#PowerRankings W5

#BetweenTheSheets: What About Wheelchair Curling?

Where does the Paralympic discipline fit in the broad vision of the sport?

With all the introductions to new events and changing formats around the sport this season, the #growthesport curling rock is starting to find the perfect draw weight to land on the pin. The Curling World Cup brought a new audience and sense of excitement to the sport. The changes to the Continental Cup drew headlines last week with the 'scramble' addition to the format. Both of these topics drew attention from this very blog, with positive and mixed reviews.

Mixed doubles was the new born baby in the family earlier this year with its debut at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The discipline raised attention for curling around the world and attracted a new fan base audience but has all of a sudden become more of a middle child in the sense of attention received post-Olympics.

And if mixed doubles has become the middle child, what would we consider wheelchair curling in the curling family? The long-lost cousin?


The sport continues to move forward with a strong attention to the traditional men's and women's team discipline. Media attention towards mixed doubles has come to a halt as the mixed doubles rock barely appears to make it over the hog line in coverage. But it is getting better in comparison to the start of last season or the season prior. At least now the mixed doubles rock is a nice guard on the curling sheet and in plain sight for the curling audience.

Unfortunately wheelchair curling appears to still be the hog line violation stone in the sense of coverage and attention. How many curling fans are even aware of the World Wheelchair Curling Championships? Did you know they are competed annually, taking a hiatus the year of the Winter Paralympic Games of course? 2019 will mark the 13th running of the international championship. And the sport has been included in the Winter Paralympic Games schedule since 2006. Did you know there is even a World Wheelchair Curling Tour? The tour runs for 10 weeks and includes a Wheelchair Curling Baltic League.

This blog is just as guilty for the lack of coverage and attention towards the discipline. I can admit that. While the blog has pushed for stronger inclusion and equality among athletes and the mixed doubles discipline, where has the ally support been for our wheelchair athletes? It sure hasn't been at the same level for comparison I know that. To the blog credit though, coverage and preview blogs have been posted for past world championships; however, I will admit it was a huge oversight to not provide a blog post on the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games. My bad....#BeBetter!

For those unfamiliar with wheelchair curling, the discipline uses the same rocks and sheet of ice as team and mixed doubles. The rocks are thrown from a stationary wheelchair and there is no sweeping. Rocks can be released by hand leaning over the side of the wheelchair or via the use of a delivery stick. Wheelchair curling games are 8 ends in length. The major rule change is wheelchair curling teams must be mixed gender on the ice at all times. To be eligible to compete in wheelchair curling, athletes are define as people with a disability where a wheelchair is used for daily mobility. Worth noting though, power wheelchairs are allowed as of 2010 according to the WCF.

The discipline has seen tremendous international growth over the past 15 years. At the very first World Wheelchair Curling Championship there were 9 nations competing (props to Bulgaria for sending a team btw). For 2017, there were 10 nations competing. Now the inclusion of one additional nation may not sound like a lot for growth but there is now a qualification event in play to reach the world championship. Only 7 nations receive an auto berth into the next championship based on their previous year result. Of course one nation receives a host spot taking the total competing to 8. The remaining two spots are earned through the qualification event. Up until this year we have not seen this on the men's and women's team event at the world championship level. This qualification event is open to any WCF member nation and, in the past, has included 15 nations (including non-traditional nations like Israel, Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia).

The growth on the Paralympic side is even more telling. At the 2006 Winter Paralympic Games, wheelchair curling sported a field of 8 nations. 12 years later at the recent 2018 Winter Paralympic Games 12 nations were now competing on the ice for Paralympic gold. One does not increase the field for a Paralympic Games unless there is considerable growth in the sport and a demonstrated need for inclusion of more nations. Look at the graphic to the right, taken from the recent World Curling Federation Annual Report. As the graphic indicates, wheelchair curling drew more than 250 million viewers at the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games. Things are looking up for wheelchair curling.

But there is still a long way to go for equality among the curling family. How can we continue to move forward the wheelchair curling rock towards the house for inclusion and equality? Here are a few #TwineTime suggestions:

• Grassroots Growth - Does your local curling club offer wheelchair curling leagues? The graphic at the very top of this blog post is from the Hollywood Curling Club. They offer a wheelchair curling event in partnership with Triumph Foundation. This is an excellent opportunity to show the sport, and the club, encourage inclusive and equal play for ALL participants interested in the sport of curling. I know this is not the only example either as other clubs around the world do similar events and offer leagues. But they are also still the exception as many clubs do not offer wheelchair curling events, let alone leagues. Why not? The demographic could be there, you have to try! Similar to how this very blog called out curling clubs at the beginning of the season to be more inclusive towards the LGBTQ+ community (with huge positive outpouring of many clubs proudly tooting their own rock on how they encourage inclusive sport), we need to do the same here with wheelchair curling. There are tremendous wheelchair athletes in ALL of our cities and towns....we just need to provide the opportunity for them to showcase their talent. Is your local club hosting wheelchair curling events? Leagues? If so, let it be known and encourage more. If not, why? How can other clubs help your club host an event or league in the future? Lets use our own networks to offer support and encouragement towards inclusive and equal growth for ALL athletes.
• Continental Cup - Last week this blog commented on the recent format change announcement for the upcoming Continental Cup. The argument centred around the inclusion of mixed doubles specialists added to the respected teams to compete in the mixed doubles portion of the event. Why not up the game even more and add one draw for wheelchair curling athletes? If we look at the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games field, we easily have representation from each continent. Heck, if we went the #TwineTime suggestion of a 4-team Continental Cup we easily could have wheelchair curling athletes representing Team Canada, Team USA, Team Europe and Team Pacific-Asia. How cool would it be to have one or two draws designated for wheelchair athletes to represent their continent at this level of competition and truly feel part of the game?
• Curling World Cup - Similar to the argument made above for the Continental Cup, this blog recently discussed the disservice mixed doubles received at the first leg of the Curling World Cup for lack of coverage and geoblocking the championship final here in Canada. But at least mixed doubles is part of the family right? What about wheelchair curling? Could we not see even a pool of four compete at each leg of the Curling World Cup? Collectively that would be 12 nations competing, the same amount competing at the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games. Each leg winner would qualify for the Grand Final, in addition to host nation China of course. Each member nation would also only be allowed to send a team to one leg of the event. With China, USA and Sweden hosting a leg, they would only compete as host nations. Oh and yes all three nations did field a Paralympic team with China winning gold remember.

I recognize the hesitation in adding wheelchair curling to large events like the Continental Cup and Curling World Cup. Is there an audience for the discipline? Would people buy tickets to come watch? Are we not letting fear and the unknown dictate response though? How do we know people won't watch? The Winter Paralympic numbers seem to support an international audience wanting to watch more wheelchair curling. Is it not like any other sport? If we don't include access to coverage to allow people the opportunity to express interest, we will never actually know if there is interest?

Besides isn't this exactly what curling decided to do with the grand slam events? Put a format together, attach a media partner and slam the sport down people's throats until they start to love it and start to watch it? We have technically 7 #gsoc events each season now (although this blog still only recognizes 4 as actual Grand Slam of Curling events). Could we not see the same increased interest in mixed doubles and wheelchair curling? We need to start somewhere and including both disciplines in major events, even if they are "gimmick" events like the Continental Cup and Curling World Cup, would be a great way to showcase ALL of our curling athletes. I mean we cannot be fearful sponsors would not support the product right? Similar to the #PrideTape argument, find me a sponsor not willing to support wheelchair athletes and you will quickly find me a sponsor I will no longer support.

Sure there are going to be logistical elements attached to these ideas listed above. There always will be. But what message does it say to our wheelchair athletes when we do not include them due to logistic issues? These are athletes supporting the same game as the men's and women's team athletes do. We are all in this together and, as such, we all should be included in the conversation to help #growthesport for EVERYONE! I would much rather live in a world where #CurlingIsForEveryone than a world where we let logistics stand in the way of inclusion. But hey maybe I am biased due to my family history. I certainly never let logistics get in the way of my brother going out and living his life how he wants. Sport should do the same. If you can play, you can play!

Alright, back to the ice. This past weekend we saw a pair of #Tour250 events hit the ice in Winnipeg and Kitchener-Waterloo. Here is the quick #GunnerRunback on what went down in the house:

• At the #MotherClubClassic in Winnipeg, Team Einarson (or #TeamSkipper) continued to show 4 skips in the house does indeed make a great meal when they won their third consecutive event in as many weeks. This week they defeated Team Flaxey for the title in 3 quick ends and a 7-0 blitz. Nice SF runs by China's Jie Mei and Beth Peterson. For the men, the title stays in Manitoba once again when Team Lott defeated #TeamYoungBucks, USA's Team Fenner, for the championship. Nice SF results for fellow Manitoba competitors Team Lyburn and Team Dennis Bohn.
• The #KWFallClassic saw another international team take home a title on Canadian ice. This time it was Russia's Team Timofeev winning the title, knocking off Team Ainsley in the final. Team Willsey and Team Ferris reached the SF stage. For the women, welcome to the season Team McCarville! In their first event of the year, McCarville would navigate the #StealPants in the extra end to take home the title defeating Team Murphy. Team Harrison and Team Rizzo would complete the Final 4 with SF showings.

Given both #wct events this weekend were #Tour250 events we might not expect a lot of change among the Power Rankings. However, we are seeing a women's team try to distance themselves from the pack early on while the men's mountain is starting to bunch up a bit in a jostling for position.

Here are the UPDATED #PowerRankings:

MEN

1. Team Epping - 1180 (LW: 1)
2. Team Schwaller - 680 (2)
3. Team Jacobs - 600 (3)
4. Team Ulsrud - 500 (4)
5. Team Paterson - 405 (5)

Hon. Mention: Team Howard, Team Matsumura, Team Shuster, Team McDonald, Team Edin, Team De Cruz, Team Tuck Jr.

WOMEN

1. Team Einarson - 1010 (LW: T1)
2. Team Robertson - 805 (T1)
3. Team Yoshimura - 775 (3)
4. Team Wrana - 680 (4)
5. Team Scheidegger - 500 (5)

Hon. Mention: Team Tirinzoni, Team Flaxey, Team Kovaleva, Team Duncan, Team Harrison

As we see, the men's mountain stays the same all the way through the Top 10, well actually Top 12 given the T10th in the standings between Teams Edin, De Cruz and Tuck Jr. For the women, we no longer see a tie atop the mountain as Team Einarson made their move this weekend climbing above the competition. Remember Einarson's win came in a field including the #2 and #3 ranked teams on the mountain too. We also see Team Flaxey and Team Harrison make a move towards the Top 5 with their strong results this weekend.

#StayTuned rock heads and stoners...the rankings mountain is going to see an avalanche attack this weekend. We have our first Grand Slam of Curling event of the season, the #EliteX. But don't just assume those teams competing are where you should focus your attention. We will also see our first #Tour1000 event on the women's tour at the Prestige Hotels and Resorts Curling Classic in Vernon not to mention 3 other #Tour250 events for the women. On the men's tour, of course we have the #EliteX but we will also 5 #Tour250 events. Interesting to note, this will be the first time this season a dual event will take place where the women's field is a tour series higher than the men as the competition in Vernon is Tour 1000 for the women and Tour 250 for the men.

There are A LOT of points ready to fall on the mountain this upcoming weekend. Can our teams currently at or near the top retain their footing or will the avalanche of points cause them to take a tumble? And what about those teams currently not holding ground on the mountain? Will they finally make their move (looking at you Brad Gushue!)? This is going to be the busiest week on tour thus far....and you know #TwineTime will be there with your preview for ALL the events.

#LetsGo