Nova Scotia - with Team Bond Girls

Game 3 - Wacky Ice in Westville

Game 3 - Westville Sheet 1

1st: The girls start with hammer. And a good guard from Donna. But she hogs her second - here comes the Hot 80.

Katie's first is short on the center line. Cindy's first draw is heavy and through.

Playing on three different ice surfaces must be challenging. A run back for Cindy's second is good. Now the girls can bump stones up.

Marissa tries a tap back; it wrecks on a red guard. The front is very messy. The opposition sits 1, top 12 right side. Marissa runs one back but too much. 0-2 after 1.

2nd: The opposition sits 2 after the first 4.

Katie throws a good hit and roll to clear 1.

Half way through there are several guards in play, opposition sits 1. Cindy peels one guard which opens up their own stone but the opposition flashes it and opens up a chance to draw in.

Marissa has a hit to sit two; but it swings over. There seems to be lots of curl here and the girls have yet to get a good handle on it. The ice is definitely heavy here.

Steal. 0-3 after 2.

3rd: The girls pow wow at the hog line before Donna throws, trying to turn things around. Donna has a great chip on the red guard.

Katie pleads with her second stone to curl, waving with her hand but it stays wide and settles open in the back 4 foot. It's removed on the next throw. Cindy rips off a good hit. And a good tap back to sit 1 buried for her second.

The girls seem to be taming the curl a bit better now. Marissa throws a pretty good freeze for her first. The middle is totally open.

Marissa has a hits for two as her shooter stops just in time. Good recovery. Girls. 2-3 after 3.

4th: Katie's first double attempt just kisses the top stone moving it a few feet sideways.

The port shot attempt wrecks and opens up the front a bit. Looks like it's tough to get lots of weight.

Marissa yells hard for sweeping and Cindy almost makes the double, clearing one stone. The girls sit 1 buried but the opposition has a nice shot to counter.

Two great shots by the mate (woo). The other team is on their hit game, though missing their draws leaves Marissa a chance to hit and roll buried. It hits but stayed wide. 2-5 after 4.

5th: Donna, yelling hard at her stone, tries to split the house but is just lite on her second.

Katie takes the wide way but finds a spot in the back 4, almost under cover. It's enough as the next red wrecks on the lone center guard. Both mates (vices, to us 'murican's) are lefties, I just noticed this.

Cindy's second shot is a great freeze. It looks like the girls are finding fun even though it's been a challenging day so far (don't give up girls, I believe in you).

The back end discuss options, it looks like they settle on a hit to sit 2. The swingy ice gets them again though (this ice is unpredictable for sure). Marissa faces a crowded front house on her last stone. She negotiates the broom with Cindy before throwing.

That darn curl is brutal. 2-6 after 5.

6th: The red rocks pile up in the top of the house to open the 6th. Katie clears one on her second. Red hogs their next rock but Cindy's take out over curls. Luck is not being a lady tonight (well, this afternoon but you know).

Another red hog - maybe they can finish off the Hot 80. It looks like Skip & Mate (also an old time-y high sees crime fighting duo) are trying to cook up a run back double, maybe just a single. Good try, the double just misses. They clear 1 but a red stone sits buried on the button.

The girls discuss some crazy angles but decided on a less zany option. Still tough though. It's too lite, hand shakes. 2-8 final.

Thoughts:

I can see the frustration on the girls faces. I can feel the desire from them to perform like they know they can.

That's a tall order without adequate facilities. 15 feet of curl with negative handle, one time a week for less than 20 weeks a year won't cut it. If/when we ever get our own ice we're going to easily be the spiritual successor to Cool Runnings. Cool Runnings 2: Ice Ice Baby needs a new pair of curling shoes.

I'm not sure everyone here really gets where we are coming from (in a curling sense). The faces of shock and bemusement are everywhere. It takes about 20 minutes before it really sinks in with curlers up here. I almost don't blame them for their disbelief anymore. If they only really knew what conditions we curl in I bet it would be tough to complain about the ice here.

If anyone wants to help bring ice to Hollywood, we'd be ever grateful for your help.

Email: board@hollywoodcurling.com

The Myth Of Flawless Canadian Curling Ice

So, I'm starting my fourth year of curling. I'm still a bit of a curling youngster. But I have traveled around a bit to watch curling, at all levels, and I've thrown on more than a few different sheets now. Watching this tournament here in Nova Scotia I can safely say that not all Canadian curling ice is great. We can slay that Unicorn right now.

Some of this ice is decidedly mediocre (I'm not trying to pick a fight I'm just say'n it ain't all great like I've been blugeoned over the head to believe). Sure, it's all kilometers better than anything we regularly curl on back home but the myth of all ice in Canada being next level better than in the states is just that: a fluffy, snowy white myth. Don't you buy it either.

So remember that the next time you're on curling ice in Seattle, or Fargo, or Phoenix, or Portland or anywhere. We have good ice makers in the US too. Damn good ones, at all levels.

Here's to the ice makers, wherever they may be.

Game 2 (1 of 3 today)

Game 2 - Bluenose, Sheet 1

1st: The girls have hammer to start. Donna starts with a nice take out. Then another.

The opposition flashes and the girls can sit one buried but Katie is too powerful (too much good food for breakfast) and is long. Cindy throws a nose hit.

Marissa draws to top 12 for her first. She has a hit for 1, or a hit and roll to blank. 0-0 after 1.

2nd: Donna throws a biter to start, her second is just through. The end gets messy but Cindy throws s nice double on her second to clean it up.

The girls lay 1 after skips first rock but it's picked out. Chance for another blank (ignoring their impulse yesterday to never take a blank). Still 0-0

3rd: Donna starts with a nice corner guard. All 4 first rocks in play as guards. Katie for a double peel, clears one entirely and moves one over. A wall is formed out front right.

Cindy has some cleaning up to do but only gets one and leaves another center guard. The opposition loops in one more to sit 3. Marissa is facing 4 with her first shot: it cleans up the center but still leaves 4.

Tough last shot: it's lite. Down 0-4 after 3.

4th: It's time to rebound. Donna puts up a corner. A good line on her second but it drifts through the back 12. It seems the girls are struggling a bit with the weight.

Katie's first takeout over curls but clears a guard. A good hit on Katie's second opens up the front of the house. Cindy with a great double to sit 1 buried.

The girls sit 3 after mates rocks. Marissa can get 2 with a hit and stay; success.

Good 2 girls. This is where you come storming back, lets be thieves. 2-4 after 4.

5th: Donna starts with a tight center guard. She sneaks around the center to tap out the yellow on the button, great shot. Katie is lite on her first. The girls are sitting second shot after Katie's rocks.

Marissa has the line out wide for Cindy's second; but it stays straight, that seems frustrating. The rocks are really diving to the center going away on the left side.

Lots of rocks in play for skips stones. 2-8 after 5. I blame the early morning for this one.

6th: The opposition is playing well this morning. Donna just misses the run back but clears the guard. Katie to bring some heat on her first; good double.

Attempting the freeze for her second; just lite in the top 8. Freeze attempt 2; it's also short. The 3rd attempt is much better, girls sit shot.

Marissa moves the rocks off the button with her first. Looks like only 1 is likely this end (or another blank). 3 blanks. Still 2-8.

7th: A good guard to start from Donna. Katie throwing heat removes shot rock.

Uh oh, Katie hogs a rock. Coach will impose the pre agreed penalty - Hot 80. The opposition keeps throwing through, the girls are trying to get something going on the left side.

The specter of hot 80 begins to haunt Katie, you can see it in her face (plus I keep taunting). Now Marissa hogs one! (Note: I later learn that Katie helped engineer this hog to not drink alone). Maybe the hot 80 is too intimidating. Marissa draws for 1 but it's hand shakes. 3-8 final.

Game One - The Drama

This my first attempt at blogging a curling game so bear with me. By the end of the game I think I figured out a good system so I will implement that for game two. And away we go.

1st: The girls come out with guns blazing. Lots of rocks in play. The practice paied off. Katie has a sweet double take out and Marissa throws 2 good hits. They put up 4. 4-0 after 1.

2nd: The girls are mostly in control until late in the end. Marissa's last shot over curls but makes an angle raise double to sit 3 (we'll call that plan B 😉). They hold the opposition to 1. 4-1 after 2.

3rd: It's a cleanish end, not many rocks stick around. There is a sneaky bitter in the back of the house though by the opposition. Marissa's last rock comes up lite. The girls give up a steal of 1. 4-2 after 3.

4th: Not much curl in the ice coming home on the right side. Katie makes a nice double to clean up the house with her first shot. Cindy makes a good draw to sit one. The other team picks out the remaining rocks as they get on their hit game. Blank end.

5th: Donna starts off with rock in the back 12. The teams exchange hits for several rocks keeping it fairly clean. Cindy draws to back button on her first but flashes a take out on her second. Marissa flashes her first. The ice giving the girls problems now, it's tricky. Facing 4, Marissa draws. The girls sweep the crap out of the rock and it goes deep. A steal of 2 by the opposition. 4-4 after 5.

6th: Donna throws a good hit but then is long on her second. Katie has a good hit on her second. Not many rocks in play this end. A great draw for Cindy's first. The other team throws another double though (again). A good hit from the skip's first stone and then a draw for 1. 5-4 after 6.

7th: A crowd has grown behind sheet 3. People in the audience comment "these girls are good". I chuckle to myself, of course they are. We may not have fancy ice in California but some of us do have talent.

There are lots of hits this end. It's clean half way through (Also, my wife is bad ass).

The girls are the last game on the ice now as the other two games are not really that close. Cindy throws 2 great hits to sit 2 but the other team doubles them out (again, again!).

Good sweeping by the front end on Marissa's first to sit 1. The girls sit two, waiting for the hammer shot. Tied after 7.

8th: The girls have hammer. I am so nervous. I have to go to the bathroom but I can't not watch the game. They sit two with one buried half way through. A great draw for Katie's second shot to sit 3.