Zurich Marital status: Married Spouse/Partner: Raeto Children: In progress Favourite food: Gnocchi Gorgonzola Favourite drink: Coca Cola Light Celebrity dream man: George Clooney Most annoying celebrity: Amy Winehouse All-time favourite movie: Sissi Last movie she loved: Sex and The City Last movie she hated: Gomorra Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: Cellphone Ten ends or eight? Eight ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

Tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends?

Extra ends Competed in: 06, 07 Worlds.

Fifth: Marisa Winkelhausen Home: Berne Began curling at age: 21 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Optician Employer: Liechti Optik AG/Kirchberg/BE Age: 21 Place of birth: Berne Marital status: Single Spouse/Partner: Jean-Francois Mayoraz Children: None Favourite food: Lasagna Favourite drink: Ginger ale Celebrity dream man: Josh Hartnett Last movie she loved: Avatar Last movie she hated: Up In The Air Tattooed? Yes, one Never leaves home without: Purse Ten ends or eight? Eight ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

Tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends? No extra ends Competed in: 08, 09 World Juniors.

Coach: Chris Hamblin Occupation/title: National coach Employer: Swiss Curling Association Date of birth: May 10, 1955 Place of birth: Dauphin, MB Coached: Canadian junior men (2003), Manitoba junior men (2005), Manitoba men’s playdowns (200809), Switzerland (2009-10).

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Skip: Iveta Stasa-Sarsune

Home: Jelgava Began curling at age: 25 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Urban planner, architect Employer: Riga City Council Age: 33 Place of birth: Jelgava Marital status: Married Spouse/Partner: Normunds Children: No Favourite food: Pancakes Favourite drink: Birch sap Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: Handbag Ten ends or eight? 10 ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

No tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends? No extra ends Competed in: World mixed doubles championship

Third: Una Grava-Germane Home: Riga Began curling at age: 30 Delivery: Right Occupation: Hairdresser Employer: Kapper Ltd. Age: 38 Place of birth: Balvi, Latvia

Marital status: Married Spouse/Partner: Juris Germanis Children: Rolands (18) Favourite food: Seafood Favourite drink: Cognac Celebrity dream man: Sean Connery Last movie she hated: Dislikes horror films Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: A handbag Ten ends or eight?

10 ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

No tiebreakers Extra ends or no extra ends? No extra ends Competed in: No previous world competitions.

First-timers always wear clothes, not too big on Star Wars Age: 33 Place of birth: Cesis, Latvia Marital status: Married Spouse/Partner: Roberts Krusta Children: Rihardsd (2.5) Favourite food: Baked potatoes Favourite drink: Tea Celebrity dream man: Pierce Brosnan Most

Extra ends or no extra ends?

Extra ends, if needed Competed in: No world competitions

Lead: Zanda Bikse

Home: Riga Began curling at age: 37 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Architect Employer: Arhitektoniskas Izpetes Grupa Ltd. Age: 39 Place of birth: Riga Marital status: Single Favourite food: Cheese Favourite drink: Apple juice All-time favourite movie: Onegin Last movie she loved: Brothers Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: Clothes Ten ends or eight? 10 ends Tiebreakers or no . e s Bik a tiebreakers?

Tiebreakd n d Za ers e, an n a rm Extra ends or no extra ends? a-Ge Second: Grav a n No extra ends. annoying U , ) t (lef a t Competed in: No previous world Ieva Krusta celebrity: Prince s u Kr Ieva events Last movie she hated: Star Home: Vacu Kalni Wars Began curling at age: 25 Tattooed? No Delivery: Right Never leaves home without: Fifth: Occupation/title: Day-care centre Wearing clothes.

Dace Munca manager Ten ends or eight? 10 ends Employer: NGO Rigas Pilsetas Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

Home: Riga Rupau Berns Tiebreakers, if needed

Began curling at age: 30 Delivery: Right Occupation/title: Personnel specialist Employer: Raklis Ltd. Age: 38 Place of birth: Riga Marital status: Single Favourite food: Fish Favourite drink: Coffee Celebrity dream man: Bruce Willis Last movie she hated: Star Wars Tattooed? No Never leaves home without: Clothes Ten ends or eight? 10 ends Tiebreakers or no tiebreakers?

Uncertain.

Extra ends or no extra ends? No extra ends Competed in: No world championships

Coach: Brian Gray Home: Berne, Switzerland Occupation/title: Automation Project Manager (Pharmaceuticals, food) Employer: Self-employed Date of birth: July 4, 1968 Place of birth: Aberdeen, Scotland Coached: Switzerland (women) 1999, 2000, 2002; Latvia (men) 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009. Two-time Swiss champions Nicole Strauzak, Luzia Ebnother. Five-time Latvian champion Ritvars Gulbis. (Team coach) Pascal Hess, No. 6, Switzerland.

Eye Opener

Page 14

2010 FORD WORLD WOMEN’S SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Draw 3 Results 1 2 3 4 Denmark* 2 0 0 0 China 0 1 1 1 %age Lead Second Denmark 77 77 China 89 77

5 6 7 1 2 1 0 0 0 Third 83 73

8 9 10 T 2 x x 8 0 x x 3 Skip Team 78 79 63 75

Scotland* Germany %age Scotland Germany

5 6 7 0 2 0 2 0 1 Third 69 68

8 9 10 T 2 0 0 6 0 0 4 9 Skip Team 85 83 91 81

1 2 3 4 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 Lead Second 95 83 81 83

Draw 4 Results

Sweden Norway* %age Sweden Norway

Standings

(through Sunday’s draws) Team Canada Germany U.S.A. Russia Scotland Sweden

TodAY

W 3 2 2 2 2 2

Team Denmark Norway Latvia Japan Switzerland China

W 2 1 1 1 0 0

L 1 2 2 2 3 3

DRAW 7 1:30 p.m. Russia vs. Switzerland; Japan vs. Sweden; U.S.A. vs.

Norway; Latvia vs. Canada.

DRAW 8 7:30 p.m. Canada vs. China; Norway vs. Germany; Sweden vs. Scotland; Switzerland vs.

Denmark.

TUESDAY

DRAW 9 8:30 a.m. Sweden vs. Germany; Switzerlands vs. China; Canada vs. Denmark; Norway vs. Scotland.

DRAW 10 1:30 p.m. Denmark vs. U.S.A.; Scotland vs. Latvia; Germany vs.

Russia; China vs. Japan.

WEDNESDAY

DRAW 17 7:30 p.m. Norway vs. Denmark; Canada vs. Scotland; Switzerland vs. Germany; Sweden vs. China.

DRAW 13 1:30 p.m. Switzerland vs. Scotland; Sweden vs. Denmark; Norway vs.

China; Canada vs. Germany.

8:30 a.m. Tiebreaker (if one required).

1:30 p.m. Tiebreakers (if two required).

8 p.m. Page One-Two playoff (or Page Three-Four playoff) and Tiebreakers (if three required).

U.S.A. vs. Canada; Japan vs. Switzerland; Russia vs. Sweden.

DRAW 12 8:30 a.m. Japan vs. Canada; Russia vs. Norway; Latvia vs. Sweden; U.S.A. vs. Switzerland.

DRAW 14 7:30 p.m. China vs. Russia; Germany vs. Japan; Scotland vs.

U.S.A.; Denmark vs. Latvia.

THURSDAY

DRAW 15 8:30 a.m. U.S.A. vs. Sweden; Latvia vs. Switzerland; Russia vs.

Canada; Japan vs. Norway.

DRAW 16 1:30 p.m. Germany vs. Latvia; China vs. U.S.A.; Denmark vs.

Japan; Scotland vs. Russia.

Canada Switzerland* %age Canada Switzerland

SATURDAY

12 noon. Page Three-Four playoff (or Page One-Two playoff).

5 p.m. Championship semi-final.

SUNDAY

10 a.m. Bronze-medal match.

3 p.m. Gold-medal championship final.

1301 North Service Road East Swift Current, SK S9H 3X6 Phone: (306) 773-8288 Fax: (306) 773-8289

holidayinnexpress.com SCORE

1

1

1

2

3

2

0

0

4

8 9 10 T 1 0 x 9 0 1 x 5 Skip Team 76 83 63 79

1 2 3 4 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 Lead Second 88 96 89 90

5 6 7 0 2 0 1 0 1 Third 88 94

8 9 10 T 1 0 x 6 0 1 x 4 Skip Team 91 91 75 87

Draw 5 Results

FRIDAY

0

5 6 7 3 0 2 0 2 0 Third 92 86

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 T USA 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 6 Latvia* 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 2 7 %age Lead Second Third Skip Team USA 90/80 68 74 71 74 Latvia 50 79 61 70 65

Russia 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 1 1 Japan* 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 %age Lead Second Third Skip Team Russia 73 67 66 56 65 Japan 61 70 56 50 59

Draw Schedule

DRAW 6 8:30 a.m. Scotland vs. Japan; Denmark vs. Russia; China vs. Latvia; Germany vs. U.S.A.

DRAW 11 7:30 p.m. Latvia vs. Norway;

L 0 1 1 1 1 1

1 2 3 4 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 Lead Second 83 82 81 88

5

6

7

You Manage the Game Plan, We’ll Manage the Road Trip!

8

Germany Denmark* %age Germany Denmark

Norway Canada* %age Norway Canada

1 2 3 4 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 Lead Second 88 81 88 86 1 2 3 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 Lead Second 73 69 92 73

5 6 7 0 0 1 1 2 0 Third 78 84 5 6 7 1 0 2 0 1 0 Third 69 91

8 9 10 T 0 x x 3 4 x x 10 Skip Team 59 77 80 84 8 9 10 T 0 x x 3 3 x x 8 Skip Team 59 68 78 84

Switzerland Sweden* %age Switzerland Sweden

1 2 3 4 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 Lead Second 89 73 85 71

5 6 7 1 1 0 0 0 2 Third 71 83

8 9 10 T 2 1 0 6 0 0 4 7 Skip Team 76 77 74 78

China Scotland* %age China Scotland

1 2 3 4 0 1 0 1 2 0 4 0 Lead Second 89 75 77 89

5 6 7 1 0 1 0 2 0 Third 78 83

8 9 10 T 0 x x 4 6 x x 14 Skip Team 70 78 88 84

* —started game with the hammer

7 6

Monday, March 22, 2010

Page 15

From Page 10

easy.”

Prior to the 2002 Olympics at Salt Lake City, Schoepp wound up in a row with the German Curling Federation, coaches and officials. Her team legitimately qualified to represent her country at the Games but the back-room boys saw it differently and tossed her off the Olympic team. Apparently Schoepp and some of the officials didn’t see eye to eye on certain rules, preparation techniques and other matters mangled in political red tape.

And . . .

The dispute became massive. Out “If you’re doing this for 30 years and of hand. It wound up in a lawsuit and concentrate totally on curling for that long counter-lawsuit. There were personal acyou get bored.” cusations flying back and forth that ranged Andrea Schoepp of Garmisch-Partenfrom political patter to downright juicy kirchen has been marching to her own gossip. drummer for 45 years. Her career is pretty Schoepp was personally devastated. All well etched in black and white. No grey she wanted was to curl. And to hell with areas. On or off the bike, it’s her way and the rest of the off-ice machinations. the highway!

She missed those 2002 Games. But she She has won a world title (1987). She wouldn’t quit. She was right back at it has won an Olympic demo gold medal the next year and continued to persevere.

(1992). She has won just about everything And when you consider that Schoepp has there is to win in curling, in fact. skipped the last five German champions at Along the way she has proven to be as the Ford Worlds and the German rep at the tough as a casket of nails. As determined recent Vancouver Olympics, you’d have as a hungry lion. But winning isn’t the to say her perseverance paid off. Big time. end-all for this bona fide fitness fanatic She was, and still is, the most notable winand professor of mathematics and statisner in the history of German curling. tics. It’s simply The Game.

“I don’t talk about that any more,” says “I’m really dedicated to this game,” the German skip who first played in the she admits, “and about 10 years ago in world championship more than a quarterGermany, when they tried to kick me out century ago. of everything, I fully realized that it’s the But nothing else in her lifestyle has sport that I’m loving, it’s not to play in the 12333 Amarula Ad Ford WWC:Layout 1 1/20/10 8:50 changed.

NotAM one Page iota. 1 Worlds or the Olympics. It’s just the game See WOOD Page 16 itself is why I’m playing and that makes it

WOOD: Schoepp has storied career

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Eye Opener

Page 16

From Page 15

WOOD: ‘Better than ever’ “I have to work out every day,” he says. “Because I’m used to it. I do between four or five hours of sport every day. If I don’t do it, I’m like, crazy.

“At home, I’m using the mountain bike because we have a lot of mountains around my home. During the winter I go skiing, usually one hour of cross-country and building up a sweat. Then I go skiing downhill. It’s like a drug. If I see a hill and I don’t have skis I get really wild, really mad.

“Where I live (in the gorgeous Bavarian resort that has played host to a pair of world men’s championships) I don’t even need a car to go skiing. I just go out of my garden and in five minutes I’m on the cable car. And I can ski right back home in front of my garden.”

It has, in some ways, been a long and winding road back for Andrea Schoepp. But, in December, she won the Euro title at Aberdeen, Scotland.

“I don’t think I’d call it a rebirth that we won the Europeans,” she argues. “What I always say, you need a certain amount of luck in this game. We didn’t have it for a long time but I think the team has been good for a long time.

We just needed maybe an inch of luck and every rock hitting the correct way and we win.”

There has, in recent years been a problem building a team that stays together. Schoepp and long time crony Monika Wagner have, over the last decade, sprinkled their teams with youth.

“It has been difficult keeping a team together,” she admits. “We start with young girls around 13 or 14 and we work with them and they become good and then they become 17 or 18 and they finish school and they have to go to university somewhere else or decide to work somewhere else or they have boyfriends and you lose them.

“All these things disturb their careers a little bit and before you know it you are starting all over again. But I’m hoping these young girls will stay for a little bit longer.”

Schoepp has 27-year-old Canadian-born Melanie Robillard at third, Wagner at second, 17-year-old Stella Heiss at lead and 20-year-old Corinna Scholz as fifth player.

“It’s a disappointment,” says Schoepp, “because you get tired if you have to look for new teammates ever year. You put all your effort and all your strength into those young

Andrea Schoepp people and try to help them and then they quit and go away and you start from the beginning again. But I have no other alternative. I need four players for curling, so . . .”

As long as there’ll be three others to play, Andrea Schoepp will be around to direct on-ice traffic.

“I think,” she says, “I am more fit now than I was 20 years ago. Maybe 30 years ago. I think I’m better than ever. We have to do tests for fitness every year and the level is still going up.

“Age should not be the problem for me. The problem should be forming a team of four or five people who can play together and communicate together.

“Retire?” she repeats a query. “Why should I? Tell me.

You never know what will happen. You may hurt yourself or something. But if I stay healthy, I will be there.”

Which suggests a bundle of world curling championship records — apppearances, games, wins, et al — will soon be under siege.

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