WEBVTT
00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:07.519
Extra Ends, a curling podcast with Chris, Norm, and sometimes Rob.
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:12.320
Welcome to the first ever episode of Extra Ends, a curling podcast.
00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:16.640
We are three guys who like to curl, watch curling, and coach curling.
00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:24.719
None of us could afford to take the buy a corvette path as part of our midlife crisis in the game of life, so we decided to start a podcast instead.
00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:39.200
I'm Chris Rouget, a trained competition coach, a nearly lifelong curler, and my curling claims to fame are getting a nine-ender at a charity pro am spiel two years ago, and winning the third event of the Royal Canadian Curling Club's men's invitational.
00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:46.960
Sitting behind the glass with me are fellow Royal Canadian Curling Club members, Kevin, aka Norm McDonald.
00:00:47.280 --> 00:01:01.759
Kevin is a certified competition coach, lifelong player of God's greatest game, and his curling claim to fame are two-time Dixie Curling Center men's club champion, Ontario School Boys Championship runner-up.
00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:11.920
We're not going to talk about how long that was, how long ago that was, and holder of three eight-ender certificates, even though one was actually also a nine-ender.
00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:18.239
Finally, we have Rob Ainsley, former Ontario tour skip, competitions coach.
00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:24.079
He works really hard at making Royals Men's Rec League impossible for the rest of us.
00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:26.799
And his curling claims to fame are.
00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:29.840
Oh, you actually want me to list my credentials?
00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:32.159
Yeah, well, I've been around the block.
00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.000
He's been around the block.
00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:36.719
Thank you very much, and welcome to our podcast.
00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:39.439
Every week I like to have a fun question to get things started.
00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:42.400
This week is what is your summer drink of choice?
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:43.680
I'll go first.
00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:50.079
This summer I'm going a little throwback, inspired by a 90s themed pool party I was at this summer.
00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:57.200
And I've been drinking the classic Labat 50 for the last few weeks, and I have been truly enjoying it.
00:01:57.359 --> 00:01:58.480
How about you, Norm?
00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:02.079
Uh, I would say there's this new drink I found that's called Cutwater.
00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:06.159
I don't believe in cutting it with water, so therefore I just drink cut water.
00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:07.280
That's my drink of choice.
00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:07.920
Thank you, Chris.
00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:09.599
Careful with the cut water.
00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:12.000
Take it nice and easy there, Norm.
00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:14.879
And Rob, what's been your drink of choice this summer?
00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:20.719
I uh I hate to be a boring guy here, but I really enjoy uh just lime bubbly.
00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:21.840
Ooh, bubbly.
00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:23.599
All right.
00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:29.360
So probably some of the two listeners that have made it this far are wondering why are you guys doing this?
00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:38.240
And in short, we're teeing up for a very big curling season this year and a day on the calendar that every curler in Canada should mark.
00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.080
And that is January 17th, 2027.
00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:52.159
That day, all 10 provinces are going to have their provincial championship finals for at least one of men's or women's.
00:02:52.400 --> 00:03:02.080
That means there's going to be more curling on that day in a wave across the country from Newfoundland in the morning to BC in the evening than there has ever been.
00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:16.000
And we want to help pump the excitement up and get people engaged and make that week curling week in Canada, and more importantly, move curling day in Canada to the day where there's more curling than any other day of the year.
00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:28.080
So on this podcast, we have a few segments that we're going to work our way through talking about curling, what's going on in the curling world, and some of the cool things, and you're going to hear some of the irreverency of the three of us.
00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:33.599
Uh, I can't, you know, guarantee you're going to hear anything good, but hopefully you'll hear something interesting or funny.
00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:37.280
So, do you guys have anything else to add before we get started?
00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:42.639
I'm very excited for the opportunity to review uh this and build this as we go along, Chris.
00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:43.599
Thank you for asking.
00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:45.599
I had nothing prepared to say there.
00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:47.840
Just cut in and knock me over whenever necessary.
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:48.479
I will.
00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:51.520
I'm bad at that, so I'm going to try not to as often as much.
00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:52.240
But yes.
00:03:52.639 --> 00:04:01.759
I'm I'm very excited to be a part of this and be completely shocked and appalled at whatever Chris comes up with and hopefully have a good um uh rebuttal of himself.
00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:06.159
Listen, they've been trying to cancel me since the early 2000s and haven't yet.
00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:11.439
Turns out that you don't need a license to buy a microphone, although by the end of this podcast that may change.
00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:12.159
Yes.
00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:13.360
So let's get into it.
00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:16.160
Our first segment is talking about last week in curling.
00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:24.079
Uh, believe it or not, it is September 7th, and the first major curling event of the season is already complete.
00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:25.680
I know it's extremely early.
00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:36.879
Many of you have not thought anything about curling, but already the KW Fall Classic completed today over at the Granite Curling Club in Waterloo.
00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:40.160
It is in Waterloo on the campus of Wilfred Laurier University.
00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:40.959
Awesome.
00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:45.759
And you think, well, this isn't a Grand Slam, this isn't a Briar, this isn't a Scotty's.
00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:49.439
Why do we care about a bunch of small town teams from southwestern Ontario?
00:04:49.600 --> 00:05:02.240
The reality is, is this spiel is one of the biggest spiels on the international circuit that draws teams from around the world, including Scotland, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, and coast to coast in Canada.
00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:05.759
And it's sort of the first major event.
00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:14.720
Used to happen a little later in the season, but they moved it up to accommodate the continued increasing number of kerneling events that are happening.
00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:21.120
So it was a long week, and my understanding was very straight ice.
00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:30.000
Our winners of the event, I think I'll pass it over to Norm to talk about the winners and the finalists of the event and talk about a little bit what on went on on the women's and men's side.
00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:35.199
Yes, on the women's side, we had uh Team Keira Brunton, a newly formed team from Northern Ontario.
00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:52.000
Kira Brunton, of course, being a celebrity skip on our favorite Boncew, the Curl for Kids Boncewell, uh, formerly of Team Inglis, uh partnering up with Kendra Lilly and uh two other ladies, Lauren Rahala, and one other lady that I can't remember her name, because curling zone is down right now, and we are winging this part of it.
00:05:52.160 --> 00:06:01.759
Um the team Keira Brunton uh beat uh was lost, unfortunately, to the defending women's world champion, uh Team Xenia Schwaller out of Switzerland.
00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:03.199
Uh it was a very tight game.
00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:08.000
Uh most exciting end in curling was how they finished, one up coming home without or one down with.
00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:12.720
And Team Schwaller was fortunate enough to have stolen a couple and keep that going.
00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:19.519
Uh on the men's side, we had, of course, a final with one of the countries you did not name, which was Italy.
00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:37.759
There were three representations from Italy uh this year at the uh KW Spiel in the men's side, and uh a team from Switzerland, so team Kim Schwaller uh beat uh team uh Stefano Spiller in the final in an uh offensive affair 7-6 in the final.
00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:47.199
Uh this is uh so we had a Swiss sweep with two Schwallers winning the championship, and Yannick Schwaller uh was not even here.
00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:57.199
The the the internationals have just been standing out and helping helping Canadians up the game is I guess the way to put it generously, but it's a generous way to putting it, yeah.
00:06:57.680 --> 00:06:59.199
It's a generous way of putting it.
00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:07.040
But uh it was it was fun to watch, and uh I I'm gonna talk a little bit more on and when I get to my take on this whole event.
00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:11.439
Uh, but what were uh your standouts from the whole week, uh Kevin?
00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:21.279
Uh I think uh standout which we will come to at a later point in time is that it was uh seemed to be a bit uh challenging for us to be able to witness said event.
00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:24.720
I will uh allow Chris to go in more depth on that later.
00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:26.160
Uh we were not there in person.
00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:32.959
We will be at a couple of the events that are upcoming, as those of us that are based in the southwestern Ontario area, uh, we will be catching up in those ones.
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:44.639
But this was one where I think I subscribed to about probably in the neighborhood of s of five to ten people's uh teams, either YouTube channel or Facebook page in order to watch their game.
00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:50.240
So that was a very great thing to do that and be able to catch that uh and thank each of the teams for doing that.
00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:56.319
We were some of those key people that were there, but I think some of the standouts was how well some of the new teams performed together.
00:07:56.480 --> 00:07:58.000
As I mentioned, Team Keir Brunton.
00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.560
I don't know if that team has ever played together at all.
00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:03.519
Uh and they lost the final in a very tight game.
00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:06.480
Uh team Brendan Botcher is a new new team that is formed.
00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:15.920
They uh lost a tight game to Schwaller in the semifinals, and uh Team Moybruck was another one that was formed that had done a uh new team formed.
00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:21.120
There are some existing connections, but uh they lost in the quarterfinals to Team Botcher.
00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:24.800
Uh so those were the ones that stood out to me from that I was watching.
00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:45.919
Oh, team um uh team Inglis was another team that uh was formed and a brand new team again, four individuals that I don't know their level of familiarity with each other, but uh they formed up together with uh Joanne Rizzo, uh Joanne Trivet, and um Jalen Ramsey on that team, and they uh played quite well and uh exceeded I think what uh my expectations were.
00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:47.679
So those were my standouts.
00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:49.039
That's amazing.
00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:50.000
That's a full slate.
00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:54.000
We're gonna be following these teams all freaking year to see uh a lot from them.
00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:55.440
I'm very, very excited.
00:08:55.679 --> 00:09:02.000
Rob, did you have any takes from the event of what you saw, heard, or got in the rumor mill over the past week?
00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:03.679
Uh nothing in particular.
00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:09.759
No, I I only watched about three ends this entire weekend, and um it was all of our Royals boys.
00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.879
Um one game they got a real bad blow.
00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:14.320
Sorry to mention it, fellas.
00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:24.080
Um, and I said I wouldn't watch the game, but I just couldn't help myself, so I went in and watched a couple ends to see how they gave up a five against, you know, uh pretty heavy hitter team McEwan.
00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:31.919
Um but uh really, you know, when one team plays 100% in an end and another team misses a few, the wheels tend to fall off.
00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:43.200
And that goes to show sometimes uh even with a new team, if you've got guys who are really, really talented like McEwan, um, he's always going to be hard to beat.
00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:44.480
That's for sure.
00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:55.200
And the fact that uh Brendan Butcher and Mike McEwen were both Mike McEwan was out in the quarters and Brendan Butcher was out in the semis, that gives you an idea of the level of competition we're dealing with at these events.
00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:57.440
I have a a couple takes.
00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:07.440
The first is as probably the the 10 listeners we have know, the entire curling world is held up by the infrastructure of curlingzone.com.
00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:13.759
It is the only website that seems to have any comprehensive idea of what's going on in the curling world.
00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:27.279
And even then, the three of us had to spend probably the better part of hours this week hunting down team Instagrams, team Facebooks, team Twitter accounts to try and get any idea of what's going on at this event.
00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:33.919
Curling zone did a pretty good job of reporting the scores live, but as of 7 p.m.
00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:40.320
on Monday night, curlingzone.com is down, probably because they've already used up their monthly allotment of bandwidth.
00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:44.799
By the way, shout out to Jerry Gertz at Curling Zone for actually keeping Curling afloat.
00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:47.440
Yeah, we appreciate the site.
00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:47.919
Yes.
00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:51.440
We are extremely grateful for this site, it keeps us alive.
00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:58.720
My frustration is it's the only thing that's disseminating the information of the curling world out there.
00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:11.120
I signed up for a pair of White Sox tickets for a Chicago trip I'm going on in a few weeks, and I have, in the two weeks I bought bought tickets, have received over 21 emails from the Chicago White Sox.
00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:18.720
What I would give for curling to have that kind of organization to give us the information we want to know.
00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:23.519
And the extension of that is uh this event wasn't live streamed.
00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:26.000
This event was not in any official capacity.
00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:33.679
Certain teams put up cameras and live stream them to their Facebook pages or their YouTube pages, which we were extremely grateful for.
00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:35.120
Please keep doing that.
00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:38.159
But there was no official stream of this event.
00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:47.919
I'm not I'm not looking for you know a CBC CTV quality with commentators and Joanne Courtney out there at the Granite Club telling me what's going on.
00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:55.600
But if somebody could just put on an official camera that I could go to every day to see the scores and the shots, that would be great.
00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:59.440
And I'm this is the thing, I'd pay 25 bucks.
00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:06.720
If there was a paywall that said, Chris, pay up$25 and you can watch all the games at the KW Fall Classic, I'd do it.
00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:08.559
That's a weekend's entertainment for me.
00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.279
Like$20, here you go, take my money.
00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:17.600
So this is the thing I'm gonna be pushing this every week for every event that isn't live streamed.
00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:21.120
Is get live stream up and running, get cameras up and running.
00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:24.879
The cost to do this, the tech required to do this is getting easier and easier.
00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:28.320
And also, it's really easy to put it behind a paywall now as well.
00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:29.919
So I'll pay you the$20.
00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:42.080
I'll say here, here's$20, and then the Kitchener Waterloo Club can make money off of people sitting on their couch in Toronto or Fort McMurray or Switzerland or Scotland or Minnesota or anywhere else.
00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:45.360
So I just want to see more streaming from these events.
00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:51.919
And then my final take, I know I'm sort of gatling on you guys here, but I'll let you comment as soon as I get my final take out.
00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:57.120
Is to win this event, you had to play three back-to-back games today.
00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:01.600
You had to play at 9 a.m., at noon, and at 3 p.m.
00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:03.440
eight end games.
00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:06.960
I'm sorry, but that is an exhausting schedule.
00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:13.600
No break, back to back, uh 24 ends of curling potentially.
00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:17.120
Like, I I can't believe they let this happen.
00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:20.159
I can't believe that this event is how we start the season.
00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:23.279
So Rob's gonna talk to that point, I'll talk to the other one.
00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:23.600
Go ahead.
00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.519
Yeah, so I'll I'll touch on this.
00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:37.039
Um, find me an eight-sheet club that's willing to run every event in Ontario, and you're not gonna have a problem with running uh a three-game day for any team.
00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:41.519
Until you do that, you're always gonna run into back-to-back games in some format.
00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:52.399
And I think every player on the tour would prefer to only play two games a day at max, but um this is this is how it is, this is what we're used to, and I think everyone would rather have that than not play at all.
00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:58.639
These clubs are volunteering their time to run these events, so we're lucky that they're hosting these for us.
00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:08.960
And uh, we you know, if we wanted to run them with only one or two games a day, then you gotta run the event for five or six days, and that requires taking more time off work and shutting down more leagues.
00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:10.559
The cost benefit is not there.
00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:12.799
The cost benefit's not there, yeah.
00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:14.399
Which is a solid point.
00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:24.559
The additional comment I have on that point is there were two quarterfinals that were last night, one on the men's and one on the women's.
00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:28.080
So not I'd say not all the teams are having a lot of people.
00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:29.519
Not all the teams would go.
00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:31.679
Well, doesn't that make it more unfair then?
00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:33.039
Yeah, it does.
00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:41.200
And it just happens to be the luck of the draw as to which one was the one that got that, because they did have ten teams qualified, which Rob, that's kind of a weird number.
00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:42.080
I normally see that.
00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:46.080
Yeah, so what they they had a they had a pre-qualifier for the tenth, right?
00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:56.159
So um for the seventh and eighth spot, six quali pre-qualified for quarters and then no, four pre-qualified for quarters and then four I'm doing the math wrong.
00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.360
Sorry, six pre-qualified, four qualified to play in.
00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:01.440
Yes, I did do the math correctly there.
00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:06.559
And uh so they had to pre-qualify in order to get into the finals, so or into the qualifies.
00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:18.480
Yeah, that and that is um often a way they'll run it when you've got um uh pool play just to give you know a little more than that, like one-third of the field a chance to qualify in a pool.
00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.720
Um you're not just out on a shit tiebreaker.
00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:31.039
Um but uh those pre-qualified teams don't necessarily get any points or any money, so they still have to play that extra one.
00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:35.360
And usually the teams are playing those extra games are the teams that aren't winning all their games.
00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:38.639
So uh you're getting rewarded by doing better.
00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:39.039
Yeah.
00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:45.360
Now this event has uh it's pretty points heavy in the world caroling ranking points for this event.
00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:45.759
That's why.
00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:48.000
Yes, absolutely.
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.759
Yeah, um, but but this isn't a big money event.
00:15:51.840 --> 00:16:01.200
Like, if I saw correctly, the winning top teams get four thousand dollars and the second place gets 2,500, and I think uh the semis get a thousand.
00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.879
Um, so this isn't a big money event.
00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:16.159
Yeah, so generally the money for these um comes from the entry fee, and then if they can bring any additional sponsorship on, um, otherwise it's based mostly out of the entry fee pool.
00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:23.120
So the strength of field uh for points doesn't reflect the money, it's not really correlated to it.
00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:29.919
Um, because you can have teams come from anywhere with any different level of play um and pay the same amount of money to enter, right?
00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:37.759
The the strength of field is fascinating to me because as I said, this is an event at the Granite Club in Waterloo on the on the uh Laurier campus, you said, right?
00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:38.320
Yeah.
00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:49.120
Uh where world champions, nearly world champions, national champions, provincial champions all gather and there was no admission.
00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:52.320
There would there was no price to walk in the front door of the granite club.
00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:53.200
There wasn't.
00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:53.759
I checked.
00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:54.559
Oh, you checked.
00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:54.720
Okay.
00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:58.480
And it'll be the same, it'll be the same as C Cells next week.
00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:03.840
You can walk in the Cells next week will not have admission, but my favorite event, the shorty, will.
00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:05.680
And I am for that.
00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:16.640
I'm sorry, but if I walk up to a curling club, the same as I just said on streaming, if I walk up to a curling club and you're telling me there's world champions in there, there's national champions in there, you can't say 10 bucks.
00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:17.680
10 bucks.
00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:23.519
And oh, by the way, I'm gonna probably have a few drinks or pops at the bar, so the club will make some money there too.
00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:27.599
But I'm a big advocate of adding more money to this sport.
00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:31.519
It costs money to run curling, it costs money to run curling teams.
00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:34.640
And this event was the first event of the new quad.
00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:38.240
It was the first event of the next generation of curling.
00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:41.279
All the teams around the world shuffled this summer, yeah.
00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:42.960
Also here in Canada.
00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:46.720
Like, this is our chance to think new, think bigger, do more.
00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:57.119
And I loved watching what I could find of this event, which was Team Moybrooke's feed, team uh uh uh what was the uh team from Royals?
00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:57.839
Thompson Brown?
00:17:58.160 --> 00:17:58.960
Team Thompson Brown.
00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.279
Team Thompson Brown's feed.
00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:06.559
And it was great that these guys uh streamed it, and I'm so glad they did.
00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:10.880
But can't I click a button, give them some money?
00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:13.839
Like, why can't I donate to Team Thompson Brown?
00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:16.400
Here's 20 bucks like for watching the game.
00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:18.559
Like, this is this it was amazing to watch.
00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:22.000
And before I forget, one shout out to Team Hosever's feed.
00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:23.839
They got one of the best feeds running on the tour.
00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:24.240
They do.
00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.920
However, they have a guy behind the glass that has to run it for them.
00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:28.880
Yeah, they do.
00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:31.039
Yeah, he's on a laptop and he's switching screens.
00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:35.200
Yeah, he he does a lot of work, but um, they have a really sweet feed set up.
00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:47.519
Um but yeah, we're we're definitely in this world of we should do a little more to get more, but with the other side of it, you know, you're you're not filling that building when it's free.
00:18:47.759 --> 00:19:03.680
So when you're trying to get people into a building to watch curling, even when you're not having to pay for it and people aren't showing up, like there's gotta be there's gotta be that middle ground sweet spot where we decide we're finally bringing people in regularly where we can start charging and maybe do more for the sport.
00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:08.880
I I I also believe that he people believe something is worth what they pay for it.
00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:13.279
And if we tell them it's free, they're going to think it's worth nothing.
00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:20.559
So I'm of the attitude of I'm I'm not saying oh it's a hundred dollars for VIP sitting and no, no, no.
00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:25.039
Ten bucks, ten bucks to walk in the front door, fifteen, twenty bucks to watch online.
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:32.720
Because I could tell you if I next what when's the Scottties and or not the Scotty's, the uh shorty's in two weeks from now.
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:33.839
Shorties in two weeks.
00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:43.519
If I went to the Shorty website and said click here to watch, and I clicked it and it popped up and said 1999 weekend pass to watch all sheets of curling.
00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:46.720
And sure, um, I assume it's an eight sheet club.
00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:50.640
Uh seven of the sheets club, but thank you for asking.
00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:53.759
So seven of the sheets are are no non-commentary.
00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:59.599
All you get is the cameras, and one sheet is two volunteers like us shooting the shit about the game.
00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:06.000
And if a hundred people pay, if a hundred people pay 20 bucks, that's two grand.
00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:13.519
Like two grand that goes to probably covers the cost of streaming and you know helps revenue for the event.
00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:25.200
And then so my my assignment on this is to dig a little bit more into this as we go through weekly and we come each week and we go through each one of them, is to dig in and start talking to some of the organizers.
00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:33.279
It's very easy for us to talk to the organizers of any Stu Cells event as we have a relationship with Stu Cells, or as he likes to better be known, Stu Senke.
00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:52.319
And then I'm also going to be visiting the Shorty in uh in Cornwall, where uh I have many connections that are there, and I will be talking to those organizers because I do know that they stream and they receive money from an organization to provide the content to them, and then they do that, and that is provided.
00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:59.680
There is still a YouTube stream, but it is not paywalled like what you said, and I'm gonna ask them about that idea and see what they say.
00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:04.160
Listen, I I agree, getting more people watching curling is the goal here.
00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:05.119
That is the goal.
00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:27.039
No, I'm not, I don't think you are, but I just I just think that we will lose not a single viewer for charging a small nominal amount, and we will provide value and show value for our sport because and then also once people understand the value of it and get used to it, then sponsors also want to get involved.
00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:31.279
Oh, you can tell me that you had 250 people watching.
00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:35.200
250 people is watching's, you know, not nothing in this day and age.
00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:37.920
There are shows on the shirts, too, right?
00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:52.000
We should um we should try and cue up Jerry Gertz for uh one of our podcasts in the near future because I believe uh a couple years ago he was trying to get streaming happening in all the clubs and all the events, and um, not sure what happened with that.
00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:58.480
I have no idea um if that effort failed or he put it on pause or it's still ongoing.
00:21:58.799 --> 00:21:59.759
Extra ends is always.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.240
Looking for guest contributors to our podcast.
00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:14.079
If you are interested in appearing on a very special edition of Extra Ends, please reach out to one of our hosts and we will gladly put you on the air if we like you.
00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:16.160
Otherwise, we'll get back to you.
00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:20.480
So I will end my rant there and I'll open it up to you guys.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:32.079
Uh, do you have anything else to add about what you saw at the first real event here in Canada of this quadrennial and this year uh in curling?
00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:43.920
I mean, I I saw what I see um almost every year at this time of the year is uh international teams coming in mid-season form, playing really, really well and winning the events.
00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:52.640
And the Ontario teams are are just kind of finding their legs, and we're always a little slower to get the ice figured out.
00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:55.519
Um and just you know, little details.
00:22:55.680 --> 00:23:06.480
Uh miss a few more shots here and there, and the teams that are in mid-season, like um your Swiss or Italian teams, they're gonna come in and probably take advantage of you when you make a miss or two.
00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:17.839
And I think my biggest take was uh I have heard uh I this is me slightly hacking the the ice at KW Granite, but I was seeing just outside edge of the four foot to get to center line.
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:19.279
It was not a lot of curl.
00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:24.319
And I think Chris, even you texted us on the weekend and said, Oh my god, that draw curled eight inches.
00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:25.920
So I don't know, Rob.
00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:31.359
I don't know if that was stereotypical of the ice there in the past, or this is early season form or what is going on.
00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:36.880
That was just something uh like not a lot of uh going around guards type situation.
00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:42.079
So it led to significantly more defensive play, which both teams play on the same ice.
00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:43.759
I'm the last guy to ever complain about the ice.
00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:52.640
I'm not saying it's bad ice, I was just saying it was something that I noticed, and I think it just impacted the style of play, which may have led to what I think you were talking about, Rob.
00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.079
Yeah, and I mean, um I I can touch a bit on that.
00:23:56.160 --> 00:24:08.960
I can't I can't speak in the shoes of someone that was there and played on it, obviously, but um I played in that building many years uh um around this time of year, and the building is part of the issue.
00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:15.200
If you've got outside heat, um, it really heavily influences uh how your ice conditions are going to be inside.
00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:28.400
Um I I played once there where the temperature outside changed about six or seven degrees um between round robin to playoffs, and um the ice was like amazing on the playoffs versus the rest of the weekend.
00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:30.799
And it made a comment like, why is it so good today?
00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:32.240
Why can't we done this the rest of the weekend?
00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:35.599
They just said it was that much hotter out, we couldn't do anything about it.
00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:44.480
So really outside weather, and when you know, we used to run this event in the middle to later, I guess, third week of uh September, and now it's even earlier.
00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:48.880
So you're not gonna get those cooler days popping in and helping it out.
00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:54.400
Um so yeah, weather at this time of year is always gonna be a factor unless you're in a really state-of-the-art facility.
00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:55.680
Amazing.
00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:56.400
All right.
00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:03.839
Well, speaking of sponsors, the inaugural episode of Extra Ends is not sponsored by the Royal Canadian Curling Club.
00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:10.400
When asked for sponsorship, the Royals insisted the hosts of Extra End commit to not griping about the club.
00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:13.119
It was not a commitment the hosts could make in good faith.
00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:16.079
Yeah, I don't recall making that commitment.
00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:20.640
Today's podcast is also not sponsored by Goldline Curling.
00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:25.039
$26.99 for a new gripper and$11.88 for shipping?
00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:26.000
Come on.
00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:27.359
Come on.
00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:36.720
All right, welcome to our next section, which is the pregame roundup where we talk about uh some of the curling that's expected over the coming week.
00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:44.720
Just like all good teams, we take a few moments to plan out the coming weeks and events and understand who's going to be buying drinks after the game.
00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:53.279
There is one major event this coming weekend, and for those of you inside the GTA, it's within driving distance, even within Go Train distance.
00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:56.319
It is the Stew Cells Oakville Tankard.
00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:01.599
So let's get started on what we think of this event and who's in and who's out.
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:08.559
I suspect it's going to be most of the usual suspects that we saw in KW this past weekend, but probably a few other teams too.
00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:10.720
Do you guys have any opening thoughts?
00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:11.519
Kevin.
00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:27.839
I think this was uh good year, and I think a lot of, as Rob mentioned, the European teams that are coming in in mid-season form use this as one of their weeks to come over or time frames to come over to Canada because of the uh connection of the KW Fall Classic this weekend.
00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:40.880
Several of those teams are also going to be in the Stewells uh Oakville tanker next weekend, and then several are then sticking around further for the Shorty and Cornwall the following weekend, so they basically drive up and down the 401 for it.
00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:47.359
So I think there will be many of the same usual suspects that are in that uh in this this weekend.
00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:59.759
Uh I believe as well, Chris, you'll have to look this up that the Stew Cells is one of the is this one or is the Toronto Tankard the one that is a satellite event to qualify for the Grand Slam of Curling later this year.
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:07.599
I believe the Stew Cells Oakville Tankard is one, and I know that the Shorty is one, and I know that is impacting the fields and providing a large number of teams.
00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:17.759
I think both of them have exceeded uh their registration from last year uh simply because of the uh GSOC, our friends at the Grand Slam of Curling and what they're doing there.
00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:31.440
Uh I know again several local teams that were in this weekend are also going to be in that one, and other teams, as you mentioned, from uh like we keep referencing our Ontario teams because that's our province, but there are several teams in Northern Ontario, several from New Brunswick, and several others.
00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:36.480
Uh, there was a couple teams from Manitoba that came in, and I believe that will be the same case for the next uh two weeks.
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:42.240
And of course, our favorite team, uh or one of our favorite teams, Team Cam Cameron out of Quebec, with the former Laurie St.
00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:44.880
George team forming with Kate Cameron together.
00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:48.000
They were in this weekend's event as well, and I think they're in some of the ones as well.
00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:48.960
I know they're the shorty.
00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:53.519
So uh I think it's gonna be some really, really good curling upcoming.
00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:57.519
Rob, do you have any thoughts about uh the Oakville tag for this coming weekend?
00:27:57.839 --> 00:27:59.200
No, Kevin nailed it.
00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:01.359
You know what?
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:04.240
I feel we're gonna be hearing that a lot every week because Kevin, you nailed it.
00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:04.720
You nailed it.
00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:06.880
Kevin did that pretty well off the top of his head, by the way.
00:28:07.200 --> 00:28:07.920
I I think you're right.
00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:11.920
The GSOC selection here is going to be absolutely critical.
00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:35.039
They're uh not just because it's the start of a quad and this is the one time in four years where the point system doesn't matter, uh because all the teams are shuffled, but GSox also making it very clear that they are being more determined and subjective in who they're going to be inviting to their events, looking for new names, interesting names, those types of things.
00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:48.240
So getting a golden ticket, as it were, to a grand slammer curling event is both going to be going to become more lucrative, but also more open to curlers that catch our eye, especially at this point in the cycle.
00:28:48.480 --> 00:29:03.440
So I'm very excited to say that even though it will only be our second week in existence, Extra Ends podcast will be on site at the Oakville Stew Cells to watch the event.
00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:05.759
And I can't guarantee a live episode.
00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:14.240
We don't have the the high-end technology for that yet, but we will be there with our first hand accounts to report back to you, our loyal listener.
00:29:14.400 --> 00:29:16.799
Uh, that was singular for anyone who's paying attention.
00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:18.400
We'll we'll be taking notes.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:21.759
We will be taking notes.
00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:25.359
I agree with what Norm said on the teams to watch category.
00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:28.799
Um, everyone uh who is there this week is going to be there.
00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:38.160
What I'm going to be looking for is on the few games I saw, I'm going to look for who got better, who learned something from their first take first game together.
00:29:38.319 --> 00:29:40.960
Because these teams have been practicing now for a couple weeks.
00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:42.640
This is usually the first time.
00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:46.480
This is the first time a lot of them were in competition together as a foursome.
00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:49.920
So they probably had a lot of learning coming out of this as well.
00:29:50.000 --> 00:30:00.640
And I'm going to be watching to see who's evolving, who's changing, what's going on, um, who who's making plans for the future, and who is uh just happy where they are.
00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:02.079
Who's happy to be there?
00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:04.480
And who's ready for the early season blow up?
00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:05.039
Right.
00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:14.720
We all know that the the quadrennial is not four years, it's one year followed by three years for the most part with these curling teams.
00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:19.279
The first year being the trial, hey, do the four of us actually work well together?
00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:21.039
I don't know, let's figure it out.
00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:26.960
And then at the end of the first year, there's a whole bunch of more changes, and then for the most part, it settles down and locks in.
00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:34.799
Unless you're the Olympic level men's uh level in the last quadrennial in Canada, because that just kept changing as we kept going.
00:30:35.119 --> 00:30:39.359
Back to our comment on the ice, just for our listeners' attention.
00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:44.319
Uh, the ice makers report, uh, I can say I have curled on Oakville's ice already.
00:30:44.480 --> 00:31:03.920
Uh, it is true Oakville consistency, fast ice, solid 4.0 split second, like a 14-9 hog to hog with a solid four and a half feet of curl when we were curling on it, despite it being uh warm outside and it's expected to be 24 and sunny in Oakville this coming weekend.
00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:10.079
So I think the teams are gonna have a very different ice experience than they did in Kit in uh Waterloo in KW.
00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:11.119
Absolutely.
00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:17.519
And um, if my experience tells you anything, that ice is only gonna get a little curlier and a little faster for the the games.
00:31:17.599 --> 00:31:22.480
Uh they're gonna crank everything up a notch and uh make it a pretty great sheet to play on.
00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:29.039
Yeah, you guys can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but Oakville is essentially almost arena ice competition level.
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:33.200
Um Yeah, I I don't know.
00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:39.519
I you know, I don't really play on arena ice, so I like to imagine I play on arena ice, but you know, I don't play it once.
00:31:39.920 --> 00:31:45.440
In my experience with Oakville, um, it actually tends to run pretty straight when you throw hits.
00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:48.160
Um it's got a pretty hard late finish.
00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:54.880
Um it all depends on like how aggressive you've done the rocks, and it's still a curling club.
00:31:55.039 --> 00:31:58.240
So I I think it's just a really fantastic curling club.
00:31:58.559 --> 00:32:06.240
So my understanding special insight here, Chris, because I was a member of the Oakville Curling Club about uh two decades ago, yes.
00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:15.279
And at that point in time when I was a member there, I actually curled with a gentleman who's an architect, and he helped architect the building, the ice shed itself.
00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:24.880
And I distinctly remember him saying that it is architected and built in a way that it could be 35 degrees Celsius outside and still retain all of the ice conditions inside.
00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:37.279
So that is why I think you're saying your arena ice type thing, and this unique situation in Canada where um uh it can handle that level of heat, which is why in the Greater Turnover area they're the only club that opens in August.
00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:46.000
And it is also, my understanding, intelligence reports tell me in by intelligence reports, I mean the email I got from Oakville that they sharpened their rocks last week.
00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:54.240
So they will have the rocks will have a week to settle in, but uh they will be fresh and ready for the curlers this week.
00:32:54.640 --> 00:33:05.599
One more thing on the Stew Cells Oakville Tankard, it is an official qualifying event for the GSock Open, which will be held in Thunder Bay, Ontario, uh in later in the fall.
00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:08.000
I believe that's the fourth event of the season.
00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:08.880
You know what?
00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:11.119
There's nothing better than Thunder Bay in November.
00:33:11.200 --> 00:33:14.880
Those I mean I mean I it's what I aspire to at some point in time.
00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:15.759
Right?
00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:19.519
Like going to the port of the fort in the middle of the middle of November.
00:33:19.599 --> 00:33:31.599
It's just just the the nice thing about curling is you get to go to so many tropical destinations like Sydney, Nova Scotia, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Fort McMurray, Alberta.
00:33:32.079 --> 00:33:38.000
Um, I believe there's a uh there's also an event in uh Swift Current coming up.
00:33:38.240 --> 00:33:41.359
Uh very, very, very excited for Swift Current.
00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:49.359
It is really the the absolute vacation desire destinations that curling takes you in this country.
00:33:49.839 --> 00:34:07.279
One of the events, the Masters, will be held in Medicine Hat, and I'm gonna throw my hometown under the bus of Kingston, Ontario, right before Christmas in late December is also a spot that you don't necessarily want to spend much time unless you're Canadian and gonna go watch a lot of curling at that week during that Grand Slam event, which I will be watching some at that set Grand Slam event.
00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:09.039
Now, Kingston's beautiful in the summer.
00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:12.320
It's just in December, I I don't know.
00:34:12.559 --> 00:34:13.920
I don't know what you guys are complaining about.
00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:15.440
Curling's an indoor sport.
00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:18.800
Indoor sport in a flat.
00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:19.920
Yes, thank you, Rob.
00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:26.079
I'm just saying that I have an hour and a half between games that you know I I wouldn't mind going out and seeing the town a little bit.
00:34:26.239 --> 00:34:30.239
And every time I'll check out downtown Oakville next week, then between games.
00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:31.039
There we go.
00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:33.360
Down fabulous downtown Oakville.
00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:34.719
It is very, very nice.
00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:39.039
And it's I'm I I I'm very much looking forward to it.
00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:46.159
The uh the st so the Stew Cells, the uh the official details of the Stew Cells is they run from Friday to Sunday.
00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:50.480
We will need to check that because I actually do think it goes Friday to Monday.
00:34:50.800 --> 00:34:51.440
Yeah.
00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:52.880
Playoffs might be on a Monday.
00:34:53.280 --> 00:34:55.039
It runs September 10th to 14th.
00:34:55.280 --> 00:34:55.760
That's Monday.
00:34:55.840 --> 00:34:56.480
Playoffs are on Monday.
00:34:57.360 --> 00:35:05.760
So official details of the Stew Cells Oakville Tankard is that it runs from September 10th to 14th this coming week at the Oakville Curling Club.
00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:06.800
Thursday to Monday.
00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:08.639
Thursday to Monday.
00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:16.159
And it's uh it's hosting once again some of the best curling teams in the world as well as some of the best curling teams in Ontario.
00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:33.679
So if uh if our two or three listeners are bored and want to go and see some amazing curling right in front of their face and meet some of the world's greatest curlers, this is your chance to go and see some amazing, amazing winter sports activity, even in September.
00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:34.719
All right.
00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:43.599
With that, we're going to go to two of my already favorite segments of Extra Ends, a curling podcast.
00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:51.440
First, we have all the way from the far side of the DVP for me, Coach's Corner with Rob.
00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:53.360
Coach's Corner.
00:35:55.039 --> 00:36:03.679
Welcome to Coach's Corner with Rob, where we put on our coach's hat and discuss the strategy behind shots or how curlers can improve their game.
00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:10.079
Rob, it's the start of the season, and as a coach, the number one area people want help with is weight control.
00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:12.960
How can curlers get better weight control?
00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:14.320
Practice.
00:36:14.639 --> 00:36:15.360
Thanks, Rob.
00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:17.840
This has been Coach's Corner with Rob.
00:36:18.320 --> 00:36:21.039
This is a type of insight that I pay money to listen to.
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:26.480
Alright, our final segment is uh Overheard at Royals.
00:36:26.639 --> 00:36:32.400
Those of you who remember the old high school or college gossip boards will be having a bit of nostalgia for this.
00:36:32.639 --> 00:36:35.840
This week, overheard at Royals.
00:36:36.800 --> 00:36:37.360
Nothing.
00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:39.840
The club's closed till October 3rd, guys.
00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:48.719
But adjacent to that, overheard in the Royals community, men's league has a new third joining Chad McMullen's rink, Team Dominate.
00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:52.320
In a rare summertime post on their team is called Team Dominate.
00:36:52.400 --> 00:36:53.039
Is that actually true?
00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:54.079
That is actually true.
00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:56.000
Their team is called Team Dominate.
00:36:56.239 --> 00:36:59.840
At least that's what the team has not yet won the men's league ever, right?
00:37:00.400 --> 00:37:09.519
In a rare summertime post on the team's Instagram, they announced that world champion and Olympic gold medalist Ryan Fry will be joining the team.
00:37:09.679 --> 00:37:20.639
The odds makers report that even with the massive boost to the team, they are still expected that Team Dominate will finish between 8th and 12th on the men's ladder this season.
00:37:20.880 --> 00:37:22.559
Better luck next year, guys.
00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:26.159
Also Team Dominate finishes 8th and 12th.
00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:27.840
They should consider renaming themselves.
00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:29.679
And I'll say that to Chad's face.
00:37:31.039 --> 00:37:38.800
Checking out Team Dominate's handle, I highly encourage you because they are also involved in the hot dog wars happening during men's league every Thursday night at the Royals.
00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:41.599
I'm sure we'll hear more about that over the season.
00:37:42.159 --> 00:37:42.719
We will.
00:37:43.039 --> 00:37:46.559
Well, folks, that's uh that's our show for this week.
00:37:46.719 --> 00:37:50.000
I hope you had as much fun listening as we did recording.
00:37:50.079 --> 00:37:55.119
And if you didn't, please file your complaints in the suggestion box at the Oakville Curling Club.
00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:56.480
You know where to look for it.
00:37:56.719 --> 00:37:58.400
Once again, I'm Chris Rouget.
00:37:58.639 --> 00:37:59.599
I'm Kevin McDonald.
00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:00.880
And I'm Rob Ansley.
00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:06.960
Have a great week, folks, and may your ice be fast and curly in the shed and cold and ready at the bar.
00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:07.519
Extra Ends, a curling podcast with Chris, Norm, and sometimes Rob.
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:12.320
Welcome to the first ever episode of Extra Ends, a curling podcast.
00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:16.640
We are three guys who like to curl, watch curling, and coach curling.
00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:24.719
None of us could afford to take the buy a corvette path as part of our midlife crisis in the game of life, so we decided to start a podcast instead.
00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:39.200
I'm Chris Rouget, a trained competition coach, a nearly lifelong curler, and my curling claims to fame are getting a nine-ender at a charity pro am spiel two years ago, and winning the third event of the Royal Canadian Curling Club's men's invitational.
00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:46.960
Sitting behind the glass with me are fellow Royal Canadian Curling Club members, Kevin, aka Norm McDonald.
00:00:47.280 --> 00:01:01.759
Kevin is a certified competition coach, lifelong player of God's greatest game, and his curling claim to fame are two-time Dixie Curling Center men's club champion, Ontario School Boys Championship runner-up.
00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:11.920
We're not going to talk about how long that was, how long ago that was, and holder of three eight-ender certificates, even though one was actually also a nine-ender.
00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:18.239
Finally, we have Rob Ainsley, former Ontario tour skip, competitions coach.
00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:24.079
He works really hard at making Royals Men's Rec League impossible for the rest of us.
00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:26.799
And his curling claims to fame are.
00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:29.840
Oh, you actually want me to list my credentials?
00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:32.159
Yeah, well, I've been around the block.
00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.000
He's been around the block.
00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:36.719
Thank you very much, and welcome to our podcast.
00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:39.439
Every week I like to have a fun question to get things started.
00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:42.400
This week is what is your summer drink of choice?
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:43.680
I'll go first.
00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:50.079
This summer I'm going a little throwback, inspired by a 90s themed pool party I was at this summer.
00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:57.200
And I've been drinking the classic Labat 50 for the last few weeks, and I have been truly enjoying it.
00:01:57.359 --> 00:01:58.480
How about you, Norm?
00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:02.079
Uh, I would say there's this new drink I found that's called Cutwater.
00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:06.159
I don't believe in cutting it with water, so therefore I just drink cut water.
00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:07.280
That's my drink of choice.
00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:07.920
Thank you, Chris.
00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:09.599
Careful with the cut water.
00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:12.000
Take it nice and easy there, Norm.
00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:14.879
And Rob, what's been your drink of choice this summer?
00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:20.719
I uh I hate to be a boring guy here, but I really enjoy uh just lime bubbly.
00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:21.840
Ooh, bubbly.
00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:23.599
All right.
00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:29.360
So probably some of the two listeners that have made it this far are wondering why are you guys doing this?
00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:38.240
And in short, we're teeing up for a very big curling season this year and a day on the calendar that every curler in Canada should mark.
00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.080
And that is January 17th, 2027.
00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:52.159
That day, all 10 provinces are going to have their provincial championship finals for at least one of men's or women's.
00:02:52.400 --> 00:03:02.080
That means there's going to be more curling on that day in a wave across the country from Newfoundland in the morning to BC in the evening than there has ever been.
00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:16.000
And we want to help pump the excitement up and get people engaged and make that week curling week in Canada, and more importantly, move curling day in Canada to the day where there's more curling than any other day of the year.
00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:28.080
So on this podcast, we have a few segments that we're going to work our way through talking about curling, what's going on in the curling world, and some of the cool things, and you're going to hear some of the irreverency of the three of us.
00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:33.599
Uh, I can't, you know, guarantee you're going to hear anything good, but hopefully you'll hear something interesting or funny.
00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:37.280
So, do you guys have anything else to add before we get started?
00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:42.639
I'm very excited for the opportunity to review uh this and build this as we go along, Chris.
00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:43.599
Thank you for asking.
00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:45.599
I had nothing prepared to say there.
00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:47.840
Just cut in and knock me over whenever necessary.
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:48.479
I will.
00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:51.520
I'm bad at that, so I'm going to try not to as often as much.
00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:52.240
But yes.
00:03:52.639 --> 00:04:01.759
I'm I'm very excited to be a part of this and be completely shocked and appalled at whatever Chris comes up with and hopefully have a good um uh rebuttal of himself.
00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:06.159
Listen, they've been trying to cancel me since the early 2000s and haven't yet.
00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:11.439
Turns out that you don't need a license to buy a microphone, although by the end of this podcast that may change.
00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:12.159
Yes.
00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:13.360
So let's get into it.
00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:16.160
Our first segment is talking about last week in curling.
00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:24.079
Uh, believe it or not, it is September 7th, and the first major curling event of the season is already complete.
00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:25.680
I know it's extremely early.
00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:36.879
Many of you have not thought anything about curling, but already the KW Fall Classic completed today over at the Granite Curling Club in Waterloo.
00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:40.160
It is in Waterloo on the campus of Wilfred Laurier University.
00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:40.959
Awesome.
00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:45.759
And you think, well, this isn't a Grand Slam, this isn't a Briar, this isn't a Scotty's.
00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:49.439
Why do we care about a bunch of small town teams from southwestern Ontario?
00:04:49.600 --> 00:05:02.240
The reality is, is this spiel is one of the biggest spiels on the international circuit that draws teams from around the world, including Scotland, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, and coast to coast in Canada.
00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:05.759
And it's sort of the first major event.
00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:14.720
Used to happen a little later in the season, but they moved it up to accommodate the continued increasing number of kerneling events that are happening.
00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:21.120
So it was a long week, and my understanding was very straight ice.
00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:30.000
Our winners of the event, I think I'll pass it over to Norm to talk about the winners and the finalists of the event and talk about a little bit what on went on on the women's and men's side.
00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:35.199
Yes, on the women's side, we had uh Team Keira Brunton, a newly formed team from Northern Ontario.
00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:52.000
Kira Brunton, of course, being a celebrity skip on our favorite Boncew, the Curl for Kids Boncewell, uh, formerly of Team Inglis, uh partnering up with Kendra Lilly and uh two other ladies, Lauren Rahala, and one other lady that I can't remember her name, because curling zone is down right now, and we are winging this part of it.
00:05:52.160 --> 00:06:01.759
Um the team Keira Brunton uh beat uh was lost, unfortunately, to the defending women's world champion, uh Team Xenia Schwaller out of Switzerland.
00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:03.199
Uh it was a very tight game.
00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:08.000
Uh most exciting end in curling was how they finished, one up coming home without or one down with.
00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:12.720
And Team Schwaller was fortunate enough to have stolen a couple and keep that going.
00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:19.519
Uh on the men's side, we had, of course, a final with one of the countries you did not name, which was Italy.
00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:37.759
There were three representations from Italy uh this year at the uh KW Spiel in the men's side, and uh a team from Switzerland, so team Kim Schwaller uh beat uh team uh Stefano Spiller in the final in an uh offensive affair 7-6 in the final.
00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:47.199
Uh this is uh so we had a Swiss sweep with two Schwallers winning the championship, and Yannick Schwaller uh was not even here.
00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:57.199
The the the internationals have just been standing out and helping helping Canadians up the game is I guess the way to put it generously, but it's a generous way to putting it, yeah.
00:06:57.680 --> 00:06:59.199
It's a generous way of putting it.
00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:07.040
But uh it was it was fun to watch, and uh I I'm gonna talk a little bit more on and when I get to my take on this whole event.
00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:11.439
Uh, but what were uh your standouts from the whole week, uh Kevin?
00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:21.279
Uh I think uh standout which we will come to at a later point in time is that it was uh seemed to be a bit uh challenging for us to be able to witness said event.
00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:24.720
I will uh allow Chris to go in more depth on that later.
00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:26.160
Uh we were not there in person.
00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:32.959
We will be at a couple of the events that are upcoming, as those of us that are based in the southwestern Ontario area, uh, we will be catching up in those ones.
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:44.639
But this was one where I think I subscribed to about probably in the neighborhood of s of five to ten people's uh teams, either YouTube channel or Facebook page in order to watch their game.
00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:50.240
So that was a very great thing to do that and be able to catch that uh and thank each of the teams for doing that.
00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:56.319
We were some of those key people that were there, but I think some of the standouts was how well some of the new teams performed together.
00:07:56.480 --> 00:07:58.000
As I mentioned, Team Keir Brunton.
00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.560
I don't know if that team has ever played together at all.
00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:03.519
Uh and they lost the final in a very tight game.
00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:06.480
Uh team Brendan Botcher is a new new team that is formed.
00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:15.920
They uh lost a tight game to Schwaller in the semifinals, and uh Team Moybruck was another one that was formed that had done a uh new team formed.
00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:21.120
There are some existing connections, but uh they lost in the quarterfinals to Team Botcher.
00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:24.800
Uh so those were the ones that stood out to me from that I was watching.
00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:45.919
Oh, team um uh team Inglis was another team that uh was formed and a brand new team again, four individuals that I don't know their level of familiarity with each other, but uh they formed up together with uh Joanne Rizzo, uh Joanne Trivet, and um Jalen Ramsey on that team, and they uh played quite well and uh exceeded I think what uh my expectations were.
00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:47.679
So those were my standouts.
00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:49.039
That's amazing.
00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:50.000
That's a full slate.
00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:54.000
We're gonna be following these teams all freaking year to see uh a lot from them.
00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:55.440
I'm very, very excited.
00:08:55.679 --> 00:09:02.000
Rob, did you have any takes from the event of what you saw, heard, or got in the rumor mill over the past week?
00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:03.679
Uh nothing in particular.
00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:09.759
No, I I only watched about three ends this entire weekend, and um it was all of our Royals boys.
00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.879
Um one game they got a real bad blow.
00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:14.320
Sorry to mention it, fellas.
00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:24.080
Um, and I said I wouldn't watch the game, but I just couldn't help myself, so I went in and watched a couple ends to see how they gave up a five against, you know, uh pretty heavy hitter team McEwan.
00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:31.919
Um but uh really, you know, when one team plays 100% in an end and another team misses a few, the wheels tend to fall off.
00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:43.200
And that goes to show sometimes uh even with a new team, if you've got guys who are really, really talented like McEwan, um, he's always going to be hard to beat.
00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:44.480
That's for sure.
00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:55.200
And the fact that uh Brendan Butcher and Mike McEwen were both Mike McEwan was out in the quarters and Brendan Butcher was out in the semis, that gives you an idea of the level of competition we're dealing with at these events.
00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:57.440
I have a a couple takes.
00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:07.440
The first is as probably the the 10 listeners we have know, the entire curling world is held up by the infrastructure of curlingzone.com.
00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:13.759
It is the only website that seems to have any comprehensive idea of what's going on in the curling world.
00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:27.279
And even then, the three of us had to spend probably the better part of hours this week hunting down team Instagrams, team Facebooks, team Twitter accounts to try and get any idea of what's going on at this event.
00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:33.919
Curling zone did a pretty good job of reporting the scores live, but as of 7 p.m.
00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:40.320
on Monday night, curlingzone.com is down, probably because they've already used up their monthly allotment of bandwidth.
00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:44.799
By the way, shout out to Jerry Gertz at Curling Zone for actually keeping Curling afloat.
00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:47.440
Yeah, we appreciate the site.
00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:47.919
Yes.
00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:51.440
We are extremely grateful for this site, it keeps us alive.
00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:58.720
My frustration is it's the only thing that's disseminating the information of the curling world out there.
00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:11.120
I signed up for a pair of White Sox tickets for a Chicago trip I'm going on in a few weeks, and I have, in the two weeks I bought bought tickets, have received over 21 emails from the Chicago White Sox.
00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:18.720
What I would give for curling to have that kind of organization to give us the information we want to know.
00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:23.519
And the extension of that is uh this event wasn't live streamed.
00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:26.000
This event was not in any official capacity.
00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:33.679
Certain teams put up cameras and live stream them to their Facebook pages or their YouTube pages, which we were extremely grateful for.
00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:35.120
Please keep doing that.
00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:38.159
But there was no official stream of this event.
00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:47.919
I'm not I'm not looking for you know a CBC CTV quality with commentators and Joanne Courtney out there at the Granite Club telling me what's going on.
00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:55.600
But if somebody could just put on an official camera that I could go to every day to see the scores and the shots, that would be great.
00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:59.440
And I'm this is the thing, I'd pay 25 bucks.
00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:06.720
If there was a paywall that said, Chris, pay up$25 and you can watch all the games at the KW Fall Classic, I'd do it.
00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:08.559
That's a weekend's entertainment for me.
00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.279
Like$20, here you go, take my money.
00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:17.600
So this is the thing I'm gonna be pushing this every week for every event that isn't live streamed.
00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:21.120
Is get live stream up and running, get cameras up and running.
00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:24.879
The cost to do this, the tech required to do this is getting easier and easier.
00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:28.320
And also, it's really easy to put it behind a paywall now as well.
00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:29.919
So I'll pay you the$20.
00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:42.080
I'll say here, here's$20, and then the Kitchener Waterloo Club can make money off of people sitting on their couch in Toronto or Fort McMurray or Switzerland or Scotland or Minnesota or anywhere else.
00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:45.360
So I just want to see more streaming from these events.
00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:51.919
And then my final take, I know I'm sort of gatling on you guys here, but I'll let you comment as soon as I get my final take out.
00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:57.120
Is to win this event, you had to play three back-to-back games today.
00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:01.600
You had to play at 9 a.m., at noon, and at 3 p.m.
00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:03.440
eight end games.
00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:06.960
I'm sorry, but that is an exhausting schedule.
00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:13.600
No break, back to back, uh 24 ends of curling potentially.
00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:17.120
Like, I I can't believe they let this happen.
00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:20.159
I can't believe that this event is how we start the season.
00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:23.279
So Rob's gonna talk to that point, I'll talk to the other one.
00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:23.600
Go ahead.
00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.519
Yeah, so I'll I'll touch on this.
00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:37.039
Um, find me an eight-sheet club that's willing to run every event in Ontario, and you're not gonna have a problem with running uh a three-game day for any team.
00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:41.519
Until you do that, you're always gonna run into back-to-back games in some format.
00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:52.399
And I think every player on the tour would prefer to only play two games a day at max, but um this is this is how it is, this is what we're used to, and I think everyone would rather have that than not play at all.
00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:58.639
These clubs are volunteering their time to run these events, so we're lucky that they're hosting these for us.
00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:08.960
And uh, we you know, if we wanted to run them with only one or two games a day, then you gotta run the event for five or six days, and that requires taking more time off work and shutting down more leagues.
00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:10.559
The cost benefit is not there.
00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:12.799
The cost benefit's not there, yeah.
00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:14.399
Which is a solid point.
00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:24.559
The additional comment I have on that point is there were two quarterfinals that were last night, one on the men's and one on the women's.
00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:28.080
So not I'd say not all the teams are having a lot of people.
00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:29.519
Not all the teams would go.
00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:31.679
Well, doesn't that make it more unfair then?
00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:33.039
Yeah, it does.
00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:41.200
And it just happens to be the luck of the draw as to which one was the one that got that, because they did have ten teams qualified, which Rob, that's kind of a weird number.
00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:42.080
I normally see that.
00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:46.080
Yeah, so what they they had a they had a pre-qualifier for the tenth, right?
00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:56.159
So um for the seventh and eighth spot, six quali pre-qualified for quarters and then no, four pre-qualified for quarters and then four I'm doing the math wrong.
00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.360
Sorry, six pre-qualified, four qualified to play in.
00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:01.440
Yes, I did do the math correctly there.
00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:06.559
And uh so they had to pre-qualify in order to get into the finals, so or into the qualifies.
00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:18.480
Yeah, that and that is um often a way they'll run it when you've got um uh pool play just to give you know a little more than that, like one-third of the field a chance to qualify in a pool.
00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.720
Um you're not just out on a shit tiebreaker.
00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:31.039
Um but uh those pre-qualified teams don't necessarily get any points or any money, so they still have to play that extra one.
00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:35.360
And usually the teams are playing those extra games are the teams that aren't winning all their games.
00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:38.639
So uh you're getting rewarded by doing better.
00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:39.039
Yeah.
00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:45.360
Now this event has uh it's pretty points heavy in the world caroling ranking points for this event.
00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:45.759
That's why.
00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:48.000
Yes, absolutely.
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.759
Yeah, um, but but this isn't a big money event.
00:15:51.840 --> 00:16:01.200
Like, if I saw correctly, the winning top teams get four thousand dollars and the second place gets 2,500, and I think uh the semis get a thousand.
00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.879
Um, so this isn't a big money event.
00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:16.159
Yeah, so generally the money for these um comes from the entry fee, and then if they can bring any additional sponsorship on, um, otherwise it's based mostly out of the entry fee pool.
00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:23.120
So the strength of field uh for points doesn't reflect the money, it's not really correlated to it.
00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:29.919
Um, because you can have teams come from anywhere with any different level of play um and pay the same amount of money to enter, right?
00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:37.759
The the strength of field is fascinating to me because as I said, this is an event at the Granite Club in Waterloo on the on the uh Laurier campus, you said, right?
00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:38.320
Yeah.
00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:49.120
Uh where world champions, nearly world champions, national champions, provincial champions all gather and there was no admission.
00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:52.320
There would there was no price to walk in the front door of the granite club.
00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:53.200
There wasn't.
00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:53.759
I checked.
00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:54.559
Oh, you checked.
00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:54.720
Okay.
00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:58.480
And it'll be the same, it'll be the same as C Cells next week.
00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:03.840
You can walk in the Cells next week will not have admission, but my favorite event, the shorty, will.
00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:05.680
And I am for that.
00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:16.640
I'm sorry, but if I walk up to a curling club, the same as I just said on streaming, if I walk up to a curling club and you're telling me there's world champions in there, there's national champions in there, you can't say 10 bucks.
00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:17.680
10 bucks.
00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:23.519
And oh, by the way, I'm gonna probably have a few drinks or pops at the bar, so the club will make some money there too.
00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:27.599
But I'm a big advocate of adding more money to this sport.
00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:31.519
It costs money to run curling, it costs money to run curling teams.
00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:34.640
And this event was the first event of the new quad.
00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:38.240
It was the first event of the next generation of curling.
00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:41.279
All the teams around the world shuffled this summer, yeah.
00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:42.960
Also here in Canada.
00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:46.720
Like, this is our chance to think new, think bigger, do more.
00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:57.119
And I loved watching what I could find of this event, which was Team Moybrooke's feed, team uh uh uh what was the uh team from Royals?
00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:57.839
Thompson Brown?
00:17:58.160 --> 00:17:58.960
Team Thompson Brown.
00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.279
Team Thompson Brown's feed.
00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:06.559
And it was great that these guys uh streamed it, and I'm so glad they did.
00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:10.880
But can't I click a button, give them some money?
00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:13.839
Like, why can't I donate to Team Thompson Brown?
00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:16.400
Here's 20 bucks like for watching the game.
00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:18.559
Like, this is this it was amazing to watch.
00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:22.000
And before I forget, one shout out to Team Hosever's feed.
00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:23.839
They got one of the best feeds running on the tour.
00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:24.240
They do.
00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.920
However, they have a guy behind the glass that has to run it for them.
00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:28.880
Yeah, they do.
00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:31.039
Yeah, he's on a laptop and he's switching screens.
00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:35.200
Yeah, he he does a lot of work, but um, they have a really sweet feed set up.
00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:47.519
Um but yeah, we're we're definitely in this world of we should do a little more to get more, but with the other side of it, you know, you're you're not filling that building when it's free.
00:18:47.759 --> 00:19:03.680
So when you're trying to get people into a building to watch curling, even when you're not having to pay for it and people aren't showing up, like there's gotta be there's gotta be that middle ground sweet spot where we decide we're finally bringing people in regularly where we can start charging and maybe do more for the sport.
00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:08.880
I I I also believe that he people believe something is worth what they pay for it.
00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:13.279
And if we tell them it's free, they're going to think it's worth nothing.
00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:20.559
So I'm of the attitude of I'm I'm not saying oh it's a hundred dollars for VIP sitting and no, no, no.
00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:25.039
Ten bucks, ten bucks to walk in the front door, fifteen, twenty bucks to watch online.
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:32.720
Because I could tell you if I next what when's the Scottties and or not the Scotty's, the uh shorty's in two weeks from now.
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:33.839
Shorties in two weeks.
00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:43.519
If I went to the Shorty website and said click here to watch, and I clicked it and it popped up and said 1999 weekend pass to watch all sheets of curling.
00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:46.720
And sure, um, I assume it's an eight sheet club.
00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:50.640
Uh seven of the sheets club, but thank you for asking.
00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:53.759
So seven of the sheets are are no non-commentary.
00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:59.599
All you get is the cameras, and one sheet is two volunteers like us shooting the shit about the game.
00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:06.000
And if a hundred people pay, if a hundred people pay 20 bucks, that's two grand.
00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:13.519
Like two grand that goes to probably covers the cost of streaming and you know helps revenue for the event.
00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:25.200
And then so my my assignment on this is to dig a little bit more into this as we go through weekly and we come each week and we go through each one of them, is to dig in and start talking to some of the organizers.
00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:33.279
It's very easy for us to talk to the organizers of any Stu Cells event as we have a relationship with Stu Cells, or as he likes to better be known, Stu Senke.
00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:52.319
And then I'm also going to be visiting the Shorty in uh in Cornwall, where uh I have many connections that are there, and I will be talking to those organizers because I do know that they stream and they receive money from an organization to provide the content to them, and then they do that, and that is provided.
00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:59.680
There is still a YouTube stream, but it is not paywalled like what you said, and I'm gonna ask them about that idea and see what they say.
00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:04.160
Listen, I I agree, getting more people watching curling is the goal here.
00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:05.119
That is the goal.
00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:27.039
No, I'm not, I don't think you are, but I just I just think that we will lose not a single viewer for charging a small nominal amount, and we will provide value and show value for our sport because and then also once people understand the value of it and get used to it, then sponsors also want to get involved.
00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:31.279
Oh, you can tell me that you had 250 people watching.
00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:35.200
250 people is watching's, you know, not nothing in this day and age.
00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:37.920
There are shows on the shirts, too, right?
00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:52.000
We should um we should try and cue up Jerry Gertz for uh one of our podcasts in the near future because I believe uh a couple years ago he was trying to get streaming happening in all the clubs and all the events, and um, not sure what happened with that.
00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:58.480
I have no idea um if that effort failed or he put it on pause or it's still ongoing.
00:21:58.799 --> 00:21:59.759
Extra ends is always.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.240
Looking for guest contributors to our podcast.
00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:14.079
If you are interested in appearing on a very special edition of Extra Ends, please reach out to one of our hosts and we will gladly put you on the air if we like you.
00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:16.160
Otherwise, we'll get back to you.
00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:20.480
So I will end my rant there and I'll open it up to you guys.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:32.079
Uh, do you have anything else to add about what you saw at the first real event here in Canada of this quadrennial and this year uh in curling?
00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:43.920
I mean, I I saw what I see um almost every year at this time of the year is uh international teams coming in mid-season form, playing really, really well and winning the events.
00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:52.640
And the Ontario teams are are just kind of finding their legs, and we're always a little slower to get the ice figured out.
00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:55.519
Um and just you know, little details.
00:22:55.680 --> 00:23:06.480
Uh miss a few more shots here and there, and the teams that are in mid-season, like um your Swiss or Italian teams, they're gonna come in and probably take advantage of you when you make a miss or two.
00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:17.839
And I think my biggest take was uh I have heard uh I this is me slightly hacking the the ice at KW Granite, but I was seeing just outside edge of the four foot to get to center line.
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:19.279
It was not a lot of curl.
00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:24.319
And I think Chris, even you texted us on the weekend and said, Oh my god, that draw curled eight inches.
00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:25.920
So I don't know, Rob.
00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:31.359
I don't know if that was stereotypical of the ice there in the past, or this is early season form or what is going on.
00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:36.880
That was just something uh like not a lot of uh going around guards type situation.
00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:42.079
So it led to significantly more defensive play, which both teams play on the same ice.
00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:43.759
I'm the last guy to ever complain about the ice.
00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:52.640
I'm not saying it's bad ice, I was just saying it was something that I noticed, and I think it just impacted the style of play, which may have led to what I think you were talking about, Rob.
00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.079
Yeah, and I mean, um I I can touch a bit on that.
00:23:56.160 --> 00:24:08.960
I can't I can't speak in the shoes of someone that was there and played on it, obviously, but um I played in that building many years uh um around this time of year, and the building is part of the issue.
00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:15.200
If you've got outside heat, um, it really heavily influences uh how your ice conditions are going to be inside.
00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:28.400
Um I I played once there where the temperature outside changed about six or seven degrees um between round robin to playoffs, and um the ice was like amazing on the playoffs versus the rest of the weekend.
00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:30.799
And it made a comment like, why is it so good today?
00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:32.240
Why can't we done this the rest of the weekend?
00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:35.599
They just said it was that much hotter out, we couldn't do anything about it.
00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:44.480
So really outside weather, and when you know, we used to run this event in the middle to later, I guess, third week of uh September, and now it's even earlier.
00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:48.880
So you're not gonna get those cooler days popping in and helping it out.
00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:54.400
Um so yeah, weather at this time of year is always gonna be a factor unless you're in a really state-of-the-art facility.
00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:55.680
Amazing.
00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:56.400
All right.
00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:03.839
Well, speaking of sponsors, the inaugural episode of Extra Ends is not sponsored by the Royal Canadian Curling Club.
00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:10.400
When asked for sponsorship, the Royals insisted the hosts of Extra End commit to not griping about the club.
00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:13.119
It was not a commitment the hosts could make in good faith.
00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:16.079
Yeah, I don't recall making that commitment.
00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:20.640
Today's podcast is also not sponsored by Goldline Curling.
00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:25.039
$26.99 for a new gripper and$11.88 for shipping?
00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:26.000
Come on.
00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:27.359
Come on.
00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:36.720
All right, welcome to our next section, which is the pregame roundup where we talk about uh some of the curling that's expected over the coming week.
00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:44.720
Just like all good teams, we take a few moments to plan out the coming weeks and events and understand who's going to be buying drinks after the game.
00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:53.279
There is one major event this coming weekend, and for those of you inside the GTA, it's within driving distance, even within Go Train distance.
00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:56.319
It is the Stew Cells Oakville Tankard.
00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:01.599
So let's get started on what we think of this event and who's in and who's out.
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:08.559
I suspect it's going to be most of the usual suspects that we saw in KW this past weekend, but probably a few other teams too.
00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:10.720
Do you guys have any opening thoughts?
00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:11.519
Kevin.
00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:27.839
I think this was uh good year, and I think a lot of, as Rob mentioned, the European teams that are coming in in mid-season form use this as one of their weeks to come over or time frames to come over to Canada because of the uh connection of the KW Fall Classic this weekend.
00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:40.880
Several of those teams are also going to be in the Stewells uh Oakville tanker next weekend, and then several are then sticking around further for the Shorty and Cornwall the following weekend, so they basically drive up and down the 401 for it.
00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:47.359
So I think there will be many of the same usual suspects that are in that uh in this this weekend.
00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:59.759
Uh I believe as well, Chris, you'll have to look this up that the Stew Cells is one of the is this one or is the Toronto Tankard the one that is a satellite event to qualify for the Grand Slam of Curling later this year.
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:07.599
I believe the Stew Cells Oakville Tankard is one, and I know that the Shorty is one, and I know that is impacting the fields and providing a large number of teams.
00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:17.759
I think both of them have exceeded uh their registration from last year uh simply because of the uh GSOC, our friends at the Grand Slam of Curling and what they're doing there.
00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:31.440
Uh I know again several local teams that were in this weekend are also going to be in that one, and other teams, as you mentioned, from uh like we keep referencing our Ontario teams because that's our province, but there are several teams in Northern Ontario, several from New Brunswick, and several others.
00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:36.480
Uh, there was a couple teams from Manitoba that came in, and I believe that will be the same case for the next uh two weeks.
00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:42.240
And of course, our favorite team, uh or one of our favorite teams, Team Cam Cameron out of Quebec, with the former Laurie St.
00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:44.880
George team forming with Kate Cameron together.
00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:48.000
They were in this weekend's event as well, and I think they're in some of the ones as well.
00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:48.960
I know they're the shorty.
00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:53.519
So uh I think it's gonna be some really, really good curling upcoming.
00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:57.519
Rob, do you have any thoughts about uh the Oakville tag for this coming weekend?
00:27:57.839 --> 00:27:59.200
No, Kevin nailed it.
00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:01.359
You know what?
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:04.240
I feel we're gonna be hearing that a lot every week because Kevin, you nailed it.
00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:04.720
You nailed it.
00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:06.880
Kevin did that pretty well off the top of his head, by the way.
00:28:07.200 --> 00:28:07.920
I I think you're right.
00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:11.920
The GSOC selection here is going to be absolutely critical.
00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:35.039
They're uh not just because it's the start of a quad and this is the one time in four years where the point system doesn't matter, uh because all the teams are shuffled, but GSox also making it very clear that they are being more determined and subjective in who they're going to be inviting to their events, looking for new names, interesting names, those types of things.
00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:48.240
So getting a golden ticket, as it were, to a grand slammer curling event is both going to be going to become more lucrative, but also more open to curlers that catch our eye, especially at this point in the cycle.
00:28:48.480 --> 00:29:03.440
So I'm very excited to say that even though it will only be our second week in existence, Extra Ends podcast will be on site at the Oakville Stew Cells to watch the event.
00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:05.759
And I can't guarantee a live episode.
00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:14.240
We don't have the the high-end technology for that yet, but we will be there with our first hand accounts to report back to you, our loyal listener.
00:29:14.400 --> 00:29:16.799
Uh, that was singular for anyone who's paying attention.
00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:18.400
We'll we'll be taking notes.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:21.759
We will be taking notes.
00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:25.359
I agree with what Norm said on the teams to watch category.
00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:28.799
Um, everyone uh who is there this week is going to be there.
00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:38.160
What I'm going to be looking for is on the few games I saw, I'm going to look for who got better, who learned something from their first take first game together.
00:29:38.319 --> 00:29:40.960
Because these teams have been practicing now for a couple weeks.
00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:42.640
This is usually the first time.
00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:46.480
This is the first time a lot of them were in competition together as a foursome.
00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:49.920
So they probably had a lot of learning coming out of this as well.
00:29:50.000 --> 00:30:00.640
And I'm going to be watching to see who's evolving, who's changing, what's going on, um, who who's making plans for the future, and who is uh just happy where they are.
00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:02.079
Who's happy to be there?
00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:04.480
And who's ready for the early season blow up?
00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:05.039
Right.
00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:14.720
We all know that the the quadrennial is not four years, it's one year followed by three years for the most part with these curling teams.
00:30:14.799 --> 00:30:19.279
The first year being the trial, hey, do the four of us actually work well together?
00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:21.039
I don't know, let's figure it out.
00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:26.960
And then at the end of the first year, there's a whole bunch of more changes, and then for the most part, it settles down and locks in.
00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:34.799
Unless you're the Olympic level men's uh level in the last quadrennial in Canada, because that just kept changing as we kept going.
00:30:35.119 --> 00:30:39.359
Back to our comment on the ice, just for our listeners' attention.
00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:44.319
Uh, the ice makers report, uh, I can say I have curled on Oakville's ice already.
00:30:44.480 --> 00:31:03.920
Uh, it is true Oakville consistency, fast ice, solid 4.0 split second, like a 14-9 hog to hog with a solid four and a half feet of curl when we were curling on it, despite it being uh warm outside and it's expected to be 24 and sunny in Oakville this coming weekend.
00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:10.079
So I think the teams are gonna have a very different ice experience than they did in Kit in uh Waterloo in KW.
00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:11.119
Absolutely.
00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:17.519
And um, if my experience tells you anything, that ice is only gonna get a little curlier and a little faster for the the games.
00:31:17.599 --> 00:31:22.480
Uh they're gonna crank everything up a notch and uh make it a pretty great sheet to play on.
00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:29.039
Yeah, you guys can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but Oakville is essentially almost arena ice competition level.
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:33.200
Um Yeah, I I don't know.
00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:39.519
I you know, I don't really play on arena ice, so I like to imagine I play on arena ice, but you know, I don't play it once.
00:31:39.920 --> 00:31:45.440
In my experience with Oakville, um, it actually tends to run pretty straight when you throw hits.
00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:48.160
Um it's got a pretty hard late finish.
00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:54.880
Um it all depends on like how aggressive you've done the rocks, and it's still a curling club.
00:31:55.039 --> 00:31:58.240
So I I think it's just a really fantastic curling club.
00:31:58.559 --> 00:32:06.240
So my understanding special insight here, Chris, because I was a member of the Oakville Curling Club about uh two decades ago, yes.
00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:15.279
And at that point in time when I was a member there, I actually curled with a gentleman who's an architect, and he helped architect the building, the ice shed itself.
00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:24.880
And I distinctly remember him saying that it is architected and built in a way that it could be 35 degrees Celsius outside and still retain all of the ice conditions inside.
00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:37.279
So that is why I think you're saying your arena ice type thing, and this unique situation in Canada where um uh it can handle that level of heat, which is why in the Greater Turnover area they're the only club that opens in August.
00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:46.000
And it is also, my understanding, intelligence reports tell me in by intelligence reports, I mean the email I got from Oakville that they sharpened their rocks last week.
00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:54.240
So they will have the rocks will have a week to settle in, but uh they will be fresh and ready for the curlers this week.
00:32:54.640 --> 00:33:05.599
One more thing on the Stew Cells Oakville Tankard, it is an official qualifying event for the GSock Open, which will be held in Thunder Bay, Ontario, uh in later in the fall.
00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:08.000
I believe that's the fourth event of the season.
00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:08.880
You know what?
00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:11.119
There's nothing better than Thunder Bay in November.
00:33:11.200 --> 00:33:14.880
Those I mean I mean I it's what I aspire to at some point in time.
00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:15.759
Right?
00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:19.519
Like going to the port of the fort in the middle of the middle of November.
00:33:19.599 --> 00:33:31.599
It's just just the the nice thing about curling is you get to go to so many tropical destinations like Sydney, Nova Scotia, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Fort McMurray, Alberta.
00:33:32.079 --> 00:33:38.000
Um, I believe there's a uh there's also an event in uh Swift Current coming up.
00:33:38.240 --> 00:33:41.359
Uh very, very, very excited for Swift Current.
00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:49.359
It is really the the absolute vacation desire destinations that curling takes you in this country.
00:33:49.839 --> 00:34:07.279
One of the events, the Masters, will be held in Medicine Hat, and I'm gonna throw my hometown under the bus of Kingston, Ontario, right before Christmas in late December is also a spot that you don't necessarily want to spend much time unless you're Canadian and gonna go watch a lot of curling at that week during that Grand Slam event, which I will be watching some at that set Grand Slam event.
00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:09.039
Now, Kingston's beautiful in the summer.
00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:12.320
It's just in December, I I don't know.
00:34:12.559 --> 00:34:13.920
I don't know what you guys are complaining about.
00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:15.440
Curling's an indoor sport.
00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:18.800
Indoor sport in a flat.
00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:19.920
Yes, thank you, Rob.
00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:26.079
I'm just saying that I have an hour and a half between games that you know I I wouldn't mind going out and seeing the town a little bit.
00:34:26.239 --> 00:34:30.239
And every time I'll check out downtown Oakville next week, then between games.
00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:31.039
There we go.
00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:33.360
Down fabulous downtown Oakville.
00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:34.719
It is very, very nice.
00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:39.039
And it's I'm I I I'm very much looking forward to it.
00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:46.159
The uh the st so the Stew Cells, the uh the official details of the Stew Cells is they run from Friday to Sunday.
00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:50.480
We will need to check that because I actually do think it goes Friday to Monday.
00:34:50.800 --> 00:34:51.440
Yeah.
00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:52.880
Playoffs might be on a Monday.
00:34:53.280 --> 00:34:55.039
It runs September 10th to 14th.
00:34:55.280 --> 00:34:55.760
That's Monday.
00:34:55.840 --> 00:34:56.480
Playoffs are on Monday.
00:34:57.360 --> 00:35:05.760
So official details of the Stew Cells Oakville Tankard is that it runs from September 10th to 14th this coming week at the Oakville Curling Club.
00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:06.800
Thursday to Monday.
00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:08.639
Thursday to Monday.
00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:16.159
And it's uh it's hosting once again some of the best curling teams in the world as well as some of the best curling teams in Ontario.
00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:33.679
So if uh if our two or three listeners are bored and want to go and see some amazing curling right in front of their face and meet some of the world's greatest curlers, this is your chance to go and see some amazing, amazing winter sports activity, even in September.
00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:34.719
All right.
00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:43.599
With that, we're going to go to two of my already favorite segments of Extra Ends, a curling podcast.
00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:51.440
First, we have all the way from the far side of the DVP for me, Coach's Corner with Rob.
00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:53.360
Coach's Corner.
00:35:55.039 --> 00:36:03.679
Welcome to Coach's Corner with Rob, where we put on our coach's hat and discuss the strategy behind shots or how curlers can improve their game.
00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:10.079
Rob, it's the start of the season, and as a coach, the number one area people want help with is weight control.
00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:12.960
How can curlers get better weight control?
00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:14.320
Practice.
00:36:14.639 --> 00:36:15.360
Thanks, Rob.
00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:17.840
This has been Coach's Corner with Rob.
00:36:18.320 --> 00:36:21.039
This is a type of insight that I pay money to listen to.
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:26.480
Alright, our final segment is uh Overheard at Royals.
00:36:26.639 --> 00:36:32.400
Those of you who remember the old high school or college gossip boards will be having a bit of nostalgia for this.
00:36:32.639 --> 00:36:35.840
This week, overheard at Royals.
00:36:36.800 --> 00:36:37.360
Nothing.
00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:39.840
The club's closed till October 3rd, guys.
00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:48.719
But adjacent to that, overheard in the Royals community, men's league has a new third joining Chad McMullen's rink, Team Dominate.
00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:52.320
In a rare summertime post on their team is called Team Dominate.
00:36:52.400 --> 00:36:53.039
Is that actually true?
00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:54.079
That is actually true.
00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:56.000
Their team is called Team Dominate.
00:36:56.239 --> 00:36:59.840
At least that's what the team has not yet won the men's league ever, right?
00:37:00.400 --> 00:37:09.519
In a rare summertime post on the team's Instagram, they announced that world champion and Olympic gold medalist Ryan Fry will be joining the team.
00:37:09.679 --> 00:37:20.639
The odds makers report that even with the massive boost to the team, they are still expected that Team Dominate will finish between 8th and 12th on the men's ladder this season.
00:37:20.880 --> 00:37:22.559
Better luck next year, guys.
00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:26.159
Also Team Dominate finishes 8th and 12th.
00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:27.840
They should consider renaming themselves.
00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:29.679
And I'll say that to Chad's face.
00:37:31.039 --> 00:37:38.800
Checking out Team Dominate's handle, I highly encourage you because they are also involved in the hot dog wars happening during men's league every Thursday night at the Royals.
00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:41.599
I'm sure we'll hear more about that over the season.
00:37:42.159 --> 00:37:42.719
We will.
00:37:43.039 --> 00:37:46.559
Well, folks, that's uh that's our show for this week.
00:37:46.719 --> 00:37:50.000
I hope you had as much fun listening as we did recording.
00:37:50.079 --> 00:37:55.119
And if you didn't, please file your complaints in the suggestion box at the Oakville Curling Club.
00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:56.480
You know where to look for it.
00:37:56.719 --> 00:37:58.400
Once again, I'm Chris Rouget.
00:37:58.639 --> 00:37:59.599
I'm Kevin McDonald.
00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:00.880
And I'm Rob Ansley.
00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:06.960
Have a great week, folks, and may your ice be fast and curly in the shed and cold and ready at the bar.
