Wednesday Mixed

You must be thinking, When did Richard Olmstead join the State Police? And what does he have against tampons? Well, that's not him. Richard is not a state trooper. But he IS a curler and he is a veteran curler who has been in the game a long time. Richard plays in the Monday Mixed, Wednesday Open 8 Ender as well as the  Thursday Mens. To curl 3 nights a week, Richard clearly demonstrates his love for the Roaring game. Richard is a great asset to the BRCC. Not only does he participate in the leagues, but he also volunteers at the club a great deal. It is the BRCC's good fortune to have Richard as a member of the club. And this past Wednesday, there were lots more BRCC members out there giving it their all between the sheets.

Ice A: Lucy Ann Trudeau vs Warren Neufeld. WIN for Trudeau. In this come-from-behind victory, the Trudeau crew got behind early but endeavoured to persevere for the rest of the match and won it on skips rocks in the last end. Well played game by both sides but it was the Trudeau rink who prevailed. Proving that it is never over till its over, the Trudeau rink gets the "Don't Give Up" Award. Perhaps Willy Nelson would flush his stash and pick up a brush!

Ice B: Al Viel vs Ryan Hagger. WIn for Viel. The Viel squad seemed to be in control for most of this match. Great showing by this squad and they appear to be one of the teams to beat in the Wednesday Open 8 Ender. It's the "We Will Rock You" Award for these guys. Would Queen not approve?

Ice C: Glen Austin vs John Topash. WIN for Austin. The Wednesday Newfie Bullet managed to squeak out the win in this match that was tight most of the way. Ron Coventry plays with this squad and is a new member to the BRCC BUT, he is no stranger to curling. Ron has curled alot and his style is demonstrative of the Manitoba tuck. It might be old-school, but it sure is effective. It's the "I Did It My Way" Award for him. If Paul Anka knew this, he'd already be out looking for a pair of Podium Golds!

Ice D: Hailey Horton vs Tom St Jules. WIN for St Jules. Big Daddy continues to be one of the frontrunners in this league but he had his hands full with the juniors tonight. This game was tight the entire was through and was won only in the last end. great effort by both squads. Helen Rancourt plays for the St Jules crew and is the most pleasant lady you might ever meet.  She is just returning from a year-long hiatus and it is sure nice to see her back. It's the "Heart Of Gold" award for her. I'm sure Neil Young would have to agree.

So that's how the rocks slid on this Wednesday night. Once again, the ice was fast and the amount of curl was out of this world. I should mention our club guy, Brian St Pierre. He has been doing an outstanding job of looking after the club and helping with the ice during the evenings. An excellent fit for the BRCC. It's the "Thank You For Being A Friend" Award for him. I'm sure the Golden Girls would be lining up for a date!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Tuesday Ladies

The BRCC Ladies. What a night it was. "Pink In The Rink" was a huge success. These fantastic ladies showed up donning their brightest pink and raised $600.00 for Breast Cancer research. Wonderful cause and a wonderful bunch of ladies. Kudos to them. And special thanks to Kristy Blanchet who put together the basket and to the Trudeau ladies: Lucy Ann, Akeshia and Donalea....thanks for the delicious cupcakes.

And this is Team Roberts. Namely, Deanna Roberts, Heather Roberts, Natashia Hallett and Amanda MacDonald. These ladies were coming fresh off a loss but that did not dampen their spirits. They were having fun and that is all that counts! Great look ladies!






The BRCC Tuesday Ladies league had a great night last night. The club room was the pinkest place you have ever seen. There are presently 11 teams in this league and still, they were able to raise $600.00 to donate to Breast cancer Research. How could you not be proud of these ladies?

Ice A: Deanna Roberts vs Joanna Hammond. WIN for Hammond. It was a tough night for Team Roberts, but the Hammond rink was on their game and they took control early and never looked back. I watched part of this game and I could not help but notice the excellent sweeping skills of Julia Horton. I swear, Julia is 80 lbs soaking wet but you can be sure that every ounce of this was put into her sweeping....so you can be sure that Julia helps her team make alot of shots.  So it's the "Centerfield" Award for Julia...enough to make John Fogerty hang up his guitar and pick up a broom!

Ice B: Annie Austin vs Anita Moran. WIN for Austin. My beloved Rez Girls got off to a slow start this season but have strung together 2 back to back wins and yes, that is a sign of life! Joanne Niganobe is throwing last for this squad and her game is on! And why not, she curls 3 times a week! So it's the "Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Altitudes" Award for her. I'm sure Jimmy Buffet would have a margarita in her honor!

Ice C: Christie Hagger vs Lucy Ann Trudeau. WIN for Trudeau.  The Trudeau squad were looking good for this match. They were tough customers right out of the gate and there was no backing off. Great game played by this crew tonight.  Christine Owl is a front end player for this squad and she is also in her third year at the BRCC. She has come a long way in the Roaring Game and her game can only improve with lucy Ann and Akeshia in her corner. It's the "Let's Work Together" Award for her. I sure the band Canned Heat would agree.

Ice D: Beth Laderoute vs Chantal MacLeod. WIN for Laderoute. What a season it has been for Team Laderoute thus far and I thinking it's going to be tough to knock them off the top of the leaderboard. Beth Laderoute has played in the ladies league for a long time. And with a tough crew alongside, she got her mojo goin' on! It's the "Got My Mojo Workin'" Award for Beth. Preston Foster would be sure to endorse this.

Ice C (Late): Jaimie Ellmore vs Liz Rouselle. WIN for Ellmore. Big win for the Ellmore squad after knocking off one of the league titans. This could be it...the Ellmore crew may have come into their own and are ready to start dealing out some Red Bum Awards. It's the "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" Award for this squad. it's enough to make Pat Benetar shake in her shoes!

So that's how it played out for this Tuesday Ladies. Great showing by these belles and certainly a great night of charity as well as fun. But that's how the BRCC Belles roll and that is why they are so important to the BRCC!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Monday Mixed

I know what you're thinking. When did Chantal MacLeod become an official? And what's she doing in Switzerland? Well, that's not her. Chantal is not an official but she is a heck of a curler. Chantal used to be a regular in the Mixed League but this year she is skipping her own team in the Tuesday Ladies.

You will find a week long gap in my posts which really couldn't be helped. I was away last week and consequently had no results. For this two finger typer, catching up might have been a daunting task so I just thought I would continue with this week's results instead. That way, I'm just moving forward with a clean slate.

Before I get to the Monday mixed results, I thought I would mention the tournament held last weekend in Gatineau. It was the Challenge Chateau Cartier de Gatineau. Lots of good teams attended but it was Team Gushue winning for the men. Team Brad Jacobs lost to Gushue in the Quarter Finals but still a good showing for them as well. On the Womens' side, it was Lisa Farnell who won it, and although Team Homan had a solid showing, they lost in the semi-final.

With the Olympic pre-trials coming up in later in November, both Gushue and Jacobs will be real contenders to get to the Trials in December. What a year this is going to be for curling! First the Pre-trials, then the Trials and the Grand Slam events, all before Christmas. And after Christmas, it will be the Continental Cup, the Canada Cup, the Scotties, the Brier, the Olympics and the other Grand Slam events. Wow...it's going to be awesome!

Now, for your Monday results:

Ice A: Dan McMillan vs Jerry Jensen. WIN for Jensen. Great showing by the Jensen squad with Jerry at the helm. They got up early and never let go of the lead. This should not be surprising, Jerry Jensen is an excellent player. He has played curling for alot of years and can make lots of shots. He just goes about the game quietly...certainly never the loudest player on the ice. It's the "Sound of Silence" award for him. How could Simon and Garfunkle disagree?!

Ice B: Gator Fortin vs Joanna Hammond. WIN for Fortin. The Fortin squad has been playing in the Mixed League for many years now. Always the same crew, with Karen, Judy Laframbois and Danny Shannahan. And last night, Danny was sporting his dad's curing sweater and wouldn't you know it, a perfect fit! It's the "Fashion" Award for him. It's enough to make David Bowie want to join curling!

Ice C: Glen Austin vs Michel Rivard. WIN for Austin. The Monday Newfie Bullet pulled out the win against the Rivard squad but it was a tight game all the way. Playing on excellent ice made for some good shot-making from both sides. Michel Rivard was at the helm for his crew and it is obvious he enjoys the Roaring Game. He is both the ice chairman and a player so he spends an awful lot of time at the club. And he is not half way about anything. He is all-in when it comes to making and maintaining good ice and he has learned the game, inside and out. It's the "Learning to Fly" Award for Michel. No doubt, Tom Petty would agree!

Ice D: Sandy Milroy vs Ryan Hagger. WIN for Hagger. With Christie Hagger at the helm, the Hagger squad controlled this match and posted the win. Christie Hagger is a focused and intense player. She is also a busy mother of two and this prevents her from pursuing a run in competitive curling. But, as I have said before, she is an excellent candidate for taking her game to the next level. She is brimming with potential and I do hope there comes a time when she gets her feet wet in competitive curling. I know she will love the thrill of competitive play. And by then, she'll be well practiced...after all, she plays three nights a week. My hat is off! It's the "One Fine Day" Award for her. It's like the Chiffons had her in mind when they wrote this song.

Ice B (Late): Craig Roberts vs Dennis Roberts. WIN for Dennis Roberts. In this Father against son battle, it was the senior Roberts who posted the win. But son, Craig, is taking it all in stride. I am guessing this is going to be a good year for him. He plays two nights a week and his game has improved big time. I watched a few of his games this year and he has a solid understanding of strategy. Here's a perfect example of growing into the game. It's "The Climb" Award for him. Might be enough for Miley Cyrus to put some clothes on and join curling!

Well, that's it for another Monday as November is just around the corner. The weather is getting colder but the upside is, there is a ton of curling tournaments coming up and they will be kicking off in November. Not sure when?...just ask our club guy, Brian St Pierre. He's been posting dates on the club calender. Great job Brian! And if I have not said it enough, I will say it again. The ice has been FANTASTIC! The speed has been absolutely awesome and with the big curl, the door is open for great shot-making and good games. Thanks alot to our ice guys who have been busy maintaining that great ice. You should know that they have even been coming in on the weekends even and shaving the ice. Now that is a dedicated bunch of volunteers and they should be applauded. if you see an ice guy around the club, let them k now how great the ice is because they certainly deserve our kudos.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Thursday Mens

The BRCC Junior Ladies. From left to right, Julia Horton, Tamara Boenke, Hayley Horton and Carley Geoffroy. Great to see these young ladies curling as a squad again. Carley is on a bit of a hiatus, as she is committed to and busy with Track at school. But, I cannot help hoping that Carley will make a return to BRCC curling soon. The girls played a tournament in Sudbury this past weekend and won a few games. More importantly, they got their feet wet for another season. It's early in the season and here they are, out there and competing. Well done ladies!

And they weren't the only ones out there getting their feet wet in the Roaring Game. The Men's League just completed their second week of play. Here's your results:

Ice D (Tuesday): Bob Villeneuve vs Ben Lemieux. WIN for Villeneuve. The Villeneuve squad makes it 2 in a row, while it's second place for the Lemieux rink. Perhaps they are still lamenting the loss of Robin St Jules who left this crew to play with his brothers. It's the "Baby, Come Back" Award for them. Hall and Oates would most likely be feeling their pain.

Ice A: Glen Austin vs Tom St Jules. TIE GAME. The Thursday Newfie Bullet had all it could do to stay with the newly-formed Family Jules. The union of these brothers has resulted in a curling force that will be tough to contend with. It's the "We Are Family" Award for the Family Jules. Sister Sledge no doubt would be behind this new crew.

Ice B: Jeff Mitchell vs Dave Mitchell. WIN for Dave Mitchell. In this battle of the brothers, the current club champions posted the win. So for Dave Mitchell, it's the "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" Award. The Hollies would understand.

Ice D: John Hammond vs Jim Kendrick. WIN for Hammond. John Hammond, continuing his love affair with the Roaring Game for another season. John is as much a curling junkie as anyone else I know. He likes nothing more than to yell to his sweepers for Hurry Hard! It's the "Shout" Award for him. Tears For Fears would no doubt endorse this.

Ice A(Late): Rick Berthelot vs Chris Zagar. WIN for Berthelot. Convincing win Team Berthelot. Rick is throwing last rock this season and with the switch up from right to left-handed shooting, Rick has made incredible strides in getting game after such a huge adjustment. It's the "Eye Of The Tiger" Award for him. I'm sure Survivor would be on board.

Ice B: Craig Roberts vs Al Viel. WIN for Roberts. Huge win for the Roberts rink, knocking off a very tough squad. It's Craig's second year at the helm and it is looking like the waiting is over. This crew appears to have come into their own! It's "The Waiting Is Over" Award for this rink. I'm sure Eva Cassidy would agree.

Ice C: Francois Lemieux vs Michel Rivard. WIN for Rivard. The Rivard rink were in control pretty well this whole game and ended up posting the win. Ron Forest and  Michel Rivard are two of the dedicated ice crew that look after the BRCC curling ice. Thanks to these two guys as well as others, the BRCC ice is awesome. Fast with lots of curl. You cannot beat that! It's the "Cold As Ice" Award for these guys. Foreigner would be in full support.

Ice D: Andrew Roberts vs Brian Tonelli. WIN for Roberts. Team Roberts posts the win and forces the Friendly Giant and his squad into the loss. But, it's early in the season and there will be lots of opportunity for redemption. The big guy isn't concerned, he'll just move on to the next game. It's the "Moving Forward" Award for him. Israel Houghton would approve.

So that's it for week 2 of the Thursday Mens. This is such a terrific league, lots of good teams and tons of good games. And a whole season ahead of us. The BRCC rocks!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Ice News

I know what you're thinking. Why is Robin St Jules doing a flood at another club other than the BRCC? Well, that's not him. Robin is a BRCC guy and has been for many years now. He plays in the Thursday Mens League. He used to be a member of the Robb Road Express but has left this squad to curl with his three brothers and is now a vice for the "Family Jules"! I guess that rendered the Robb Road Express to become the Robb Road Local (?). I suppose that remains to be seen.

In ice news, Michel Rivard reports that he still needs volunteers to help out with the ice. To keep the ice as good as it has been (especially in this warmer weather), scraping is required every day and the crew could sure use a hand. If you have some time, the ice crew really needs your help and it would be greatly appreciated. Please get with Michel and help out.

Also, if you have an early game and it is cancelled, please call a team from the late draw and give them an opportunity to play an early game. No everyone is a fan of the late game and teams really appreciate the opportunity to play an early game if a sheet is open. Please bear this in mind if your early game is cancelled.

So, the ice has been OUTSTANDING, has it not? The speed is awesome and the curl is absolutely spectacular. Those boys spend alot of time working on that ice and man, what good curling! Awesome job guys! Please come out and help them if you can.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Wednesday Open 8 Ender

I know what you're thinking. Is Warren Neufeld turning into a reindeer? Well, as far as I know, he is not. In fact, Warren (and Rose) were in Kitchener last weekend and with the help of their moose call, they were showing support for Brad Jacobs who was in the parade there. Looks like they were having fun and they certainly had the support of the people around them, once these people found out what Warren was up to. Warren and Rose are longtime members of the BRCC, and in fact, are mainstays of the club. Both help out the club in so many ways and the BRCC is so fortunate to have these wonderful people as part of the membership. They both play in the Wednesday Open 8 Ender and Warren plays in the Thursday Mens. And they were out there last Wednesday, meeting between the sheets with all the other Wednesday night gamers.

Ice A: Glen Austin vs Tom St Jules. WIN for St Jules. The Wednesday Newfie Bullet was in tough against the red hot St Jules rink. Despite a back problem. Big Daddy was in fine form and made a ton of shots. But so did the rest of his team as well. Guy Ratte, curling in his second year, plays lead for this team and he had an excellent showing. So, it's the "Getting better" Award for Guy. I'm sure the Beatles would be proud of him.

Ice B: Ryan Hagger vs Hayley Horton. WIN for Hagger. With Christie Hagger at the helm, the Hagger crew handed the juniors a convincing second place finish. Little Abby Hagger was sparing for the juniors and I must say, what a delight it is to see this awesome little girl out there growing into the Roaring Game. She might be small, but she is big in so many ways. Despite the loss, you won't see Abby shedding any tears, she's tough stuff. So, it's the "Big Girls Don't Cry" Award for Abby. I'm sure Fergie would agree.

Ice C: Al Viel vs Lucy Ann Trudeau. WIN for Trudeau. Big win for the Trudeau squad in this come from behind victory. After going down 5 - 0 early in the game, the Trudeau rink managed to come back and win it in the 8th end. Great game. It's the "Beatin' The Odds" Award for this Trudeau squad. I'm sure Molly Hatchet would be on board.

Ice D: Warren Neufeld vs John Topash. WIN for Neufeld. If you have followed this blog for any length of time, then you will know that the Neufeld rink have lots of game and can rustle up a win at any one time. Great curling by this crew. It's "The Best" Award for them and I could not see Tina Turner disagreeing.

So, there you have it for another Wednesday night. This league is awesome and although there are 8 teams at present, I am sure that there will be many more teams next season. It's fun, check it out.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Tuesday Ladies

I know what you're thinking. Is Annie Austin in some kind of a retro curling tournament (second from right in front). And why are they using Little Rocker rocks? Well, that's not her but regardless of that, I am going to incur a serious infraction on the home front all the same. But, as a curling scribe, I have to be willing to take one for the team from time to time.

This IS a neat picture. Lady curlers were well-dressed back in the day. No Lulu Lemon or yoga pants for these gals. In fact, by the looks of it, the hat was the big deal.

Well, they might not have had any giant hats on last night at the Tuesday Ladies, but the BRCC belles were out in fine form and they were all looking good. And they were using regular-sized rocks as well.

Ice A: Deanna Roberts vs Jamie Elmore. WIN for Roberts. A solid showing for this newly formed Roberts crew and it appears that Deanna is settled in well at the helm. She should have no problem keeping her ship afloat and for that, it's the "Son Of A Son Of A Sailor" Award for her. Jimmy Buffet is waiting for her in Margaritaville!

Ice B: Marty Mitchell vs Liz Rouselle. WIN for Rouselle. Coming off her first win last week, the Mitchell crew were forced to take second place against the tough Rouselle. rink. But, despite this loss, there is a whole long season ahead and lots of time for Team Mitchell to move forward. Personally, I think this team will be a contender for the top spot at the end of the season but they will have to get by other tough squads. They win the "You're Going To make It Afterall" Award. I'm sure Mary Tyler Moore would approve and instead of Marty throwing her hat into the air, she'll be throwing a curling broom. (Not everyone is going to get this Mary Tyler Moore thing...I think I just dated myself!)

Ice C: Anita Moran vs Beth Laderoute. WIN for Moran. Well, the Moran crew appears to be looking to repeat last year's big year but this is a new squad. Nonetheless, they look good out there and here's another contender for top spot. They look like they have already begun their ascent to the top so it's the "Rocket Man" Award for them. Elton John will be happy to hear it.

Ice D: Annie Austin vs Lucy Ann Trudeau. WIN for Trudeau. The newly-formed Trudeau crew hands the Rez Girls their second loss in as m,any weeks. This Trudeau crew is another tough looking crew and here's  another squad that could grab top spot. Lucy Ann loves the Roaring Game and will play every chance she gets. So, it's the "Game Of Love" Award for her. Carlos Santana (and Andrew Roberts) would be happy.

Ice C (late): Joanna Hammond vs Christie Hagger. WIN for Hammond.  That's two in a row for Nanny McPhee and her squad. But this one was a nail biter.The Hammond squad were in control but Team Hagger battled back and it was a tie game coming home. Great finish. Watch out for this Hammond squad this year. Seems to be some good chemistry happening here between Joanna and the juniors and the results are apparent. It's the "Good Vibrations" Award for this squad. I'm sure Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch would approve. (Once again, I just dated myself).

And here's some other news for the BRCC Ladies League. On Oct 29th, it will be Pink On The Rink night. That's right, all lady curlers should don something pink for this night. And, you could win a pink basket. ($2.00 a ticket) So, get yer pink duds out and have a blast.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Monday Mixed

Well, it turns out that Thanksgiving threw a curve ball at the Monday mixed League this week. There were NO games to report. Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday!

Thursday Mens

I know what you're thinking. Did Kelly James stop wearing his glasses? And where is he curling? And is that a coffee cup he is holding? Well, that's not him. Kelly is currently in his second year of a hiatus that keeps him out of the regular leagues at the BRCC but he spares every now and again and we fully expect him to return to the Roaring Game before long. I mean let's face it, curling is in him and he will never be able to shake it, much like the members of the BRCC Mens League. They were out there last Thursday as the first week of the mens League kicked off. Unfortunately, I have only a few results as there were hardly any results posted on the board. I would have to ask the skips of the Mens to post their results so I can find out all the wins and losses. Without this info, it is difficult to post the results.

Ice C (Tuesday): Craig Roberts vs Yvon Valiquette. WIN for Valiquette. The Valiquette crew post their first win of the season. This is usually a tough team and they generally have a strong showing every season. They win the "One Way Or Another" Award, although Blondie might have reservations.

Ice D: Al Viel vs John Hammond. WIN for Viel. The Viel squad is "new and improved" with 4 seasoned players looking to make a run at the Dominion Club Championship this year. They will be a tough crew to contend with. They win the "Untouchable One" Award this week. Tom Cochrane and Red Ryder would approve.

Ice C (Thursday): Andrew Roberts vs Chris Zagar. WIN for Roberts. Andrew Roberts has been playing curling for a few years now. He has steadily improved year after year and regularly skips his own squad in the Mixed as well as the Mens. Andrew is one of the more stylish skips donning pin stripe pants and a fedora. He wins the "I Am Beautiful" Award but I cannot say for certain whether Christina Aguilera would agree. If he can sing as well as look fashionable, perhaps she would coach him on The Voice.

Ice B: Bob Villeneuve vs Brian Tonelli. WIN for Villeneuve.  The veteran Villeneuve squad post a win for their first outing of the year. This crew is always well up there in the standings by the time playoffs roll around. This crew is well capable of manufacturing wins and why not, the thought process is big time with these guys. I mean look at Bob and Doug (Kearns)...both in the law profession. Thinking it through is what they do! So, it's the "lawyers In Love" Award for these two. I'm sure Jackson Browne is scratching his head over it.

So, that's it for this first Thursday. Sorry about the sparse results but that's all I have. Sometimes I have the time to call around and find out the results but by and large, I use the results board at the club. So, please post your results! Please don't make me beg!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Cathlia Ward Wins A Sandra Schmirler Scholarship

I'm sure you all, by now, recognize this lovely young lady. It's Cathlia Ward whom I have written about on a couple of occasions. This young lady is just so darn awesome, it's truly amazing. I just found out (via Al Gemmell) that Cathlia is one of 6 recipients of the 2013 Spirit of Sandra Schmirler Scholarships. Because of her outstanding achievements in academics, competitive sport and community involvement, Cathlia will be receiving a scholarship in the amount of $5000.00. And that's not all, on August 2 she will be heading to Winnipeg for a 2 day training session with Jon Mead and Cathy Overton-Clapham.

Each of the 6 winners of this scholarship has committed to organizing a fund raiser in their local community to raise awareness and support for the Sandra Scmirler Foundation. The mission of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation is to donate to Hospital Neonatal Intense Care Units (NICUs) all across Canada for the purchase of life-saving equipment for babies born too soon, too small, or too sick.

I should mention that I was a huge Sandra Schmirler fan and myself and Annie donate to this worthy cause every year on the opening day of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Cathlia is just 19 years old and studies at the University of New Brunswick. - Renaissance College. She doing a Bachelor of Philosophy  and Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies with a minor in French. This is a one - of - a- kind program where only 30 students are admitted annually from around the world. Cathlia has represented New Brunswick at the Halifax Winter games and in 2012 represented New Brunswick at the Under 18 Atlantic Championships where she won gold. Also, in 2013 she was a part of the team that won the New Brunswick provincials and played in the Canadian nationals. In that same year, she was chosen as an alternate for Team Canada at the 2013 World Juniors held in Sochi, Russia.

At such a young age, this wonderful young lady has accomplished so much and you can be sure, if you follow curling, you will see her name many more times in the years to come.

As I have said before, Cathlia is a role model for young and old alike.

Well done Cathlia, and on behalf of the BRCC. we wish you well in all you do!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Wednesday Open 8 Ender

I know what you're thinking. Does Andrew Roberts have a new girlfriend? Or have we caught him in a scandal? Well, that's not him. That's Carlos Santana with Michelle Branch. Andrew is still with Natasha Hallett and there is NO scandal. For this couple, it's all curling. Andrew and Natasha play in the Mixed League and they both play in the Mens and Ladies League as well.

And they are not the only couple out there curling at the BRCC. There are lots of couples that spend their evenings at the club, meetin' between the sheets. And a few of these couples were out there on Wednesday night.

Ice A: John Topash vs Ryan Hagger. Win for Hagger. With Ryan on nightshift, Christie Hagger was at the helm and handed the newly formed Topash crew their first loss. Quite the curler, this Christie Hagger. She is always focused and she has a love for the Roaring Game. In fact, she is playing 3 nights a week this year so that's commitment to the sport in the biggest kind of way. It's the "Lady Ice" Award for her. Duran Duran would be ecstatic.

Ice B: Glen Austin vs Lucy Ann Trudeau. Win for Austin. The Wednesday Newfie Bullet went blow for blow with this tough Trudeau squad but managed to take control late in the game and secure the win. This Trudeau crew is a newly formed squad and since this is only the first week, they have hardly had a chance to gel but I can see them being one of the teams to beat in this league as time goes on. So, it's the "Growing Together" Award for this crew. I have no doubt the 5th Dimension is on board with this.

Ice C: Hayley Horton vs Warren Neufeld. TIE GAME. Great showing by this junior squad as they stayed right with the seasoned Neufeld rink. Warren has a new couple with him and Rose this year and a big BRCC welcome to Dave and Sharon Hamlin. They are new to the club but they are NOT new to the game. I was watching them and they have lots of talent. This will be a tough team this year. And how about those juniors! Great showing. My hat is off to Dawson Kluding who is playing the third position with these three young ladies. But being the minority gender on this team does not seem to affect his game. It's the "I'm The Man" Award for Dawson. Joe Jackson would be more than happy with this.

Ice D: Al Viel vs Tom St Jules. Win for Viel. With Al Viel away chasing moose around the north shore, Al and Maymar Gemmell spared and helped this crew secure a win on this, the first night of the Wednesday Open 8 Ender. I have to say, Al Gemmell is quite a presence at the BRCC. He is quite knowledgeable about so many different facets of the game of curling and offers his assistance whenever he can. What an asset to the club he is! It's the "Helping Hand" Award for Al. Amy Grant would no doubt be in full support!

So that's it for the first week of the Wednesday Open 8 Ender. And it was a great opening week. The sheets were all full and the ice was terrific. For a small club, the BRCC is a tough act to follow!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Tuesday Ladies

I know what you're thinking. Why does Natasha Hallett insist on curling in a bikini? Well, that's not her but if it was, I'm sure she would be donning more clothes than this individual in the picture. Indeed, the BRCC is open a little earlier this year and the weather IS pretty temperate, but it is still a little cool for bikini curling out on the ice surface. And in keeping with this, the BRCC Ladies League kicked off this past Tuesday night and wouldn't you know it, they all were fully clothed!

Ice A: Anita Moran vs Chantal MacLeod. WIN for Moran. With Christine Scholburg sparing for Anita (and at the helm), the Moran crew took this first game of the season. You will recall that the Moran rink were the top team in the Ladies League last year  but this is a new crew this year. Great to see Chantal MacLeod out there in the Ladies League. She wins the "New Kid In Town" Award. The Eagles will be over the moon with her!

Ice B: Beth Laderoute vs Lucy Ann Trudeau. WIN for Laderoute. The Laderoute squad comes out swinging right out of the gate and posts a "W" for their first outing. This squad is comprised of seasoned players and this could be the year for them. It's the "Climb Every Mountain" Award for them. I'm sure Julie Andrews would be proud.

Ice C: Joanna Hammond vs Annie Austin. WIN for Hammond. Joanna has teamed up with the Junior ladies for this season. looks to be a good fit as they knock off my beloved Rez Girls right off the hop. It's excellent to see Joanna getting with the juniors and for that, she wins the Nanny McPhee Award. I'm sure Emma Thompson would approve!

Ice D: Jamie Elmore vs Christie Hagger. WIN for Elmore. Great to see Jamie Elmore grab a win right in the first week. Jamie's first year skipping was last year so she is still fairly new at the helm but given her enthusiasm for the Roaring Game, her skills have improved and she will, no doubt, chalk up some wins this season. Jamie wins the "Rocky" Award and I'm sure Sylvester Stallone would be good with it.

Ice B (Late): Marty Mitchell vs Deanna Roberts. WIN for Mitchell. Marty Mitchell is just returning to the leagues after a several year hiatus and right away is making her mark. I guess for Marty it's just like riding a bike and so it's the "Still The One" Award for her. Undoubtedly, Orleans would agree.

So there you have it. The first week of Ladies curling is over with and everyone now can hunker down and get into the season. Great to see the Ladies league still doing well and a special thanks to Team Elmore for convening this league (for the second year in a row).

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Monday Mixed

I know what you're thinking. Who's Jim Deagle's friends. And where are they curling? Well, that's not Jim Deagle, although Jim was a long time member of the BRCC as were his parents. Hopefully, Jim will be back to curl with us again sometime. But, there were lots of other members at the BRCC last Monday as the leagues kicked off for another season. A little earlier than in other years but that's great! Nothing wrong with rekindling our love affair with the Roaring Game ahead of schedule, especially when this is going to be a great year in curling...what with the Olympic Trials and the Olympics coming up!

Ice A: Jerry Jensen vs Andrew Roberts. Win for Roberts. Great start for this newly formed Roberts team. but they are not new to curling, they are all seasoned players and will be a tough squad to get by in this league.

Ice B: Gator Fortin vs Hailey Horton. Win for Fortin. Gator is back again with his usual Monday night team and here's another squad of seasoned players that can deal out a hurtin' from time to time. But at the same time, there's lots of "gator-huntin' swamp people" teams out there wantin' to "Choot em!" (Figuratively speaking of course).

Ice C: Bob Villeneuve vs Ryan Hagger. WIN for Villeneuve. Well, it looks like Team Villeneuve handed down their first judgement of the year and sentenced Team Hagger to some beverages in the lounge. But they had to work for this win...team Hagger is never a pushover.

Ice D: Andrew Ludgate vs Dan McMillan. WIN for McMillan. I think this is the first Red Bum Award of the year, going to Team Ludgate. But this is a new squad and they were taking on the tough McMillan team. Once the swelling goes down, they will be right back on that curling horse and dealing out some Red Bum Awards of their own!

Ice B: Michel Rivard vs Craig Roberts. WIN for Rivard. Nice win for Team Rivard out of the gate. And a great job by the BRCC Ice Chairman. The ice has great speed and lots of curl. I have heard many comments regarding how great the ice is to play on. Great job by ALL the ice crew.

Ice C: Glen Austin vs Joanna Hammond. WIN for Austin. The  Monday Newfie Bullet might have won this game but they had their hands full with this Hammond crew. Joanna is back with her enthusiastic approach and as the season progresses, she will be a force to be reckoned with. And a great showing from Chris Zagar and Jeff Hallet. It's early in the season and these guys are already  making a ton of shots.

So there you have it...the season is up and running and there can be no doubt that it will another year of good games and lots of laughs. Because, that's how we roll at the BRCC! Actually, that's how we slide at the BRCC.

Welcome back to all the BRCC members. Have a great season and most of all, have fun!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Ironbroom Is A Hit...Was There Ever Any Doubt?

So there you have it. 2013 Ironbroom winners. And yes, it's yours truly, the Curling Chronic along with Mike Landry (Left), Marcel Dubois and Jeff Spurrell (furthest right). Awesome tournament and great job by Bob Villeneuve who resurrected this spiel and ended up having a 22 team event! And it was a spectacular deal...where else can you get two games of curling, free pizza, 18 holes of golf with cart), dinner and dance and prizes for 60 bucks a player. At the BRCC,. that's where.

The Ironbroom was a fantastic way to start the season. It gave everyone an opportunity to get together after the summer and catch up. And play some late season golf and some early season curling.

Lots of good games throughout the 2 day event and quite the mixture of teams. With the "open" format, all-men, all-lady and mixed teams were in the mix.

The golf was played at Huron Pines. What a beautiful course. It rained for about 8 out of the 18 holes but it was manageable and at some point it stopped and then was all good again.

The ice? All I can say is "wow!" If we have that kind of ice all season, we will be cooking with gas! The speed was great and the amount of curl. The ice certainly made some big come-arounds possible and contributed in a very big way to level of enjoyment people were having out there on the ice. Kudos to the ice crew...superior quality.

Thanks alot to Lisa Horton and Beverly Behnke who worked on the bar both nights and they spent hours and hours there. Thanks alot ladies, that was first rate! And a great start for Brian St Pierre who kicked off his new employment at the BRCC this weekend. And he was great.

As I stated earlier, Bob was the man who ran this event. He did an excellent job organizing the Ironbroom and it went off without a hitch. Thisx spiel is going to much bigger next year...people just loved it. And hey, it is great for the club too. After the costly improvements to the BRCC, an early event like this certainly helps.

Like I said before, the BRCC is extremely lucky to have the people that it does because the BRCC has a great reputation for fun events. It is the people who plan and volunteer as well as attend these events that make it all work.

Spectacular weekend! Spectacular job by all those involved.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic

Curling Clinc At BRCC Goes Well

Julia Horton. Not only is this excellent young lady one of my favourite junior curlers, but she is another one of the rising stars of the BRCC. And she was at both nights of the clinic held this past week. You can see Al Gemmell off to the right with his computer program and camera set up recording peoples' deliveries. An extremely helpful tool! If you have never tried this, get with Al and have a look at yourself. The improvements that come out of it are guaranteed!

Maymar was telling me that the clinic was well-attended, for the most part, both nights. She did note that she would have liked to see more Brand new curlers as the majority of attendees were players with some experience. But those people benefited big time from the clinic and right out of the gate, are looking to enhance their skills.

And kudos to Dennis Roberts, who attends the clinics every year. Dennis is an excellent example of someone loving the Roaring Game and always working to improve. And if you have played against him, you'll know that Dennis has game. And not only that, he has excellent on-ice demeanour. He'll go far in this game, I have no doubt.

And my hat is off to Debbie Rivard who has taken up the pebbling can and learned how to pebble. You may know that Michel Rivard is the current ice chairman at the BRCC and now he has the support of his wonderful wife. Great things are happening with the ice and Michel is keen to please. Thanks alot to the ice crew who worked hard to get our ice in. I don't have all the names yet so I am hesitant to name them just yet. As soon as I find out who they all are, I'll be thanking them all by name.

I cannot say enough how fortunate we are at the BRCC to have so many people contributing to our club. It is one of the key reasons why our club is so darn cool.

On a more somber note, Neil Harrison is currently battling cancer and I would like to say that all our thoughts at the BRCC are with him and hope for a speedy recovery. Neil was the lead for Eddie Werenich, the Wrench. Maymar knows him personally and intimated to me that Neil defined the lead position. I'm sure the entire curling world is pulling for Neil.

And the Iron Broom kicks off this evening with the first draws at 6 pm. Hope to see you all there. I'm stoked! I have not thrown a rock all year and I am hoping it's like riding a bike. And, if we don't fare so well, I still don't care because the company will more than make up for it.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic