Power Rankings - W15

#BetweenTheSheets: Power Rankings - W15

Happy Halloween Weekend of Booo-tacular Curling

"Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and cauldron bubble"

- Macbeth

The pre-Halloween weekend provided a few Macbeth-esque qualities for those who stepped on the ice.

Was it "double, double" on the scoreboard?

Or was it a weekend filled with "toil and trouble"?

Maybe it was more a weekend of Morticia Addams excitement:

"Last night you were unhinged.

You were like some desperate, howling demon.

You frightened me.

Do it again!"

Sometimes you can get on a roll and just dominate your competition, leaving even your own teammates and fans in awe at your curling abilities.

For some teams it was a spooky scare of a weekend.

For some, it was a weekend full of Halloween treats.

And for a select few, they rose above to become the Jack Skellington on ice:

"I am the pumpkin king."

PCCC2023 Preview

 #BetweenTheSheets: Pan Continental Curling Championship Preview

World championship tickets are on the ice in Kelowna 

"Only those who risk going too far

can find out how far one can go"

- T.S. Eliot

The British poet, playwright and publisher may have been foreshadowing the growth of curling around the world.

For many nations competing at the upcoming Pan Continental Curling Championships, there will be some risks.

Some may be stepping on world competitive ice for the first time. And that can be risky and scary.

Some have dreams of competing at upcoming world championships.

And some have aspirations of becoming the best in the world.

Regardless of competing in an A Division or B Division, each team will have risk in stepping on the ice.

Whether it is to challenge themselves or to #growthesport for the nation on their back or live up to high expectations of themselves, teams will be pushing themselves this week in Kelowna.

And, in doing so, we will find out just how far they can go.

One slide out of the hack at a time during a grueling week of continental curling action.

Power Rankings - W14

 #BetweenTheSheets: Power Rankings - W14

Tour Challenge debrief + Power Rankings update

Lucky 14!

Ok maybe not lucky for everyone but it is the #TwineTime lucky number so this is a lucky week.

#SlamSeason has officially begun with the Tour Challenge tossing its last rocks on Sunday and crowing 4 champions.

One added to her legacy.

A second is on his path to creating #HIStory.

A Tier II champion is returning to Tier I.

And another is following in the slide path of a compatriot.

And while the action on the ice was great, the path to playoffs was a bit slippery.

Plus, WHERE WAS THE ORANGE??

Don't forget, we also crowned our first World Champions of the season!!

Tour Challenge Preview

 #BetweenTheSheets: Tour Challenge Preview

Welcome to #SlamSeason

Knock, Knock

Who's there?

Orange

Orange who?

Orange you glad it's Tour Challenge Time?!

This joke has been used over and over again for these Tour Challenge preview blog posts.

And I just cannot help myself from doing so again this year. #SorryNotSorry

But when your favourite colour is orange and the sport you blog about bring orange rings to the rink, can you really blame me? 🟠

Bring on the Tide Pod Challenge....err, I mean the Grand Slam of Curling Tour Challenge.

#IYKYK 😉

Power Rankings - W13

 #BetweenTheSheets: Power Rankings - W13

Who sits atop the mountain heading into Slam Season?

Welcome to Week 13 of the Power Rankings.

And it leads us to ask the question: "Are you ready for #SlamSeason?"

The first Grand Slam of Curling event hits this ice this weekend in Niagara Falls with the Tour Challenge.

The biggest event of the #gsoc season with 32 competing. 16 in the Tier I. 16 in the Tier II.

With two tiers competing and both being a dual gender event, there will be a total of 64 teams chasing grand slam glory.

Excited yet? 

#WMCC2023 Preview

 #BetweenTheSheets: World Mixed Curling Championship Preview

Time to crown a world champion, baby! 

Welcome to the Season of Champions!

The World Mixed Curling Championship is also a special event on the international curling calendar.

It marks the start of the Season of Champions and the first opportunity for a curling nation to claim bragging rights as a world champion.

While there are many more world and continental championship events to follow, this event is the first slide out of the hack for the World Curling Federation.

Ready to crown a world champion?

S2324 W12 - Rocktober

 #BetweenTheSheets: Welcome To Rocktober

The pre-slam weekend has rocks rolling everywhere

Springfield Elementary is wrong.

Bart Simpson is right.

There is CERTAINLY a month called #Rocktober!

October is one of the busiest months of the curling calendar.

We have a full house of World Curling Tour events.

We have World Curling Federation world championships.

We have continental curling battles ready to hit the ice.

Oh yes, Rocktober is here.

And who knew Bart Simpson was such a big curling fan?

Power Rankings - W12

 #BetweenTheSheets: Power Rankings - W12

Entered the Asian Domination Era?

As Canadian curling fans come out from a holiday weekend, the blog hopes everyone was able to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and give thanks and love to those around them.

There certainly was a lot of curling over the long weekend for Canadian curling fans.

But many may be left asking, for a Canadian holiday, was it was another continent who had all the celebrations?

S2324 W11 - Happy Thanksgiving

#BetweenTheSheets: Happy Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving tradition continues in Calgary at the Autumn Gold

Welcome to Thanksgiving weekend in Canada!

A time where we, as Canadians, give thanks to everything we are thankful for in our lives.

From (hopefully) good health to a happy home to loving family to great friends...let us take this upcoming weekend to reflect and celebrate.

And while some will be hitting the ice this weekend to compete at World Curling Tour events, thus missing time with their family and friends, we hope all of them take time with their teammates and fans to celebrate a sport which can bring people together.

This weekend, truly ask yourself "What are YOU Thankful For?" and share it with those important people your life.

Sport is sport. At the end of the day, we can never take anything for granted. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride while we can.

From #TwineTime to all of you rockheads, Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a special year as the blog celebrates 10 years of existence. Over those 10 years, I have met wonderful people. From athletes competing in the sport to those behind the ice to volunteers across the globe and fans from every walk of life. 

I truly am thankful for all of you who continue to support, share, like and read this blog during the curling season.

I wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday weekend.

Power Rankings - W11

#BetweenTheSheets: Power Rankings - W11

Tour Challenge field is set

From a blockbuster PointsBet Invitational #Sweep16 bracket event to teams confirming their tickets to the first #gsoc of the season, the final weekend of September had the curling community talking.

The top women's rivalry in Canada wrote another chapter in the #PBInvitational finale.

A men's team who looked ready for a flight home in the QF (and SF) survived and were able to #DefendTheIce in improbable fashion.

The Tour Challenge revealed the Tier I and Tier II teams heading to Niagara Falls in a few weeks.

And, on the World Curling Tour scene, Asian nations continue to show up and show off their talents against their Canadian counterparts...almost sweeping a playoff bracket in Vernon.

Plus, what do we think of the #PowerRankings double arrow graphic? I kind of like it, no?