Here We Go Again, Curling Fans

So curling season has started again.

I think.

I’ve been saying the same thing for a few years now, in mid-to-late August. That’s when the men’s Baden Masters kicks off in Switzerland. 

This event has always been, in my eyes, the historical kickoff to a new season. But nowadays I question that, for a couple of reasons.

First off, does curling season really end? 

As many U.S. curlers and fans know, summertime is when more than a few arena curling clubs get access to their ice and start their league play.

That’s also when curling championships take place on the other side of the world, such as Australia. New Zealand. Japan. Korea. Those guys never seem to stop curling.

Ice is also being installed across North America earlier and earlier, it seems. This year, Red Deer, Alta. had ice in late June, a couple of weeks before Morris, Man.

Some things about the Baden Masters – first off, it’s a bit weird.

Last year’s championship final saw the bartender summoned to the ice to make a ruling after the chief umpire declared two stones to be perfectly tied after a measurement.

Another thing is that the event is a lot smaller these days. Only 12 teams gathered for last weekend’s 2026 shootout, and we’ve heard rumours the event might not continue next year.

For these and many more reasons, I’m beginning to doubt when curling season actually “starts” (or ends).

One thing is certain: some of the competitors in Baden are far too tanned for typical curling athletes. 

I mean, look at Magnus Ramsfjell here… that’s a deep tan, fella. It reminds me of Thomas Ulsrud, whose million-dollar smile often seemed to glitter over a remarkable Californiaesque flesh tone. 

I may have just mentioned the only Norwegian curlers who tan like that. More research is required.

Conversely, we have the Big Boys from Italy, Sebastiano Arman and Amos Mosaner. 

They seem to have some pink in them, but I might expect more sun-staining, particularly given how hot it is in Europe these days.

(That’s not to joke about terrible wildfires affecting multiple areas in Europe, North America and God-knows-where-else. The planet is regularly on fire these days, and The Curling News has been nervous about this for a while now – last summer in Gushuetown, and the summer before in Alberta.)

In terms of winners, Yannick Schwaller’s outfit took the top prize of 9,000 Swiss Francs (15K CAD) with an 8-3 whomping of Joel Retornaz’s new gang of youths, who cashed CAD $12,000).

Both teams went 4-1 in their pool, and cracked it up in the early playoffs. 

Ramsfjell defeated Michael Brunner before losing the semifinal to Retornaz, while Schwaller beat fellow Swiss Marco Hoesli and then Italy’s Stefano Spiller (with the Big Boys) in their semi.

Okay, there’s another Norwegian with a mega-tan – coach Howie, aka Havard Vad Petersson (above, right) It looks like he’s been golfing with Sven Michel (second from left)  all summer. Or camping. Or partying in Ibiza. Who knows? Who cares?

Maybe I’m the one who is crazy from the heat, despite trying to hide from it all summer.

In addition to the aforementioned teams, other Swiss entries were skipped by Kim Schwaller and Manuel Jermann, with Scotland represented by Kyle Waddell and Orrin Carson. Slovakia’s Jakub Jurovic also competed.

This coming week and weekend sees World Curling Tour action in Hokkaido, Japan and Stirling, Scotland – the high-performance home of the Scottish and British Curling programs. 

The Euro Super Series will showcase first action for the rejigged Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie and Oskar Eriksson foursomes, among others.