#PowerRankings W10

#BetweenTheSheets: Conception Bay Chase Continues

Is the #gsoc qualification a game best fit for Tom and Jerry?

The game is afoot now. The chase is on. Tom pulling out all the stops trying to catch Jerry. Jerry being elusive and always one step ahead in avoiding the catch. Will Tom ever catch Jerry? Doesn't seem likely does it?

The cartoon game of cat and mouse is quite symbolic to the real-life game of Grand Slam of Curling qualification. The "next level" teams, or the Tom's of the tour, are trying to chase down the "elite" teams, or the Jerry's, sitting comfy in their #gsoc hacks. It was the instinctual reaction for Tom to want to catch Jerry as it is an instinctual reaction in sports for teams wanting to knock off those at the top.

In curling, does Tom ever catch Jerry?

#Curling S1819 W10

#BetweenTheSheets: As The Rock Turns

Welcome to another week of World Curling Tour ice-itement

Like pebble to a curling sheet, these are the Days Of Our #WCT Lives!

Ok so maybe I am cross-referencing different daytime soaps, what do I know? I don't watch any of these shows and have no idea. But what I do know is curling drama takes place on a weekly basis in arenas all over the world. Teams compete for money. Teams compete for bragging rights. Teams compete for ranking points. Teams compete for the power and glory of being listed as a champion. Doesn't sound too far off from a daytime soap does it?

Welcome to another #TwineTime episode of 'As The Rock Turns'

#CanadianBeefMasters Preview

#BetweenTheSheets: Triumph In Truro?

Who will hoist the first #gsoc major of the season in Nova Scotia

Bring on the Canadian Beef. No, no I don't mean the now outdated Men of Curling calendar. And no, I don't mean the newly released Women of Curling calendar either...although you should hit up any of the athletes in the calendar to buy a calendar from them at a great deal and help support their fundraising efforts towards some outstanding causes. The full list of charities can be found HERE.

The Canadian Beef I am referring to is the new title sponsor for the first major Grand Slam of Curling event of the season. Welcome to the now referred to as #CanadianBeefMasters. Quite the hashtag hey?

15 of the top men's and women's teams will hit the ice in Truro, Nova Scotia this week in hopes of landing the often elusive #gsoc championship. As mentioned, this is unlike the Elite 10 contested earlier in the season. The Masters is one of the original Big Four in #gsoc history, earning it the prestigious "major" moniker.

#PowerRankings W9

#BetweenTheSheets: ROCK-y Road To Conception Bay

Crunch time for teams to qualify for Boost National

As this blog discussed last week, the crunch time is on for teams looking to make the big money, collect the big points, compete on the nice ice and get some coveted TV time. Teams are looking to qualify for the Grand Slam of Curling events throughout the season and with one #gsoc already over, another starting this week and the third already having the field finalized, we have reached the half-way point of the slam season. Weird right?

Ok so only one event has actually slide out of the hack but teams are always looking forward and the cut-off date to qualify for the next slam, the #BoostNational in Conception Bay, NL, is fast approaching. November 5 to be exact. Two weeks from now.

For teams on the cusp of reaching the coveted Top 15 on the Order of Merit (OOM) ranking list, the time is now to make your move. The results of a team over this past weekend and the weekend ahead could determine smooth sailing onto The Rock or a Rock-Y road towards Newfoundland and Labrador.

#Curling S1819 W9

#BetweenTheSheets: Opportunity Road

Teams fighting to climb the rankings and avoid the slip

Week 9. The season is sliding along folks and we are into mid-October already. We have one "slam" already completed. The first major slam next week. And a third #gsoc in the near horizon approaching. Not to mention upcoming continental championships like the #PACC and Europeans. October/November is the fun part of the curling season so strap on those sliders and try to stay on your feet.

For the teams, this is moving ground time. This 6 to 8 week period is when teams will generally compete the most. The fall portion of the season is when we see the most events held on the World Curling Tour each weekend and when teams can really start to jockey for position on the world rankings.

Under the mock #TwineTime ranking system, this is also when we see the most ranking points up for grabs. Week 9 will see a combined 3 #Tour1000 events, 4 #Tour500 events and 1 #Tour250. If teams are looking to ascend up the #PowerRankings mountain, this is the perfect week to make the climb.

#PowerRankings W8

#BetweenTheSheets: Rules Are Meant To Be Broken?

Curling Canada residency rules create a messy house

We knew it would come up this season right? With #BroomGate a distant topic of the past, curling needs a new topic to have athletes and fans waving their brooms in disagreement. We simply cannot have a season go by without some major topic of debate off the ice and this may just be the biggest one we will bump into this season.

The Curling Canada residency rules have been a hot topic of conversation around curling clubs across our great nation for many years but have really become a melting pot of emotion during the past Olympic cycle. The rules are limiting the game. The rules of killing the sport. The rules are unfair. The rules are enforced against some and ignored for others. If the rules change it will bring the end of historic tradition in Canada.

Welcome to the #ResidencyResolve movement!

#WMxCC2018 Preview

#BetweenTheSheets: World Mixed Hits Canadian Ice

The World Mixed Curling Championship slide out from Kelowna

Here. We. Go. The 2018/19 curling season shifts from the hacks of tour life to the hacks of international world competition this weekend. The first world championship of the season hits the ice in Kelowna, B.C. for the World Mixed Curling Championship.

Canada will host the world championship for the first time in the brief history of the event and will be home to the coronation of our first world champions. This is an exciting part of the season when we not only have tour events circled on our tour calendar but we also start the path towards world championships and continental championships.

Are you ready for an international battle royal on the ice?

#PowerRankings W7

#BetweenTheSheets: Cliff Hangers - Curling Edition

The Power Rankings mountain can be a curling teams dream or nightmare

The 2018/19 curling season is unique. It is the post-Olympic season. It is the "trial and error" year for new team formations. It is a season where no points are tabulated towards the next Olympic cycle. It really is a year of purgatory in a way.

And the #TwineTime blog is taking up another level with the new proposed tour structure and rankings system. With each tour event, including Grand Slam of Curling and top international events, being allocated a event category the point structure can be very transparent and clear cut for athletes and fans.

But with the proposed blog changes also come up's and down's within the #PowerRankings. One week you can win an event but the next week, due to inactivity or inconsistency, you can quickly find yourself sliding right down the mountain.

Welcome to the curling version of the popular Price is Right game: Cliff Hangers!

#Curling S1819 W7

#BetweenTheSheets: Time To Give Thanks

Thankful for a full house of events this holiday weekend

It is #TurkeyCurling weekend folks. Ok not literally...well at least not for most of us anyways. I am sure there are a few out there who will participate in a turkey spiel charity event or fun event hoping to win Monday night supper.

But no, this is the weekend where we as curling family come together and give thanks for the sport we all love. We say our thanks for the draws, guards, runbacks and doubles we made during the year while hoping the Turkey Gods have a gobblefest with the Curling Gods to take care of us on the ice for another season.

Let us give thanks rock heads and stoners...before we overindulge in turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pie. Mmmmm mashed potatoes........

#PowerRankings W6

#BetweenTheSheets: Historic Curling Weekend

Welcome October, Women's Her-story Month

What a raise double runback for a big September score the final weekend of the month turned out to be. History was made across sheets of ice around the world with a full house of world curling tour events. In fact, this past weekend was the busiest weekend of the season thus far.

We saw historic results with #TeamUpset winners and writing a new chapter in the record books. How fitting to say goodbye to September and hello to October, also known as Women's History Month, with the inaugural crowning of a new #gsoc Queen of the Ice.

Pop the champagne. Blow up the balloons. Cut the cake. Time to celebrate some historic firsts.