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Canadian Curling News December 2003 1 Curling: Version 1.0 WCF and CCA get hip with new digital promo by George Karrys through the WCF offices in Scotland. summer Keith told us about a draft Lamoureaux estimates that up to version of the demo he showed to a IN A STUNNING DEVELOPMENT 50,000 new curers are recruited every Canadian audience. I was told that that could make an enormous impact year, and every year the sport loses pebbling is like going down the ice on the age-old conundrums of novice approximately the same amount. “Our sheet with a watering can, so that is curling promotion and retention, the goal is to help curling clubs reduce that what I showed in the initial anima- World Curling Federation and the attrition rate to 10-15 per cent,” Lam- tion, pouring water directly onto Canadian Curling Association have oureaux said. the ice and walking over it in a for- co-created a major promotional tool, a “The sense of triumph will come ward motion. Apparently the crowd mini CD-ROM. when clubs are bursting at the seams, laughed big time, and obviously I and we believe the sport is well posi- changed it! tioned to do just that in the next 5-7 years Lamoureaux said. “This CD is just a small part of a larger plan of tac- tics aimed at improving the business of curling.” Canadian Curling News recently sat down with the hackers behind the product, the German duo of Oliver Axnick and Markus Sticker. Axnick is The recent Continental Cup was well-known in high-performance cir- the backdrop for the announcement, cles as a long-time member of the which will see thousands of CDs Andy Kapp team, while Sticker is a CCN: You have competed for a long packed with new curler information, recent convert to the sport -- from his time Oli -- forgetting that you are inti- graphics, stills and moving pictures computer desk, that is. mately involved for a moment, what do made available in January. Now there you think about the project concept is some modern ammunition in the and its importance for curling? promotional curling weapon, and it’s called Curling - Version 1.0. Axnick: Curling is a very complex Just as curling club owners, presi- sport. Everyone who sees the game dents and managers finally seem to be for the first time has so many ques- getting the message that they need to tions, like “how heavy is the rock?”, provide stewardship and support to “why do you sweep the ice?” I new curlers once they’ve signed up, believe the secrets of this entertaining along comes a funky CD to make that sport come to the surface if the spec- orientation job even easier. Once tator has an understanding of the dropped into the CD-ROM drive of CCN: How did the two of you get basics. Therefore education is the any personal computer (PC platform), involved in this project? first step in strengthening curling’s new recruits, prospective curlers and reputation and importance. At the novice players can walk through a col- Axnick: That’s a long story! It started same time, Canada is basically lection of videos, animations, still pho- with Markus, who doesn’t curl, and another planet in curling terms and tography and text that illustrate, in a his daughter, who does curl... she took that’s why we also focused on techni- simple and easy to understand format, a curling trip to Edmonton and played Axnick and Sticker cal aspects, like the delivery, in addi- how to really enjoy the sport of curling. many bonspiels around Europe, all of tion to the basics. “Interest in the sport around the them well-funded by the German The possibilities that modern world is at the highest level ever, Curling Association. Markus was for the WCF, in early 2002. Keith Danny’s flexibility and resources gave media allows were obvious. Today a mainly due to the increased TV cover- impressed, and then he realized curl- liked it, convinced the WCF to the demo a “complete” feel. computer is what the TV became 30 age of major curling competitions,” ing doesn’t have a real internet pres- invest, and since then has been the Markus, of course, was the most years ago, almost everyone has one or said WCF President Roy Sinclair. ence in Germany, and he created key driver for the project. At a sum- important guy in the team. He had to can use one. The CD is simply put in “This mini-CD will, at the touch of a the www.curlingbasics.com website, mer curling camp in 2002, Keith translate all the curling-specific infor- a computer and the demo easily starts. button, provide the answers to the which in a short time has become well introduced me to Danny Lamoureux mation into computer language, and It explains and shows more than any ‘what is curling’ question and will, I known in the curling world. His web- who was preparing an animated spent tons of time on new animations, brochure can. And it’s even possible am sure, be a major contributor to the site prompted me to contact him demo for the CCA at the same time. piece-by-piece assembly... really the to display the excitement and the sport’s development.” regarding my idea to develop an ani- We agreed that we should work guts of the CD. atmosphere of curling... I still get mated curling demo, to help promote together on the WCF demo and goose bumps when I see Guy Hem- German curling. All this his happened exchange knowledge. That was the mings’ last rock in that video we during the season right before the first time we thought about doing this included (Ed note: naturally this was Olympics in Salt Lake City -- I had for the CCA, when Danny expressed Hemmings’ winning shot in the 1999 personally experienced the lack of his interest in distributing the curling Brier semifinal). This is what you German awareness of curling during demo on a CD in Canada. need to finally convince people that and after the Olympics in Nagano, curling is exciting! and I wanted to do something to avoid that happening a second time. CCN: Is this a one-time project? That’s how everything started. We CCA Club Development guru finished version 1 of the curling demo Axnick: We hope not! I hope we get Danny Lamoureux is equally pumped. in German and made it available for CCN: Okay, obviously Oliver isn’t lots of feedback in order to get new “We have high hopes not to make download from several websites. Then going to blow his own horn. Markus? ideas on how to enhance the curling money, but to get this in the hands of version 2 was produced for the Italian demo. Keith has also prepared a docu- the new curler and increase the curling Curling Association, obviously in Ital- Sticker: The entire project was ment that can be used by other curling club’s ability to retain members,” he ian. Meanwhile, Markus created the Oliver’s idea. He structured the pro- associations to translate the English said. “Too often we take their money German Curling Association website: ject and is the architect of the whole version into different languages. at the start of the year and then ignore www.dcv-curling.de, but despite all CCN: How did the team work? technical content of this curling Markus then uses this document to them until it is time to renew. Guess that we wanted to spread our curling demo. He’s the one who managed change the language of the contents what? They don’t! message to the world, and so we con- Axnick: This was excellent virtual communication, who did the first on the CD. “As part of the Business of Curling tacted the WCF. team work that required a ton of disci- translations, conceptual design, struc- program, we are stressing to clubs that pline. Our group only met in person for ture and support... he was the project CCN: Okay, why doesn’t Markus curl retention is critical and to retain mem- the first time at least a year after we manager. I don’t think I would have and when is he starting? bers they need to provide them as started, in summer 2003, and that was finished my work without Oli’s direc- much information about the sport and also the first time I’d actually met tion and positive vibes. Sticker: I do not curl because I am their clubs as possible. The CCA and Markus face to face, we’re about 500 I want to use this opportunity to much to lazy to get up at 5:30 AM on WCF feel this mini CD is an inexpen- kilometres apart. thank all the individuals that somehow Saturday morning to go to Düsseldorf sive part of that orientation process Keith did a tremendous job with helped and supported this project with Ice-Stadium. The training there and will help clubs cement a relation- the content, especially the technical pictures, reviews, background paint- begins at 7:30 AM because curlers ship with their first year members - aspects of curling, as accurate as possi- ing, video digitalization etc. This is only get the ice before the hockey instead of praying like hell they come ble. He was the subject matter expert, why this Version 1 looks like it could players arrive. The conditions in Düs- back next year.” the reviewer, and had to sign-off on the be Version 5.

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