Weeks - Curling For Dummies

Curling For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Bob Weeks

Curling For Dummies, 2nd Edition

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Copyright 2009 by John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, and icons, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Weeks, Bob

Curling for dummies / Bob Weeks. 2nd ed.

Includes index.

ISBN-10: 0-470-83828-0

ISBN-13: 978-0-470-83828-0

1. Curling. I. Title.

GV845.W387 2006 796.964 C2006-902232-1

Printed in Canada

1 2 3 4 5 TRI 10 09 08 07 06

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About the Author

Bob Weeks started curling at the age of 13 and has continued a love affair with the game ever since. As a player, he has competed in several provincial championships, winning one. He has also won a few cashspiels of note, as well as the odd turkey draw.

However, he has become more successful as a curling writer (which wasnt hard) and which he has done for the past 25 years.

Bob is the editor and co-publisher of the Ontario Curling Report, which is now in its 32nd year of publishing. And for 17 years, he has written a weekly column on curling in the Globe and Mail, while providing coverage of curlings major events for Canadas national newspaper. He has written on curling for publications across Canada and is a regular commentator on both radio and television.

He is a two-time winner of the Scotty Harper Award for the top curling story in Canada, and in 1995 he authored The Brier: The History of Canadas Most Celebrated Curling Championship, the first comprehensive history of that great event. He is currently working on a new book with Olympic champion Russ Howard.

When not writing about curling, Bob is the editor of SCORE Golf Magazine, Canadas leading golf publication. He is also heard talking about golf on a nationally syndicated radio program and serves as the golf analyst for TSN.

Bob still curls regularly although not competitively at the Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto, where he lives with his wife, Roisin, and his son, Chris.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my mother, Deane, and to my sister, Carol two great women who are always right on the broom and have helped me slide along in life.

Authors Acknowledgments

I had a great deal of help and inspiration while putting this book together. First, the inspirational folks: my fellow publishers at the Ontario Curling Report, Peter Birchard, Alf Phillips, Jr., and Ken Thompson, for giving me a shot way back when and keeping me going these days; David Langford, Neil A. Campbell, and Steve McCallister, for guidance at the Globe and Mail; my curling rink, which includes Brian Trepanier, Mark Pierog, Mark Linton, Colin Imrie, and Tim Patterson (I know, its a big team); Bob Wallace and Jamie Wilson, my original front end; my buddies on the bench: Con Griwkowsky, Jim Bender, Paul Wiecek, Al Cameron, Bill Graveland, Jeff Timson, Doug Maxwell, Vic Rauter, Ray Turnbull, Linda Moore, Don Duguid, Don Wittman, Mike Harris, and Joan McCusker; a special thanks to a curling media great who has hung up his pen and slider, Tom Slater, who read every word of this book and provided his critique; and Sandra Schmirler, for showing us all whats important in life.

A couple of extraspecial thank yous to my father, who taught me how to curl and, therefore, started me in all this nonsense. Now the helpers: I dont think I could have finished this second edition without Warren Hansen. He was always quick to answer my e-mail pleas for help. He probably knows more about curling than any person alive. Kudos to Fred Veale for his knowledge on rocks and to three great coaches from three different parts of the world: Bill Tschirhart from Canada, Mike Hay from Scotland, and Germanys Keith Wendorf. Jim Waite also helped me get in contact with a number of international officials who helped out.

Lino Di Iorio is crazy about curling and provided me with some wonderful information about the delivery. Scott Taylor, who is equally nuts, did the same.

A few past greats came to the rescue when I needed a little more detail. Ed Werenich and Neil Harrison provided insight from their many years of experience. My old pal, John Kawaja, who is now running TaylorMade Golf, was also there to answer a few questions that came from left field.

Thanks to Mike Burns for his photo resources and to Doug Ball for snapping the pictures inside these pages. Also, another thanks to the folks at the High Park Curling Club for allowing me to use their facility for the photo shoot.

Robert Hickey wasnt quite ready to play down for an Olympic medal when we started working on this second edition, but I know that he has the itch to throw some rocks.