#BetweenTheSheets: The Return of Tour Life
The season kicks off in Scotland and Switzerland
This is the time of year where teachers are preparing to welcome students back to the classroom.
Students are dreading the end of their summer vacation but perhaps excited to see friends and show off some new threads.
And parents are leaping for joy to finally get the kids out of the home and back to a routine.
Why should curling be any different?
Athletes are dusting off the brooms but also maybe showing off some new threads.
Tour event organizers are preparing to welcome a bunch of rowdy, excited curlers into their clubs to compete once again.
And fans are getting excited to cheer on their favourite teams to championship glory.
Welcome Back!
Now of course we should recognize this weekend's tour action is technically Week 4 of the this curling season. We have already seen a number of events hit the ice in the Asia-Pacific region, dating back to June.
Australia, Chinese Taipei, New Zealand and South Korea contested their national championships within the month of June.
A big CONGRATULATIONS to those teams who emerged victorious:
Australia - Team Merchant (M), Team Westhagen (W)
Chinese Taipei - Team Shen (M)
New Zealand - Team Hood (M), Team Smith (W)
South Korea - Team Park (M), Team Gim (W)
There have also been tour events taking place in Japan the past two weekends in August.
Team Yoshimura went back-to-back in winnings the Hokkaido Bank Curling Classic and Wakkanai Midori Challenge Cup.
An impressive feat considering the team will have a new look to their line up this season as skip Sayaka Yoshimura prepares to welcome a new addition to her family in December. Wishing her and her family all the best and a special extra congratulations.
For the men, Korea's Team Jeong won the Hokkaido event while Japan's Team Morozumi won the Challenge Cup.
A strong start to the season for those teams.
The #TwineTime blog also settled in the hack this week with releasing Season Preview blog posts. Each post covers some #HotTopics, identifies a Top 5 for #TeamUpset potential, reveals the preseason Top 10 #PowerRankings and provides a few small predictions.
ICYMI, here are the links to the Women's Season Preview and Men's Season Preview for your pre-season curling enjoyment.
Now we shift our focus to Europe with two big season-opening events taking place in Scotland and Switzerland.
Welcome back indeed....with our first edition of the #TourLifePredictions for the 2023/24 season.
Similar to last season, the blog will preview the events of the weekend. Each event will include a #Fav heading into the event, a #TeamUpset challenger who could surprise, an overall What 2 Watch 4 (#W2W4) and maybe a #PopcornMatch or two you might want to keep your eyes on.
Unfamiliar with the term "Popcorn Match"? Last year's blog post can help you out. 😉
And of course playoff predictions.
#TourLifePredictions
MEN
Baden Masters
Baden, Switzerland
2022 Champion: Team Walstad
Format: 20 team RR with 4 pools of 5. Top 8 qualify.
#Fav: Team Schwaller
The Swiss boys really used this event last season to kick start a strong year together as a new foursome. While they may not have claimed the title, they did reach the SF.
And what followed was back-to-back tour titles in Canada in September.
Schwaller will be looking to have a similar, if not better, start to their season at this event this year.
They do not enter as the highest ranked team in the field, that honour goes to Italy's Team Retornaz (#5 to #7).
However, they have a bit more points to "defend" to retain their ranking spot early in the season.
They enter this season fresh off winning world championship bronze and finishing runner-up at their season-ending event, The Players' Championship.
Their pool is not too difficult but they do draw last year's runner-up Team Gosgens from the Netherlands in their opener. And Czech Republic's Team Klima (with newly married skip Lukas Klima) is always a dangerous opponent.
Expect another deep playoff run for the Swiss champions.
#TeamUpset: Team Karagoz ---> Team Baumann
Originally, this spot would have been reserved for Turkey's Team Karagoz. Unfortunately they were unable to compete this weekend.
They will be replaced in the draw by a make up team being skipped by Germany's Alex Baumann alongside fourth thrower Sixten Totzek, third (and defending champion skip) Steffen Walstad and lead Johannes Patz.
Wouldn't they be the ultimate #TeamUpset by coming together last minute and making a playoff run?
#W2W4
The Scottish Four and The Swiss Pack.
Scotland will have four teams competing this weekend. And none are named Mouat.
This is a great opportunity for Team Whyte, Team Bryce, Team Craik and Team Waddell to get their season started with the right slide.
They know their end game to the season goes through Euro and World champions Team Mouat. To be the best, you need to beat the best.
But when the best ain't here, you need to beat the rest.
All four teams ended up in different pools so, in theory, all four could qualify for the playoff round. The Scots could end up as the Final Four and seize Switzerland.
Or all could falter. You know they each want to be the last Scot standing.
But do not underestimate the home nation teams either. Swiss fans will have 8 teams in the field.
In theory, they could sweep the playoff bracket as there are 2 teams in each pool. A Swiss Sweep?
Ok, I wouldn't place bets on that happening given the high caliber of opposition at this event but the Swiss could steal the thunder and be the last nation standing.
The question is, if that happens, who reaps the rewards?
With Swiss champs Schwaller in the mix, you know the other 7 would love nothing more than to knock them off early in the season and stake their claim to rising to the top of the Swiss Alps.
#PopcornMatch
Team Schwaller vs. Team Gosgens (Draw 1) - Rematch of last year's SF, won by Gosgens
Team Brunner vs. Team Dropkin (Draw 4) - Could decide top spot in the pool?
Team Kapp vs. Team Whyte (Draw 6) - New look Kapp from Germany
Team Whyte vs. Team Ramsfjell (10) - 1st place in the pool up for grabs?
Qualifiers: Team Schwaller, Team Retornaz, Team Whyte, Team Dropkin, Team Gosgens, Team Hoesli, Team Ramsfjell, Team Brunner
Championship: Team Schwaller def. Team Retornaz
WOMEN
Euro Super Series
Stirling, Scotland
2022 Champion: Team Jentsch
Format: 10 team RR with 2 pools of 5. Top 6 qualify with 2 pool winners earning a bye to the SF.
#Fav: Team Roervik
Norway is back in the house...and they are a favourite once again.
Since the retirement of legendary skip Dordi Nordby, we have not really seen a strong women's team emerge from Norway.
Well the reemergence of Norwegian curling has been solifidied.
Last season Team Roervik shocked the system with their inspirational run to the final of the world championship. And while they may have come up just short in the final, winning a silver medal still left a loud message on the curling ice.
Now the question is how they follow up their breakout season last year, this year?
The pressure will be on them and teams will be looking to knock them off.
In this field, they are the highest ranked team, currently sitting #13.
One could say this event last year was the starting pistol firing shot for their entire season. They dominated the RR, posting a perfect 5-0 record, before losing in the championship final to Germany's Daniela Jentsch (now retired).
So they will have positive vibes from last year but also some unfinished business to resolve.
And while Jentsch may be gone, her former team is back with former vice Emira Abbes now at skip.
And who did Roervik play in their opening game Thursday morning? Abbes.
And who won said opening game? Roervik. #Revenge.
#TeamUpset: Team Strouse
As a fellow curling fan pointed out on X (ugh, that looks so weird compared to saying twitter, right?), USA's Team Strouse maybe should have been included in the preseason #TeamUpset Top 5.
And maybe they are right?! This opening weekend could tell us something.
Strouse is certainly an up and coming team.
They were the runner-up at US Nationals last season and won bronze at the World University Games.
Hello #NextGen! We see you!!
If they are to make an opening statement to the season, they were gifted a pool to do so.
They were drawn with Roervik, Abbes and Scottish teams Morrison and Blair.
Yikes! Talk about a Pool of Death for a #NextGen team. This is a pool of heavy international experience...and success.
But, if Strouse can make some moves, knock off a few of those teams and make a playoff push...yup, hello #TeamUpset!
#W2W4
The Return of Eve Muirhead!
We all know this is where the curling eyes will land this weekend.
Muirhead will return to competitive ice to compete with friend Michele Jaeggi. And Muirhead made it very clear in our weekly column this is not be considered a comeback. She is here to curl with a friend who needed a teammate.
But COULD it lead to a comeback? Hmmm, who knows?!?! Either way, curling fans will be watching.
And while Muirhead may grab the attention, her fellow Scots could be the teams worth paying attention to.
Team Morrison is coming off a huge season, winning Euro bronze.
Team Munro, Team Blair and Team Henderson will be looking to gain some momentum as they want to become this season's version of Team Morrison.
And as we enter the Olympic cycle, all the teams and athletes from Scotland will be wanting to make some noise to show why they should be in the driver seat for 2206 Olympic consideration.
#PopcornMatch
Team Roervik vs. Team Abbes (Draw 1) - Rematch of last year's final, Roervik already won 9-4
Team Jaeggi vs. Team Constantini (Draw 3) - Could decide a SF bye?
Team Abbes vs. Team Strouse (Draw 5) - A de facto playoff elimination game?
Team Morrison vs. Team Roervik (Draw 6) - SF bye up for grabs?
Qualifiers: Team Roervik, Team Jaeggi, Team Morrison, Team Constantini, Team Strouse, Team Henderson
Championship: Team Jaeggi def. Team Roervik
#StayTuned
The blog will return with the first official Power Rankings of the season next week and summarize the results of this weekend.
Agree with the predictions? Disagree? Share your thoughts and keep the rock spinning.
Stay cool out there. This has been one hot August.
And stay safe. Wild fires are ravishing many areas of our planet, notable here in Canada right now for our friends in the Northwest Territories. Sending thoughts and prayers to everyone to be safe and stay healthy.
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