Another day, another sporting icon…

Clare B and PJFresh from commentating on the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, broadcaster and national treasure Clare Balding found herself face-to-face with yet another international sporting superstar at the Wigtown Book Festival on Monday.

An ever so slightly hungover Clare was down in the south west to give a talk on her new book ‘Walking Home: My Family and Other Rambles’ based on her popular Radio Four show ‘Ramblings’ of which our President is a big fan.

 

ICA Presidents Letter

Dear Members,

I would like to welcome you to the new season which for some is on the verge of starting and for others it has already started.

hamilton-ice-rink-logoWe have our various bonspiels which start with one at Hamilton on the 5th October which I hope that you can attend as well as the others throughout the season.

Greenacres-Curling-Rink-signCoaching sessions have been arranged and we have had a very good turnout at the first at Greenacres last weekend – I think we all benefited in some way even if it was only to find out which muscles had ceased up over the summer.

NorthWestCastle-Ice-RinkWe have the Stranraer bonspiel in February for which the invitations will be sent out shortly and I would appreciate a prompt reply to these invitations so that I can fill any shortfall that may occur.

We will also be having ‘’National Championships/play offs for the seniors, mixed doubles and the mixed so if you wish to play in any of these please speak to the other members to see who else may wish to play. It’s good to talk.

EEC-C-Group-2014-logoWe currently have our teams going away to represent us in the European ‘C’ league so I would like to take this opportunity to wish them success.

Finally I hope that you have a good season and hope to see you all as often as possible throughout the season.

Good Health and Good Curling

PJWilsonPeter J D Wilson

ECC 2014 Team Profiles – Craig Whyte

CraigWhyteProfilePicName – Craig Whyte
Age ­- 25
Occupation – Valuations Advisory

Earliest curling related memory ­- Trying curling in Inverness on a family holiday

Favourite curling destination and why – Cieszyn – Picturesque town, cheap beer and good curling

How do you relax away from work (and curling) – Squash, tennis, golf and guitar

Belfast Telegraph

The person you most admire, alive or dead, and why – Eddie Izzard for running 41 marathons in 51 days for charity

The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity – Magic tricks

What’s your guiltiest pleasure – Night time cereal

What is your favourite word – Peshwari

What’s your biggest fear – Alan Mitchell playing strike weight

Last gig you went to – The National at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh

The film you can watch time and time again – Django Unchained

What are you best at – Losing the coin toss

The sport you won’t watch – Cricket

And finally, what did you have for breakfast – A can of whoop-ass

ECC 2014 Team Profiles – Arran Cameron

ArranCameronProfilePicName – Arran Cameron
Age – 40
Occupation – Civil Engineer

Earliest curling related memory – Sliding over cracked ice at the lagoon in Paisley

Favourite curling destination and why – Grindelwald, steins, fresh alpine air, steins, curling, steins, you get the picture.

AC ProfileHow do you relax away from work (and curling) – Yacht Racing / Cruising on West Coast of Scotland, best in the world.

The person you most admire, alive or dead, and why – Brian O’Driscoll, true gent and sporting hero

The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity – Banger racing

What’s your guiltiest pleasure – Being able to drink whilst watching rugby

What is your favourite word – Muppet

What’s your biggest fear – Last Orders

Last gig you went to – Hells Bells (AC/DC Tribute band)

The film you can watch time and time again – The Hunt for Red October

What are you best at – organising

The sport you won’t watch – Football, F1, anything were money is more important than the sport.

And finally, what did you have for breakfast – Porridge

ECC 2014 Team Profiles – Ailsa Anderson

Name –­ AilsaAndersonProfilePicAilsa Anderson
Age –­ 25
Occupation – Planner/ Chartered Surveyor
Years curling ­ – 3

Home club and ice rink – Banchory Curling Club, Curl Aberdeen

Favourite sport outside curling to watch­ and to play ­-
Watch – Rugby and equestrian sports,
Play – Netball or Tug­of­War

Who would you really like to meet? Prince Phillip

Favourite TV programme – Friends (never gets old)

Favourite holiday destination and why? Ireland (obviously) and further afield it has to New Zealand

Tell us something about yourself that will surprise people – I’m a member of the Irish Ladies Curling team…

You can save one prized possession. What is it? My family

Who would you choose to marooned on a desert island with? Gerard Butler

Sum yourself up in five words – Blond, Bubbly, Conscientious, Young Farmer, Curler

ICA Training Days

The Irish Curling Association are holding the following training days, funded by Development and Assistance Programme (DAP) money from the WCF, to help curlers of all levels improve:

Saturday, 20th September at Greenacres – 11am to 5pm.

Saturday, 27th September at Kinross – 10am to 5pm.

Saturday, 4th October at Braehead 11am to 4pm.

ICA training days are open to all members but numbers are limited. The first two sessions are nearly fully subscribed but there are still spaces for the 4th October session.

For more information reply to this post or contact a member of the committee.

ECC 2014 Team Profiles – Hazel Gormley-Leahy

HazelProfilePicName – Hazel Gormley-­Leahy
Age – ­29
Occupation – Marketing Consultant

Earlier curling related memory – SHUFFLE being, well, Shuffle

Favourite curling destination and why – Mmmmm: Erzurum; gave a lot to talk about hahaha

How do you relax away from work (and curling) – What’s that?

The person you most admire, alive or dead, and why – Going with Maria Bravo this year, aka, my boss: she gives great motivational talks that makes you think, even though she too may be going through rough times.

The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity – How some genii worked out that a tiny little piece of metal can work as a sim card to ring someone without cables over the other side of the world; that and who decided “let’s eat the next thing that comes out of that chickens ass”.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure – Now mon ami, I don’t think that could be published.

What is your favourite word ­ – coñio

What’s your biggest fear – ­bananas

Last gig you went to – last night; Gibraltar Music Festival with The Script, Rita Ora, John Newman, Tony Hadley, James Arthur…mmmm…

The film you can watch time and time again –­ Bodyguard

What are you best at – damaging my left knee; without fail at least once a month.

The sport you won’t watch – Fishing…..

And finally, what did you have for breakfast – good point; nothing so far

WCF approves key rule changes

Members of the World Curling Federation have elected a new board and voted to introduce a new World Junior qualification event, a World Mixed Curling Championship, along with approving a raft of other key rule changes.
The competition and rule changes and board elections took place at the World Curling Federation’s Annual General Assembly (AGA) held during the 3rd Annual World Curling Congress at the Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada, USA.
Delegates and representatives from the Federation’s Member Associations, key stakeholders and partners have been gathered in Reno to discuss strategy and development for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter sport of curling since the 4th of September.
In the WCF board elections, current President, Kate Caithness OBE, from Scotland, was the only candidate nominated for the next four year term as President and was elected by acclamation.
Upon her re-election Caithness said: “It has been a real honour to work and serve for the Federation. I work in a man’s world and you, our Member Associations, have put your trust in me to raise the profile of curling. For the next four years I promise to give you 100% in my work to represent you and our great sport.”
In addition, a new Board structure takes effect as part of a new WCF constitution from this congress onwards. The new Board is comprised of eight Board Directors: a President, three Vice-Presidents each from the three zonal regions of the WCF and another four Board Directors.
Graham Prouse (Canada), was elected Vice-President by acclamation for the Americas zone for a three year term.
Hugh Millikan (Australia), was elected Vice-President by acclamation for the Pacific-Asia zone for a two year term.
Bent Ramsfjell (Norway), was elected Vice-President by acclamation for the European Zone for a one year term. Robert Susanj from Slovenia withdrew from the election for this position.
Elected to the four Board Director positions were:
1 Albert ‘Andy’ Anderson (USA) (four year term of office)
2 Hew Chalmers (Scotland) (three year term of office)
3 Laura Lochanski (Canada) (two year term of office)
4 Toyo Ogawa (Japan) (one year term of office)
President Caithness recognized the exceptional contribution made by departing board members Leif Öhman (Sweden) and Young C Kim (Korea).
Following the Assembly, the new board will meet and will consider the applications for conditional membership for the Hong Kong Curling Association and Qatar Curling Federation. Armenian National Curling Federation was excluded from membership during the Assembly.
During the Congress it was announced that the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2015 and the World Senior Curling Championships 2015 has been awarded to Sochi, Russia. The events will take place from 18-25 April 2015.
WCF also revealed plans to Member Associations for a Portable Curling Facility. This new programme offered by the Federation is to help establish dedicated curling facilities in regions which have, up until now, found it difficult to garner the resources to build a permanent curling facility.
The 4th Annual World Curling Congress will take place at the Crowne Plaza, Belgrade, Serbia, from 2-5 September 2015. The 2015 WCF Annual General Assembly will be held on 5 September.
Full details for the competitions and rule changes can be viewed here:
www.worldcurling.org/wcf-annual-general-assembly-2014-review
www.worldcurling.org/world-curling-congress

ECC 2014 Team Profiles – Margarita Sweeney-Baird

Ahead of next month’s European C Group Championships in Rotterdam, let’s met our Irish team members.
First up, from the ladies team, one of our newest members………

Name – Margarita Sweeney-Baird
Age – 54
Occupation – Inclusive Skating Charity Trustee and University Lecturer in Law. Currently doing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh.
Status – Single

Years curling – 2 (although I did learn how to throw a stone many years ago in Crossmyloof)

Home club and ice rink – Bearsden and Braehead

Favourite sport outside curling to watch – and to play – Ice skating

Who would you really like to meet? Ottavio Cinquanta

Favourite TV programme – Gray’s Anatomy

Favourite holiday destination and why? Zermatt, Switzerland for skiing skating and curling

Tell us something about yourself that will surprise people – I was Scottish Ladies Ice Skating Champion

You can save one prized possession. What is it? – My home

Who would you choose to be marooned on a desert island with? censored?

Sum yourself up in five words – sunshine barbie, intelligent, kind and happy