Issue 1 – Saturday, March 17, 2012 • An Official Publication of the Canadian Curling Association. Ringin’ in Lethbridge Twelve top world women’s teams aim at title Two of the favourites in Lethbridge this week will be Team Canada’s Heather Nedohin and her Alberta crew, and European champ Eve Muirhead of Scotland. The first draw goes today at 2 p.m. and culminates with the championship final next Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Sponsor of the Day MARCH 2-10 • REXALL PLACE See Sponsor Profile on page 5 SINGLE DRAW TICKETS FROM $20 Page 2 Achtung, Andrea! Veteran German skip on DL for Worlds Andrea, it turns out, is Schoepp- shape no longer. The last time the Ford World women’s curling champion- ship held forth in LARRY WOOD Canada, the good doctor Eye Opener Editor of statistics from Garmisch-Partenkirchen upset the applecart in Swift Current. Now 47, Schoepp had skipped her team to a record 19th national curling title and was en route to breaking the appearance record for an individual curler at the Ford Worlds. But the avid cyclist suffered a fractured shinbone and ruptured knee ligaments in a skiing accident a week ago, a matter of days before her team was slated to depart for Lethbridge and the 34th global granitefest. She won’t be here directing the German team and the record of 18 Worlds appear- ances she shares with Norway’s Dordi Nordby will remain intact. The German skip also will remain four Always the outdoor enthusiast, Andrea Schoepp ‘biked’ her way to a world title in Swift Current two years ago. game-victories shy of Nordby’s 111, a re- cord she would have cracked with her fifth field in the history of the event. The average win at the Enmax Centre. age of the competitors and the average age The rental bicycle the Lethbridge organiz- of the 12 skips is 28. ing committee booked for her this week has “I thought we were a relatively young been shelved, too. Schoepp has a habit of team,” quipped Canada’s home favourite riding a minimum of 30 kms per morning, Heather Nedohin of Edmonton, “and then come rain, shine, snow or a date at the curl- we looked in the program and discovered ing arena. we were veterans. I think that’s the proper She underwent surgery back home on term — veterans?” Tuesday. The last time the event was held in Al- “It will take two or three months until I berta was in 2006 at Grande Prairie, when will be able to walk without cricks,” the Sweden’s Anette Norberg won her second seven-time Euro champion reported in an straight title and her third overall. email message. Norberg also is the defending champ but “Then hopefully back on the ice in six- her place will be taken in this tournament seven months. by her conqueror in the Swedish champion- “It is a real nightmare! I will do every- ship skipped by Margaretha Sigfridsson of thing to come back as soon as possible Skelleftea. although I know that I have to be patient. Skipping and throwing lead stones, This will be one of my hardest fights ever. Sigfridsson hasn’t appeared at the world The Skip’s Best Shot. But you know me. I hate to lose!” championship since 2002 when she lost the The Ford Worlds, of course, will go on final at Bismarck, N.D. to Jackie Lockhart without its two-time champ, starting this of Scotland. afternoon. The creamy consistency of Amarula delights And Scotland is where the pundits stop with lingering subtle flavours of vanilla, caramel Germany has brought in Madrid-resident when looking for a favourite in this 12-team Melanie Roibillard from Schoepp’s world- race. and chocolate. winning lineup of 2010 to skip and throw Euro champion Eve Muirhead, 21, was the third rocks while regular third Imogen Affirming its unrivaled taste, Amarula Cream was runnerup two years ago and has skipped a recently voted “Best Liqueur in the World” at the Lehmann will remain at third but throw the record four world junior titlists. And she has last boulders. her junior lineup back intact this time. International Wine and Spirit Competition. “It was a team decision,” said German “Going into this year I really didn’t know coach Martin Beiser on Friday. “She (Mela- what to expect,” she said Friday. “I knew nie) has played already with the girls, so we I’d put together a pretty good team, and a don’t have to mix things up much. “ great team when we were in Juniors, but I Germany opens against Denmark’s Lene didn’t expect to come out in our first season THE OFFICIAL SPIRIT Nielsen today at 2 p.m. and shoot the lights out, do so well on the OF CHAMPIONSHIP CURLING “We’re going to take it game-by-game,” Euro tour and win the Euro championship. said the New Brunswick-born Robillard. “The team has a lot of potential but we’re “It’s going to be a challenge for the whole just going to come out and enjoy this and team. I don’t think it’s a good idea to estab- look at it as another stepping stone. The lish goals the team can’t handle. We’ll just main thing is playing a tournament like this Amarula is the official spirit of The World Financial Continental Cup, try to do our best.” Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Tim Hortons Brier and Ford World Women’s in Canada. I love this place. I wish I could Curling Championship It will be the 12th time that Canada has move here.” hosted the World women’s championship since it was instituted in 1979 at Perth, www.amarula.com Amarula is a rare find. Appreciate accordingly. Find us on Facebook: Scotland. Please see SCHOEPP, Page 3 facebook.com/Amarula And it likely will feature the youngest Represented by PMA Canada Ltd. | www.pmacanada.com Saturday, March 17 – 2012 Ford World Women’s – Eye Opener Page 3 SCHOEPP From Page 3 Robillard recalled The home forcountry, skipperof course, back, too, duty with a reputation for will be represented by the reign- the unpredictable at the Worlds. ing Scotties Tournament of Hearts The oldest skip in the field at 40, champion Nedohin and her Saville she owns two silver medals from Sports Centre team of third Beth Olympic quests. Iskiw, second Jessica Mair and lead Completing the field are Czech Laine Peters. Republic’s Linda Klimova of The 36-year-old Nedohin, a for- Prague, Italy’s Diana Gaspari mer world junior champion who of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Korea’s also won the 1998 Scotties and Ji-Sun Kim of Euijeongbu City a bronze medal at the 1998 Ford and Russia’s 21-year-old Anna Worlds as third for Cathy King, Sidorova of Moscow. draws Allison Pottinger’s U.S. Canada has won a leading 15 champs from St. Paul in tonight’s gold medals at the World women’s opener for both teams at 7 o’clock. shootout since 1979, followed by “I think we have an advantage,” Sweden with eight. said Nedohin, “because we’re on The championship also will earn Canadian ice with Canadian rocks Olympic qualifying points for and all of us probably realize that the competing countries. Based the best in the world is right here on cumulative points earned for in Canada. their finishes at the 2012 and 2013 “There’s nothing like having women’s championships, the your pillow you can bring with top seven countries (host Rus- you, you’re own food and your sia receives an automatic berth), own time002624_CurlingSpons_Mech.indd zone. This is a good plus two others to be decided at thing.” Revision: 0 Created: 1/12/12a pre-Olympic Printed @ qualifying 100% event, Germany will be skipped by Melanie Robillard (right) who won a world title with Schoepp in Pottinger won a goldClient: medal WM, Inc. at willCreative compete Director: at the 2014 Olympic Swift Current two years ago. Last bricks will fall to Imogen Lehmann. the 2003 Ford Worlds in Winnipeg Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Art Director: as third for Debbie McCormick German alternate player “I was shocked, but on the other line was “speak to the coach”. the line so, obviously, we don’t butMECHANICAL makes her debutBleed: as a n/askip in MonikaCopywriter: Wagner has appeared in hand, she does a lot of sports so Robillard, an office manager want to finish last. But we’re go- sometimes something must hap- with Plenium Partners, a hedge ing to stay calm because the last her 11th Worlds appearance.Trim: n/a 15 Worlds,Proofreader: four Olympics A. BAKER and Former world champ Bingyu innumerable Euros and never has pen. She is very active. If you al- fund, hasn’t tossed a lot of rocks thing we want is to put too much Live: 5.125" x 7.0417" Studio Artist: J. WARD Wang of China always bears played in an international event ways stay at home on your couch lately. pressure on ourselves. It’s been a watching in this event. This team without Schoepp. Inspected By: you won’t have any problems or “I’ve been on the ice a bit but really tough situation. We’ve had an accident. If you are very lively, nothing like before so it’s going to enough of pressure already.” gets anothernext. to now year olderColors: and 4/c an- Production“It’s a little Manager: bit different C.