YY URUR CURLERCURLER Issue 13 - February 2020 YOUR CONTENT 04 What's On & Current Courses 08 Around The Rinks British Curling Supplies 10 Making the Ice Scottish Curling Junior Men's 12 Champions - Team Craik 13 Scottish Curling Junior Women's Champions - Team Bryce Inclusive Curling 14 Curling with a Stick 16 Bulletin Board & 8-Ender Alert 18 Scotland Win Big at Four Nations Curlers Urged - Don't Put Prostate 20 Cancer Conversation on Ice 22 Competition Corner 24 Scottish Curling Championships 2020 Preview A WORD FROM OUR CEO Welcome to our Your Curler We have been on standby since November for the prospect of a Grand Match but it is looking like we will have to wait for another winter. The temperature is required to be well below freezing for a period of at least two weeks, What's On & Current Courses ideally without precipitation. The latest date that a Grand Match took place in Scotland was in 1853 when the outdoor curling event was held on 15 Around The Rinks February. At least we will be able to enjoy a mass participation curling event in October 2020 when we hold the fifth Indoor Grand Match. British Curling Supplies Making the Ice Following the announcement of the closure of the Curling rink by intu Braehead, we have been working with members in the Glasgow area to see Scottish Curling Junior Men's how to keep the sport going in the west. A Steering Group of volunteers was Champions - Team Craik formed to look into sites and options for the future and they have concluded that it is extremely unlikely that a replacement rink can be in place for next Scottish Curling Junior Women's season and the earliest date would be September 2021 or even 2022. The short term priority is now ensuring that clubs and competitions are able to Champions - Team Bryce continue next season and updates will be posted on our website HERE. Inclusive Curling If you want to watch the best of Scotland’s curlers in action, then head to the Curling with a Stick Dewars Centre in Perth to see the top men’s and women’s teams compete for Bulletin Board & 8-Ender Alert the national titles. Tickets for the finals on Saturday 15 February have been selling well and the tickets can be bought HERE. Scotland Win Big at Four Nations At the LGT WMCC 2020 from 28 Mar - 5 April at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Team Scotland will be in action in the following days and times: Curlers Urged - Don't Put Prostate Cancer Conversation on Ice Sat 7pm SCO v ITA Sun 9am SCO v GER and 7pm SCO v DEN Competition Corner Mon 2pm SCO v SUI and 7pm SCO v NED Tue 2pm SCO v RUS and 7pm SCO v CAN Scottish Curling Championships Wed 2pm SCO v CHN 2020 Preview Thu 9am SCO v KOR and 2pm SCO v SWE Fri 9am SCO v USA and 7pm SCO v NOR Individual game tickets can be purchased at by following this link. Bruce Crawford Chief Executive Officer WHAT'S ON: current courses UKCC Level 1 – Mon 17 and 24 Feb | Dundee Ice Arena Introduction to Sweeping – Fri 28 Feb | Borders Ice Bowl Key Principles of the Delivery – Sat 29 Feb | Borders Ice Bowl Introduction to Sweeping - Tue 17 Mar | Dundee Ice Arena Stick Delivery - Mon 23 Mar Dundee Ice Arena Tickets are available online until 8am on Saturday 15 February* for Finals Day at the Scottish Curling Championships. This competition is the pinnacle of Scotland’s competitive curling calendar, with the top Men’s and Women’s teams competing for their respective national titles. A hot buffet lunch is available to be added on for £12 (must be pre-booked by 1pm on Wednesday 12 February). All tickets are for seats in the ice rink, so bring warm clothes, hats, blankets and warm socks and shoes! Medal ceremonies will be held directly after the conclusion of the finals and are included in the ticket. This event is a great opportunity to see the best of Scotland’s curling teams in action, and be there to witness who will represent Scotland’s Men and Women on the world stage for this season. The victorious Women’s team will travel to Canada to face the world competition, while world comes to Glasgow for the Men’s team, giving them the chance to curl at world level in front of the home crowd. Tickets available by following this link to our Eventbrite page. We look forward to welcoming you to the Dewars Centre in Perth, on Saturday 15 February, for a day of fantastic curling. *Subject to availability. Please note tickets for this event are extremely limited, and tickets available on the day will be subject to online sales and remaining availability at the venue. AROUND THE RINKS DUNBLANE Not to be outdone by Santa and his sleigh, DCC arranged a Christmas Social with the only ice being in the drinks! Having got in touch with Scottish Curling to borrow the floor curling kit, and changed the dancefloor into an indoor rink. Current members, friends, family and potential new curlers enjoyed canapes, mince pies and fizz and a series of 2 end games with prizes to the top 3. The emphasis was on being social and having fun, and included President Lorna Brown, reciting her poem “Twas the week before Christmas” which recounted the story of a game against local rivals Keir that resulted in a blackeye for Martin Johnstone. STRANRAER Stranraer Ice Rink’s annual showcase competition, The McMillan Bonspiel, sponsored by P&O Ferries, was won in style by a rink skipped by Norman Brown. Norman, with Hugh Aitken, Andrew Chalmers and David Logan beat fellow Stoneykirk Curling Club members Ian Kirkpatrick, Andrew Hannah, Willie Hurcomb and Willie McQuillan 4-3 in a high-quality final. In Friday night’s final, Ian’s rink had started by taking singles at the first two ends. Norman’s team came back scoring singles in ends three and four. The fifth end was blanked by Kirkpatrick, who was hoping to score a two in the sixth, but that backfired when Brown moved 3-2 ahead after stealing a single. Kirkpatrick got a single back in the seventh but Brown’s team made sure the last stone in the last end counted to win by a shot. Earlier in the evening, the semi finals saw Norman Brown’s team beat Frazer Hare’s rink 3-2, again by taking a single in the last end. Ian Kirkpatrick’s foursome had slightly easier passage to the final, beating Philip Wilson’s team 9-4 thanks to a four in the last end. Eight rinks entered and the trophy was presented by John McColm, representing P&O – sponsors of more than 30 years’ standing. Maureen Parker, Stranraer Ice Rink President, was also there for the presentation. FORTHFORTH VALLEYVALLEY Borestone & Stirling win Forth Valley Bonspiel The Forth Valley Area Bonspiel saw all four Provinces (Stirlingshire, Central Scotland, Forth & Endrick, West Lothian) with six teams from each competing at The Peak, Stirling on 22 January this year. In the first session, Falkirk Ladies got off to a flying start leading 12-0 after three ends. After that, Buchan started to play and slowly closed the gap till the last end needing a 4 to peel and more than enough stones in the house. The Ladies did enough to restrict them to a 2 and victory of 12-10. Side by side, two battles took place with Drymen v Bridge of Allan and Strathendrick v Falkirk. Both matches had steals by all the teams and they both peeled at 5-5 and 6-6. Borestone & Stirling played a canny game to keep Balfron at bay with a good 4 in the third end after Balfron took the lead with a 2 in the second. From then on till the final end, they kept stealing, winning 9-4. Other scores were Blairdrummond 8-2 Abercorn, Airthrey Castle 1-13 Linlithgow. Stirlingshire Province had 5 points after the first session, a lead of 2 over Central Scotland. In the second session, Uphall gave the Buccaneers a fright by winning the first two ends to lead 5-0. Buccaneers played themselves back into the game to draw level at 7-7 but Uphall couldn't hold on in the final end even with the last stone, to lose a 3 and the match There was a well fought match between last year's Forth Valley bonspiel winners Oatridge and last year's Forth Valley champions Kilsyth. Oatridge managed to win the first two ends to lead 3-0 but in the fifth end Kilsyth scored a 3 then a 2 to lead 4-7. In the last end Oatridge couldn't squeeze the third shot to peel and Kilsyth won by 6-7. Other scores were Kilsyth Ladies 2-14 Keir, Doune 9-2 Livingston, Gargunnock 6-3 Dunblane, Sauchie & Bannockburn 6-3 Buchlyvie. Stirlingshire’s two wins were enough to see off the competition to win the Bonspiel by 2 points. Borestone & Stirling were the biggest winners for the Province and so took the trophy. Well done. By Joe Kincaid A Craik-ing championship title for Forfar team After coming out of the Asham Under 21 Slam series on top, the stage was well and truly set for Team Craik to perform well at the Scottish Junior Curling Championships at Curl Aberdeen. Playing well through the round robin, and heading straight to the final from a hotly contested page playoff with Team Gallacher, Craik's game was strong - it seemed there was no stopping the young men from Forfar.