Winnipeg's Heather Curling Club is testing a new model for national curler training with dedicated ice and resources.
A Winnipeg pilot project offers arena ice and rocks in a curling club to top teams in the area. Two sheets at the eight-sheet Heather Curling Club are prepped and clipped by leading ice maker Greg Ewasko, who has repurposed provincial championship rocks for use. A cabinet containing a TV for video analysis, speed trap equipment for weight control and smart brooms to track pressure, speed and power is rinkside.
When Dave Murdoch accepted the job of Curling Canada's high-performance director two years ago, he envisioned regional training hubs across the country to serve the nation's top curlers and teams, plus the next generation in the sport, in those geographical areas. Winnipeg's hub that's been up and running since Oct. 8 is a step toward his vision. The Saville Community Sports Centre on Edmonton's University of Alberta campus and Calgary's Glencoe Club had National Training Centre designations predating Murdoch's arrival. Winnipeg is a test case for what he hopes will be expansion across Canada. 'We've got a couple of centres in Alberta, but how can we create a network across the country that's really going to not only help our national team program, but has somewhere for our NextGen to evolve?' Murdoch said. 'We have a lot of interest in this model, and I'd like to think that come season 2025-26 we'll have a few more in place.' Olympic and two-time world champion Jill Officer oversees the Heather operation as Curl Manitoba's high-performance director. 'The biggest thing about it is, while we are using an existing facility, we have two dedicated sheets that are probably 85 per cent of the time for national team and NextGen athletes,' Officer explained. 'The difference is the consistency and quality of the ice. Recreational curlers playing on that ice might have a difficult time managing it because it's so much more similar to arena conditions. It is curling a lot. The speed is really nic
CURLING TRAINING CANADA HIGH PERFORMANCE WINNIPEG
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