It was as close as you can come without walking away with the championship.
On April 30 and May 1, Barrhead’s Krell rink (Margaret Krell, skip, Yvonne Fluet, third, Rose Knapp, second and Vivian Dakin, lead) competed in the Alberta Floor Curling Association Championships in Morinville finishing the bonspiel with a near perfect record of five wins and one tie coming home with the silver medal.
Barrhead’s Kowalski rink finished second (Jeannine Kowalski, skip, Sandra Hein, third, Lucille Robinson, second, and Diane Blasko, lead) finished in sixth.
The rinks qualified for the championship due to their performances at the Northern Alberta Floor Curling Championship in Jarvie, April 13.
After the first day of competition, the Krell rink finished with a 3-0 record.
On the second day, the Krell rink started off with two quick victories before tying their final match of the championship.
The winner was the team that had the best win-loss record, followed by the most points scored.
Krell said she is pleased with the team’s performance.
“We did pretty well considering that we are a beginning team,” she said, noting not only was it the first year the team has curled together but for most of them it was the first year they have ever floor curled.
Krell took up the sport two years ago when the Barrhead Curling Club was forced to end the season early due to flooding, noting in many ways the skills and certainly the strategy are interchangeable.
For the most part, floor curling mimics its on-ice cousin, with the exception that there are no sweepers.
Hein also noted the delivery of the curling stone also differs in that players have the option of using a stick to deliver the rock or the conventional hand push method.
“Most people use the stick because they find it more accurate,” she said.
Both Hein and Krell also said although they enjoy competing, the majority of floor curlers participate because of the social nature of the event, noting Barrhead is fortunate to have a strong floor curling community.
From September to the end of March floor curlers can play twice a week at the Seniors’ Drop-in Centre in an informal setting playing on different rinks or play on the tournament circuit with set teammates.
The Kowalski and Krell rinks do both.
Hein said depending on the time of the year,
Krell also noted how important the local floor curling associations are to the enjoyment of the sport.
Depending on the time of year players can compete in up to four tournaments a month, noting most communities have a floor curling association. Unfortunately, due to the sports’ popularity that is not always enough, and many rinks can find themselves on the outside looking in.
That is why both Hein and Krell wanted to thank the organizers in Morinville.
“They did a great job. It is a lot of work organizing a 24 team tournament. I’m so glad our first experience at a provincial championship was as well run and classy as the one in Morinville,” said Krell.
