Rocks Across the Pond

So nice, they did it twice. Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg and Canada’s Brad Jacobs both picked up their second Olympic gold medals in Cortina. We review the end of the Olympic tournament, look ahead to the Paralympics and wonder: Who won the quad? Who might retire? Can we shoehorn even more curling into the Olympics? Get our book, Welcome to Curling! Our full Welcome to Curling podcast series Oyuna Uranchimeg’s journey to Team USA Team GB’s Stewart Pimblett is growing the game Poļina Rožkova helped get Latvia into the Paralympics

The curling kerfuffle between Sweden and Canada has us wondering if it’s time to completely revamp the rulebook and the way curling is officiated. Plus: Is a Rachel Homan gold medal still inevitable? (One of us is still convinced it is.) What is happening to Bruce Mouat? Is Draw Shot Challenge going to decide another playoff spot? Get our book, Welcome to Curling!: The Rocks Across the Pond Guide to the Roaring Game Check out our Welcome to Curling podcast series for newcomers

The Korean has had a tumultuous eight years since “The Garlic Girls” burst on the scene to win silver at the 2018 Olympics. Despite this, women’s curling in Korea as flourished and four teams are in the Top 15 of the world rankings. Melvin Lee, a curling consultant and president of the Korean Canadian Curling Federation, tells us how things have improved for the Korean Curling Federation and the prospects for Team Gim, currently third in the world rankings, at the upcoming Olympics in Italy. Our ebook: Welcome to Curling!: The Rock Across the Pond Guide to the Roaring Game Our original Welcome to Curling series (2022) The Remarkable Return of Korea’s Team Kim (2020) Korea’s Team Kim makes triumphant Olympic return (2022) Curling DEI initiatives in action with Melvin Lee (2023)

Don’t be intimidated by the length of this episode. It’s a supercut of four of the shows from our Welcome to Curling series. We have also taken that series and turned it into an ebook! It’s perfect for those getting into curling for the first time during the 2026 Olympics or need a refresher from four years ago. We are excited to share our love for this great game with all of the new curling fans. Times – (2:20): Rules and how the game is played; (52:58): Jargon and what you’ll hear during the game; (1:39:42): Strategy, tactics and what you’ll see during the game; (2:29:51): How you can start curling Get our Welcome to Curling book on Amazon

Jonathan and Ryan are back! We discuss a book project that will be available soon, our first thoughts on the Olympic field and the recently released lineups for the inaugural edition of The Rock League.

Some big changes could be on the horizon for the Men’s and Women’s World Curling Championships. We look at the arguments for and against a larger field with pool play.

Despite not having any dedicated curling ice in the entire country and very little funding, Lithuania is heading to the 2025 World Women’s Curling Championship. How did a country about the size of West Virginia with a population less than Mississippi accomplish this? A lot of it has to do with their skip, Virginija Paulauskaite. The president of the Lithuanian curling federation, Tadas Vyskupaitis, joins us to tell us about his country, how their national team was able to qualify for worlds and the future of curling there.

Jonathan’s Minnesota Golden Gophers and Ryan’s Virginia Tech Hokies are finally going to meet on the gridiron. If you can get through 15 minutes of Gopher-Hokie talk, we will also cover Jonathan’s experience at the 2024 European Curling Championship, what under-the-radar player impressed him most, our futures in curling and Christmas presents.

The 2024 European Curling Championships take place Nov. 16-23 and our very own Professor of Peel, Jonathan Havercroft, will be there in the A division representing England. Here we take a moment to wish Jonathan and the rest of the team good luck!

Curling nations will earn points toward Olympic qualification based on how they do at this year’s (and next year’s) men’s and women’s world championships. But should that be the case? Scottish curling champion Ken Horton presents his plan for determining Olympic berths without any points coming from worlds. Hear why he believes this plan will benefit not only the high-performance teams battling for Olympic spots, but even more so the grassroots and competitive club curlers.

Jonathan and Ryan are back to talk about Jonathan’s experience representing England at the European Curling Championships. His English men’s team not only secured a spot in next year’s A-pool for their country, but captured the gold medal.

Curling Jamaica is scheduled to make its competitive WCF debut at the Pan-Continental Curling Championships. Hear about the origins or this federation and how it’s inspiring a new face of curling in our interviews with Ian Robertson and Husani Blaze. Curling Jamaica Follow Jamaican Curling on Facebook Brooklyn Curling Center

Marco Mariani is back to tell us about his experience coaching China’s women’s curling team at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. First, we learn why his lineup changed so much going into the Olympics and the one thing he thinks would have allowed Han Yu’s team to make the medal round. Then, we hear about his interactions with Chinese officials and his relationship with his fellow coaches, Peja Lindholm and Sören Grahn. Finally, he tells us what he thinks the future holds for curling in China. Marco Mariani part 1: Italian curling Our interview with Marco leading up to the 2021 Worlds

This is the first of a two-part interview with Italian curling coach and Olympic curler Marco Mariani. In part one, we focus on the current state of curling in Italy as they prepare to host the 2026 Olympics. Marco is not only currently coaching the Italian junior teams, but is also on the committee responsible for setting up the curling competition in 2026. He also tells us how curling has changed in the country since he represented Italy at the 2006 Olympics and what programs have allowed the sport to become more professional there.

This episode takes us near the Arctic Circle, but not quite North of it. We talk to Peter Van Strien from Iqaluit Curling Club, who volunteers there and has represented Nunavut nationally. Peter tells us about living in Nunavut, the unique obstacles his club faces for regular ice time and the progress they’ve made growing the sport with the territory’s youth. Nunavut Curling Association Iqaluit Curling Club

Melvin Lee, a curling consultant from Ottawa, joins us once again to talk about his recent curling experiences. Melvin is trying to grow the sport within the BIPOC community of his hometown and tells us about his experience hosting a learn to curl at his home club. He also discusses his recent trip to Korea where he curling with 2018 Olympic silver medalists Team Kim.

Ling-Yue Hung from Team Hong Kong gives us a beginner’s guide to rock matching, including whether or not it can help club-level curlers. She also tells us about her iOS app, CurlingRockBook, which helps curlers of all abilities track the rocks they use at different clubs and competitions.

The 22 year-old GM of Rose City Curling Club in Camrose, AB, Kiren Scorah, tells us how their club has attracted new members, grown their Little Rocks program and fostered community among their membership. Rose City Curling Club Follow RCCC on Facebook

We break down the latest news in curling, including a short-lived Curling Canada pregnancy policy and its hiring for former world champion David Murdoch from Scotland to lead its high performance program.

In this show we review the 2022 European Curling Championships. We discuss the impact the no-tick rule had on the event and what to watch for in events going forward with this relatively new rule. Next, we break down how Denmark and Scotland were able to bring home gold and which teams surprised us. Finally, we have a grab bag of curling topics and try to guess which terrible beers the Game of Stones Podcast will send our way.

It’s time for our annual Bad Beer Bet with the fine folks from the Game of Stones podcast. Each year we all make picks for the European A and B pools and the podcast with the fewest points has to drink the beer of the winner’s choosing. In this episode, Ryan from Rocks Across the Pond and Scott from Game of Stones preview the women’s side of the 2022 European Curling Championships. Head over to Game of Stones to hear Jonathan and Sean’s preview of the men’s side. Also, tweet us and let us know what beer we should make Sean and Scott drink after we win again. Game of Stones Podcast Follow Game of Stones on Twitter Like Game of Stones on Facebook

We begin this show by recapping co-host Jonathan Havercroft’s exploits at the 2022 World Mixed Curling Championships. Then, we shift to recent curling news and results from the USA, the inaugural Pan-Continental Curling Championships and the upcoming European Curling Championships.

USA Curling’s CEO, Jeff Plush, is under fire for how he responded when notified of allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct. He received allegations against a soccer coach while he was commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2015 and how he handled them calls into question whether curlers can have confidence in him to protect athletes going forward. Report Concerning Allegations of Abusive Behavior and Sexual Misconduct in Women’s Professional Soccer USA Curling’s Statement USOPC CEO Calls Findings “Appalling”

What was it like at the world’s highest bonspiel? Find out in this episode all about curling in India with PN Raju. First, we talk about how he discovered curling and started playing in Oakland, Calif. Then, he tells us about the history of the Curling Federation of India, their recent national championships held in the Himalayas and how soon you’ll see India at World Curling events. How curling orgs can help foster diversity Like Indian Curling on Facebook Follow Indian Curling on Instagram

Recently, USA Curling’s board of directors voted to remove the regional association representing clubs in the Eastern United States, the Grand National Curling Club. We dive into why this happened, what this means, possible resolutions and the next steps for the two organizations. Joining us are Kristen Conrad, vice chair of the GNCC board of directors, and Dean Gemmell, USA Curling’s director of curling development. Grand National Curling Club GNCC FAQ USA Curling Open Letter The Whole Spiel

Gery Hermans from Belgian Curling returns to the podcast to discuss the world senior curling championship. Jonathan and Gery review the 2022 world senior curling championship and the Gery replays two interviews he completed at the event. The first is with Canadian Team Coach Bill Tschirhart. Bill is also the host of the podcast “A Pane in the Glass”.  Then Gery introduces his second guest Lorne de Pape of New Zealand curling. Lorne discusses what curling is like in New Zealand, and his experience qualifying the Kiwis for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Finally Gery and JOnathan discuss the comradery at the world senior championships and upcoming events at Gery’s home rink in Zemst, Belgium.  

Today we are joined by Germany’s Klaudius Harsch recent winner of two world championship medals: a bronze in mixed doubles with his partner Pia-Lisa Schöll, and a silver as part of Germany’s junior men’s team. We recorded the interview between the two events. We discuss what curling is like in Germany. How he got into mixed doubles. How professional curling works in Germany. His future plans in the sport, and where he thinks mixed doubles is headed. Join us for a conversation with one of curling’s rising stars.

In this episode Jonathan interviews two people who helped the Ukraine national team leave Kyiv, find a new training facility in Finland, and compete in the European C Curling Championship. First we talk with Natalia Menzhega the Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Curling Federation. She talks about the history of curling in Ukraine, how she helped members of the national team leave the country once the war with Russia began, and the support the team received from the international curling community. We then talk with Lauri Ikälvo from the Kisakalio Sports Institute about how the Finnish curling community is now hosting the Ukrainian national team.

Latvia’s wheelchair curling team, led by skip Poļina Rožkova, made its Paralympic debut at the 2022 Games in Beijing. Poļina tells us about the team’s road from the B division to Paralympic qualification and takes us behind the scenes in Beijing. This includes her team’s conversations about whether or not to potentially play against Russia and her efforts to help Ukrainian refugees. We also learn about how Poļina got into curling in Latvia and how she 3D printed her own head for her delivery stick.

Sweden captured four curling medals during the Olympics and Paralympics in 2022, including gold for Niklas Edin. But did this unparalleled success lead to more curlers in the country? We talk to development officer Sara Carlsson to find out all about curling in Sweden: from how their high performance program is set up to the changes they’ve made to recruit new curlers. Sweden has had plenty of wins on the ice. However, we found the most interesting part of the conversation to be the wins they’ve had off the ice and how they’re addressing issues that are common around the world. These include initiatives that they have developed with Dr. Richard Norman and Dr. Heather Mair with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. How curling orgs can help foster diversity Swedish Curling Federation Follow Swedish curling on Facebook

Stewart Pimblett has been a dedicated curler even before he started playing. His journey to try the sport at the rink in Kelso, Scotland was a harrowing one and is one of the most incredible “how I started curling” stories you’ll hear. He went on to establish the Northern Ice Wheelchair Curling Club and has grown it into a vibrant organization. Stewart tells us how he went from a high-level wheelchair basketball player to representing England in wheelchair curling. He also explains what curling facilities can do to help grow wheelchair curling. Like Northern Ice Wheelchair Curling Club on Facebook Subscribe to Northern Ice on YouTube

Get to know each of the wheelchair curling teams scheduled to compete at the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing. Please note this was recorded and posted before a definitive decision has been made on the participation of the team representing the Russian Paralympic Committee. 2022 Paralympic Curling Schedule Oyuna Uranchimeg’s Journey to the Paralympics

We recap a fun Olympic curling tournament. First, we discuss the narratives surrounding the performances of Canada, Sweden and Great Britain. What’s next for Curling Canada? Do we have a new greatest curler of all time? Is Team GB’s process justified? Then we list our favorite things from these Olympics, including the BBC’s dislike of Team USA and some daily affirmations. We try to end with some joy and hope.

Like the United States, interest in curling soars in Japan during the Olympics. This interest has reached even greater levels following Japan’s bronze medal performance at the 2018 games. Naoki Iwanaga, a former competitive curler from Japan now living in the US, joins us to talk all things Japanese curling. We discuss the differences in curling culture between Japan and the US. Then, we learn about the growth of the sport in Japan and the need for a dedicated curling facility in Tokyo. He also introduces us to the concept of “沼” (meaning pond or swamp) and how it relates to the increased attention on curling during Team Fujisawa’s games. Japan Curling Association’s Curling Pond YouTube series Follow Naoki on Twitter

And down the stretch they come! Every team at the Olympics has three games left on their schedule at the time of this recording. First, we try to untangle the women’s standings. Then, we breakdown the game that will probably decide the men’s playoff field. Olympic and Paralympic Curling Schedule Our Welcome to Curling series for newcomers

As everyone predicted (and by everyone, we mean no one), Italy will face Norway for the mixed doubles curling gold. In this episode we review the mixed doubles competition going into the gold- and bronze-medal games, especially the fantastic stories of Italy and Australia. We also discuss what trends could emerge in mixed doubles as a whole coming out of these games. Our “Welcome to Curling” series for those new to the sport Men’s Olympic curling preview Women’s Olympic curling preview

Everyone’s Olympic curling dream has to start somewhere. For Laventer Oguta and Haggai Odhiambo Ogak, that dream starts New Jersey. These two members of the Kenya Curling Federation recently got their first experience on curling ice at Plainfield Curling Club with hopes that they will soon represent their nation in World Curling Federation events. They join us, along with Dean Roth from Plainfield Curling Club, to talk about how they were introduced to curling, how their initial training is going and what the future holds for curling in Kenya. Help Kenya get to the Pan-Continental Curling Championship Kenya Curling Federation on Facebook Plainfield Curling Club Curling in Nigeria w/ Harold Woods III

A truly phenomenal field of champion curling teams will go for gold during the women’s tournament at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Listen to our Welcome to Curling series See the 2022 Olympic curling schedule The remarkable return of Korea’s Team Kim China’s Han Yu prepares for the Olympics

Some of the most decorated men’s curlers in the sport’s history are in the 2022 Olympic curling field. Listen to our Welcome to Curling series See the 2022 Olympic curling schedule The Ballad of John Shuster Curling in Denmark with Mads Nørgaard

We’ve documented the trials and tribulations that Korea’s Team Kim Eun-jung experienced during and after their Olympic silver medal. Well, now we get to hear about the happy part of their story. The part where Team Kim earned its way back to the Olympics. We are joined by coach Peter Gallant and curling consultant Melvin Lee to discuss Team Kim’s journey to qualify for Beijing and the new support system they have in place for this Olympics. This led to a discussion of governance in curling and how it’s changed since curling became an Olympic sport. The remarkable return of Korea’s Team Kim Our interview with Team Kim coach Lim Myung-sup Listen to our Welcome to Curling series

The Olympic mixed doubles field features some familiar faces from 2018, some of the game’s best shooters and two countries making their Olympic debut. Listen to our Welcome to Curling series See the 2022 Olympic curling schedule Curling in Australia with Tahli Gill’s mom, Lyn Mixed doubles curling with Anna Fowler

Wondering how to watch curling during the Olympics and Paralympics on Peacock and the networks of NBC Universal? We give you a quick explainer on how to stream the games live and watch on linear TV. Olympic and Paralympic Curling Schedule Our “Welcome to Curling” series for newcomers

Our Welcome to Curling series is designed to help newcomers to the sport understand what they’re watching during the 2022 Olympics and beyond. Why do curling players sweep? Who are the greatest curlers of all time? Where can I follow curling during and after the Olympics? Get the answers to these questions and more in this episode. Additional episodes in this series go deeper into the game of curling, including the rules, strategy, terminology and history of the game. Click here for the full series Resources Mentioned CurlingZone The Curling News TSN Sportsnet DoubleTakeout 2 Girls and a Game Game of Stones Curling Legends From the Hack Extra Extra End Coaching Kids Curling Empowered Performance for Curlers Inside Curling CurlingGeek (on Twitter) CurlingClips (on Twitter) TwineTime (on Twitter) Devin Heroux

Our Welcome to Curling series is designed to help newcomers to the sport understand what they’re watching during the 2022 Olympics and beyond. In this episode, we tell you how you can try curling, why we love it and why it offers something for everyone. We are joined by Alice Kloker, a recreational curler from England. Additional episodes in this series go deeper into the game of curling, including the rules, strategy, terminology and history of the game. Click here for the full series

Our Welcome to Curling series is designed to help newcomers to the sport understand what they’re watching during the 2022 Olympics and beyond. In this episode, we cover the modern history of curling and how the game has professionalized since becoming part of the full Olympic program in 1998. We are joined by Ryan Nagelhout, a sports writer and podcaster who covers Buffalo sports. Additional episodes in this series go deeper into the game of curling, including the rules, strategy and terminology of the game. Click here for the full series Follow Ryan Nagelhout on Twitter Ryan at The Gooses Roost

Our Welcome to Curling series is designed to help newcomers to the sport understand what they’re watching during the 2022 Olympics and beyond. In this episode, we cover the history of the sport from the frozen lochs of Scotland through its evolution into what we recognize today. We are joined by Ryan Nagelhout, a sports writer and podcaster who covers Buffalo sports. Additional episodes in this series go deeper into the game of curling, including the rules, strategy and terminology of the game. Click here for the full series Follow Ryan Nagelhout on Twitter Ryan at The Gooses Roost

Our Welcome to Curling series is designed to help newcomers to the sport understand what they’re watching during the 2022 Olympics and beyond. This episode goes into the strategies and tactics teams will use to try to capture gold in Beijing. For this episode, we are joined by Alex Freedman, play-by-play announcer for the Oklahoma City Dodgers Triple-A baseball team. Additional episodes in this series go deeper into the game of curling, including the rules, terminology and history of the game. Click here for the full series Follow Alex Freedman on Twitter Listen to Oklahoma City Dodgers radio broadcasts

Our Welcome to Curling series is designed to help newcomers to the sport understand what they’re watching during the 2022 Olympics and beyond. This episode helps you decode the jargon and terminology you’ll hear from the players and announcers while you’re watching curling. For this episode, we are joined by Meredith Kane, a radio producer from Cleveland, Ohio. Additional episodes in this series go deeper into the game of curling, including the rules, strategy and history of the game. Click here for the full series Follow Meredith Kane on Twitter Listen to Meredith’s podcast, That’s What B Said

Our Welcome to Curling series is designed to help newcomers to the sport understand what they’re watching during the 2022 Olympics and beyond. This episode explains the rules, equipment and game setup for the Olympic curling tournaments. For this episode, we are joined by Lauren Brownlow, a sports journalist from North Carolina. Additional episodes in this series go deeper into the game of curling, including the strategy, terminology and history of the game. Click here for the full series Follow Lauren Brownlow on Twitter Lauren at WRALSportsFan

Slovenia is a country that has everything, but doesn’t have a lot of anything. So says Štefan Sever, who joined us from quarantine at the World Junior B Curling Championships to tell us all about curling in his country. And while Slovenia doesn’t have a lot of curlers, 150 total according to Štefan, it does have both lively recreational and national tournaments. Listen to our conversation with Štefan to find out about his team’s experience at the canceled World Junior B tournament, some of the unique curling set-ups they have in Slovenia and what they need to grow the sport there. Curling Association of Slovenia Slovenian Curling on Facebook Ljubljana Open Curling Tournament