Curling

Post-Season Power Rankings

With the 4-person season in the books, we get together to discuss how the teams stack up at the end of the season. We go through and give our top 5 men's and women's teams in the world as we start to turn our attention to the upcoming Olympic year. Do you agree with our rankings? Let us know how you have the teams stacked up

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Men's Worlds Recap

It's a better late than never situation, as we're here to look back at the week that was in Moose Jaw for the 2025 Men's World Curling Championship. We talk about Bruce Mouat getting his second world championship, a very strong week for Team Jacobs, and a solid performance by the Swiss. We also talk about Lukas Klima claiming an Olympic berth, the Americans having to go to the last chance qualifier, and how the rest of the field finished. We then chat about the controversy around Team China and what the ramifications are moving forward before discussing the Bruce Mouat-Rachel Homan game that kicked off the Player's Championship.

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World Curling Championship Trivia

With the Men's World Curling Championship in full swing, we get together to play some world championship trivia. Sean kicks things off by quizzing Scott on the Women's World Curling Championship before Scott repays the favour with questions about the men's event. Play along and let us know if you beat either score.


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Women's Worlds Recap & Men's Worlds Preview

The Season of Champions continues to march on with its final stop coming up this week in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. This comes on the heels of Rachel Homan winning her second consecutive world championship on Sunday. We start there by talking about Team Homan's run to the title, the sixth straight final appearance for Silvana Tirinzoni, and China securing an Olympic berth. We also talk about another tough playoff exit for Anna Hasselborg, another impressive performance by Team Gim, and how the rest of the field shook out. We then move on to the Men's World Curling Championship (24:08) by talking about all 13 teams in the field, where each team's strengths lie, and then make our picks for who we like to stand on top of the podium at the end of the week.

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Recapping the World Wheelchair Championships & Paralympic Fields are Set

Over the past couple of weeks, the World Wheelchair Curling Championship and the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championship have taken place in Scotland and we're here to talk about all the goings on. From another world title for Team China and Wang Haitao to a disappointing result for Mark Ideson and Ina Forrest, the Canadian Mixed Doubles team, we talk about what stood out as well as go through the teams that have qualified 2026 Paralympics now that the fields are set. We finish up by going through some of the recent curling news, including some announcements for venues for upcoming events and a tough day for our friends at the Ontario senior provincial championships.

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Scotties Recaps & Brier Preview

As the Season of Champions rolls on, the guys start out by talking about Rachel Homan's 5th Scotties title and everything else that happened over the course of the week in Thunder Bay, including a roller coaster event for Kerri Einarson, a tough week for Krista McCarville, and a farewell to Kerry Galusha. Then (at 24:01) they shift to this week's Montana's Brier, which kicks off Friday in Kelowna. They go through the field and talk about all 18 teams and what they each need to do to consider the week a success.

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Scotties Preview

This week the Season of Champions kicks off with the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the guys are here to give you a full preview of what should be a very fun week in Thunder Bay, ON. They go through all 18 teams in the field looking at their strengths and weaknesses before making their picks for who they think will represent Canada at the world championship.

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How Rec Games Change During the Season of Champions

With the Season of Champions kicking off next week, the guys look at how games at the rec level tend to change at this time of year. From different shot selections to pace of play, they look at the pros and cons of rec players incorporating some of what they see on teevee into their own games. The guys wrap by talking about last weekend's U.S. championship and the remaining provincial championships coming up this weekend.

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Sawtooth Outdoor Bonspiel

This week, the guys catch up with Jeff Salmons, the chair of the Sawtooth Outdoor Bonspiel organizing committee. The 'spiel, which took place this past weekend, takes place in beautiful Stanley, Idaho, in the shadows of the Stanley mountains. Jeff talks about the challenges of associated with running an outdoor bonspiel, including the ice, getting the rocks there, and lighting. The guys also talk about the community that has been built at the bonspiel, what the curling conditions are like, and how much fun it can be despite the cold. They then wrap up with a discussion of the curling community in Boise, the growth of the club there, and the initial discussions on getting a dedicated facility in the city.

Learn more about the S.O.B here. You can also check out the Boise Curling Club here.

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Catching up with Northern Ontario Curling Executive Director Laura Forget

With the provincial championships in full swing, Sean catches up with Northern Ontario Curling Association Executive Director Laura Forget. They discuss the role of executive directors for member associations, how provincial championships are put together, and the challenges of streaming provincials. They also chat about some of the financial challenges facing member associations, how the associations work together, and the challenges facing recreational curling in Northern Ontario.

You can stream the Northern Ontario provincials here.

Sean and Scott are doing play-by-play on Saturday January 26 for the qualifying games at the 2025 Over the Rainbow bonspiel at the Ottawa Curling Club. Streaming starts at noon ET on Saturday and the guys are doing the games at 2:00 and 4:30. Check our socials for links to the stream.

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They're Saying Boourns! & Other Curling News

After a week off, the guys are back to do a tour around the world of curling. They start with the recent lineup change to Team Dunstone before talking about the Grand Slam in St. John's, which included a great moment where Team Jacobs was booed by the home crowd. They also talk about the field being set for the Canadian Mixed Doubles Olympic Curling Trials, the Canadian Senior Championship, and a new initiative from Curling Ontario.

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Euros Recaps & News Update

With the 2024 European Curling Championship in the rearview mirror, Sean and Scott look back on the week that was in Lohja, Finland.  They talk about a surprising win for  the German men, the continued dominance of the Swiss women, and who struggled during the week. They then discuss the other news in the world of curling, including a new event from Curling Ontario, the Candian Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials Qualifier, and the Canadian Club Championship.

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Women in Curling

Sean is joined by Elaine Dagg-Jackson, the Chair of Women in Curling, to talk about the initiative's re-brand. Formerly known as the Women in Curling Leaders' Circle, the re-brand has come with four new pillars that the group is focusing on to help foster greater women's representation at all levels of curling. More information - including on how to apply to be part of the executive council and committees - can be found here. The deadline for applications is November 17.

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How to Score a Game

In recent years, the guys have talked about how it seems like shooting percentages have been inflated, so today they talk about how percentages are calculated based on the instructions for scoring each individual shot. They discuss the Curling Canada guidelines for scoring a game and how that could be influencing the stats we see during broadcasts. Sean also scored a game using these guidelines and they discuss the difference between his score and the official stats from that game. You can find the Curling Canada instructions here.

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Biggest Differences Between Elite & Rec Level Strategies

This week the guys chat about the differences in the strategies you see on teevee compared to what is advisable in your regular leagues. What parts of strategy can you incorporate from the top levels and which ones should you leave the pros?

They also chat about the Pan Continental Curling Championship, which kicks off on Sunday, and the news that Curling Canada is still looking for a title sponsor for next year's Olympic Trials.

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What's the Value of Streaming & In-Season Lineup Changes

Sean and Scott chat about last weekend's Grand Slam before talking about the state of streaming in the world of curling, including the World Curling Federation's new season pass. They debate the value of streaming games and whether it's a good idea to keep all games behind a paywall. They then discuss a couple of big - and rare - in-season lineup changes for Teams Koe and Gushue and chat about what this trend could mean for the sport moving forward.

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Curling for Beginners and Improvers

This week the guys are joined by John Robertson, author of Curling for Beginners and Improvers. John talks about his passion for the sport, why he wanted to write a book for new players, and the best way to introduce people to curling. John also talks about some of the key topics in the book, including best ways to practice, introducing the rules, introducing strategy, and keeping up with pace of play.

Following the discussion with John, Sean and Scott talk about the PointsBet and this week's return of the Grand Slam as well as some of the new branding we're seeing in the world of curling.

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How to Prep for Your Curling Season & Expectations for the Year

The guys are set to hit the ice next week and are talking about what they do to get ready for the season. From physical prep to checking equipment to team dynamics, they go through all the pre-season steps that can help once the games get started. They then talk about what they are most excited to see at the elite level before Sean describes how he tracks his games through the course of the year.

Sean's Stretching Routine

Neck Circles

Shoulder Circles into Arm Circles

Arm Crosses

Hip Rotations

Toe Touches

Standing Forward Fold

Back Bends

Quad Stretch

Recline Twist

Child's Post

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Women's Sports & Identity

Sean talks with Michelle J. Manno, author of Denied: Women, Sports, and the Contradiction of Identity. They talk about Michelle's personal experience with collegiate basketball, how personal identity mixes with team identity in sports, and how players navigate contested spaces. They also discuss how coaches police players' identities, the role of TItle IX, and how these issues exist across all women's sports. 

For more, visit us at GameofStonesPod.com