This mixed curling isn’t fun and games

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/03/2010 (5902 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MIXED sports have long had a rap as strictly social but that isn’t the case at this weekend’s Manitoba Mixed Provincial Curling Championship in Stonewall.

"Once you get out on the ice it’s pretty competitive," said skip Sean Grassie, who will lead his Deer Lodge rink into the action that begins this morning. "The season is over in terms of the men’s schedule. That makes this event great in terms of still having something to play for. And once you get out there, you treat it just like any other event."

Last year’s champion Dave Boehmer is back to defend his crown. The winner advances to the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship in Morris this November.

"This is our second year together with this team and we’ve been out practising three or four times a week and I think that gives us an advantage," said Grassie, 31.

"Some teams just throw their mixed together and don’t do a lot of practising. We know what each other can throw and their strengths on the ice."

Grassie’s third, Tracy Lavery, has used the mixed schedule to improve her shotmaking and expand her role with her women’s team, skipped by Joelle Brown.

"With our ladies’ team, we’re together all year and even have off-season training. So we compete at a consistent level," said Lavery, a social worker. "Sean (Grassie) asked me to play at this event last year and I hadn’t played third in ages. Then I went back and played third with my women’s team this year. This gave me an opportunity to play the position and it gave me the opportunity to play the game with an excellent skip in Sean."

Lavery, 35, says the strategy in mixed curling has to be adapted to the abilities of each player.

"I would say you need to understand how to use your players. I’ve learned how to throw more peel weight. It all depends on the strategy the team uses. Last year Sean called shots that I didn’t have confidence in and I learned that I could throw them," said Lavery. "There’s a different element in mixed. You have to find the right blend of personalities."

Shannon Gillis plays lead on David Hamblin’s Morris team.

"I’m not super-competitive anymore. I used to be in junior women’s but now I just curl on Monday nights in a league. So this is exciting and I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t curled with David before. I just got picked up for this team. It should be fun," said Gillis, 22. "The main difference for me is that most of these teams are thrown together. So there are communication differences that you have to get used to. We don’t curl together that often."

The curling begins this morning and the final is set for Monday at 1:30 p.m.

The first draw is set for 8:30 a.m. today after the opening ceremonies at 7:15 p.m.

There are four draws a day today through Saturday with the playoffs set to begin Sunday at 7:45 p.m.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca