Aren’t they a lucky bunch, those Canadian curling fans?
Beginning today, the biggest names in curling are going head-to-head online, and fans across the country will determine who will compete in The Dominion All-Star Curling Skins Game – thanks toa brand new qualifying process and a brand new All-Star team format.
Created and operated by TSN Events, The Dominion All-Star Curling Skins Game (Presented by Pinty’s) takes place live from Casino Rama Jan.19-20, and is perhaps the premiere “special event” on the annual curling calendar – it’s definitely a fan favourite, with some 24 years of equity on The Sports Network.
From November 5 to December 10, fans can visit TSN.ca/CurlingSkins to vote for their favourite Canadian men’s curling stars at each position – skip, third, second, and lead. The All-Star ballot consists of players from the top teams as ranked by last season’s Canadian Curling Association CTRS (Canadian Team Ranking System) and the following competitors are included on theballot:
The top four players with the most votes in each position will qualify. As part of this year’s new format, the All-Star teams will be chosen by random drawbroadcast on TSN on January 17, 2013.
The four All-Star teams will compete for $100,000 in prize money during The Dominion All-Star Curling Skins Game televised live on TSN, January 19-20. And everything else that is traditional about the skins game still stands – such as the single-elimination format, whereby the winner is decided by total prize money and not total points throughout the two-day TV event.
One thing we are predicting is a healthy battle for voter influence between curling teams that have made a mark on the digital world. The official news release announcing the voting only came out at 12 noon (ET) today, and already players like Brad Gushue and his teammate Geoff Walker have posted on Facebook asking for your vote – same for Kevin Martin lead Ben Hebert, but his request has a twist, in that each Martin team member is pledging to donate 10 per cent of all skins winnings to the fight against prostate cancer.
Team Appelman, among others, has taken to Twitter; this squad has one player in the running for a Skins berth. Another team boasting a decent digital followin is skipped by Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen, and they’ve begun bombarding fans through Twitter and their website, listing the reasons you should vote for their team members.
It stands to reason that teams and players who wield the largest and most dynamic digital footprints might have an advantage at the ballot box. However, it’s fair to note that the contest is also being promoted on TSN itself, which is home to quite a few anti-curling sports fans as well as, ironically, the most traditionally powerful group of curling fans: the blue-hairs! (And we say that affectionately, of course. – Ed)
We also noticed something right off the bat, ie. that last season's CTRS rankings were used to declare the candidates – and that means ex-Jeff Stoughton lead Steve Gould, who is largely inactive this season, is still on the ballot. Likewise for another notable and quite notorious curling star who announced his retirement during the summer – Randy Ferbey – so if you want to see The Ferb just one more time in high-profile, televised competition, then you know who to vote for.
And wouldn't this be an incredible sight to see – imagine if Ferbey won, and by luck of the draw ended up playing third for his 2010-11 skip, Brad Gushue (ouch)... or even, dare we think it, his one-time (fall 1995) teammate, sworn arch-rival and fellow Edmontonian... Kevin Martin?
You have the power, curling fans. Use this power wisely – or not, depending on how much fun you want to have!
Voting closes on Dec. 10. That website, once again, is: TSN.ca/CurlingSkins
Capital One photo of Randy Ferbey (left) and Brad Gushue copyright™® by Anil Mungal – click on image to increase viewing size