Rocks Across the Pond

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. … Continue reading Curling in Lithuania w/ Tadas Vyskupaitis →

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 … Continue reading Should curling's world championships determine Olympic berths? w/ Scottish champion Ken Horton →

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 The post Curl Runnings: Jamaican Curling w/ Ian Robertson and Husani Blaze appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading What was it like coaching in China's curling program?: Marco Mariani part 2 → The post What was it like coaching in China's curling program?: Marco Mariani part 2 appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading How is Italy preparing for the 2026 Olympics?: Marco Mariani part 1 → The post How is Italy preparing for the 2026 Olympics?: Marco Mariani part 1 appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Curling in Nunavut w/ Peter Van Strien → The post Curling in Nunavut w/ Peter Van Strien appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Curling DEI initiatives in action with Melvin Lee → The post Curling DEI initiatives in action with Melvin Lee appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 post Rock Matching w/ Ling-Yue Hung appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 The post Ramble on, Rose City w/ Kiren Scorah appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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. The post “Muddy” waters in Canada appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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, … Continue reading Is lead now the toughest position in curling? → The post Is lead now the toughest position in curling? appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Previewing the European women's field w/ Scott Graham of Game of Stones → The post Previewing the European women's field w/ Scott Graham of Game of Stones appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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. The post New curling friends appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading USA Curling deserves better from its leadership → The post USA Curling deserves better from its leadership appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Curling in India w/ PN Raju → The post Curling in India w/ PN Raju appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading What's next in the USA Curling/GNCC situation → The post What's next in the USA Curling/GNCC situation appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading World Seniors Curling w/ Gery Hermans → The post World Seniors Curling w/ Gery Hermans appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading A Conversation with Germany's Klaudius Harsch → The post A Conversation with Germany's Klaudius Harsch appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading How The Curling Community is Helping the Ukrainian National Team → The post How The Curling Community is Helping the Ukrainian National Team appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Latvia's Road to the Paralympics w/ Poļina Rožkova → The post Latvia's Road to the Paralympics w/ Poļina Rožkova appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Did Olympic and Paralympic success mean more curlers in Sweden? → The post Did Olympic and Paralympic success mean more curlers in Sweden? appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Starting a wheelchair curling club w/ Stewart Pimblett → The post Starting a wheelchair curling club w/ Stewart Pimblett appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 The post Meet the Wheelchair Curling Teams at the 2022 Paralympics appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Narratives and favorite things from the Olympics → The post Narratives and favorite things from the Olympics appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading How the Olympics expands Japan's curling “pond” → The post How the Olympics expands Japan's curling “pond” appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Breaking down the Olympic playoff races → The post Breaking down the Olympic playoff races appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Mixed doubles in Beijing was wild and wonderful → The post Mixed doubles in Beijing was wild and wonderful appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Curling in Kenya w/ Laventer Oguta and Haggai Odhiambo Ogak → The post Curling in Kenya w/ Laventer Oguta and Haggai Odhiambo Ogak appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 The post Meet the women's curling teams at the 2022 Olympics appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 The post Meet the men's curling teams at the 2022 Olympics appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Korea's Team Kim makes triumphant Olympic return → The post Korea's Team Kim makes triumphant Olympic return appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 The post Meet the mixed doubles curling teams at the 2022 Olympics appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 The post How to watch Olympic and Paralympic curling in the United States appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Welcome to curling! Frequently Asked Questions → The post Welcome to curling! Frequently Asked Questions appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Welcome to curling!: How you can try curling → The post Welcome to curling!: How you can try curling appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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, … Continue reading Welcome to curling! How curling became an Olympic sport (History part 2) → The post Welcome to curling! How curling became an Olympic sport (History part 2) appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Welcome to curling! The origin of the sport (History part 1) → The post Welcome to curling! The origin of the sport (History part 1) appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Welcome to curling! Strategy and tactics you'll see during Olympic curling → The post Welcome to curling! Strategy and tactics you'll see during Olympic curling appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Welcome to curling!: Terms, jargon and what you'll hear during Olympic curling → The post Welcome to curling!: Terms, jargon and what you'll hear during Olympic curling appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Welcome to curling!: Rules, stones, brooms and how the game is played → The post Welcome to curling!: Rules, stones, brooms and how the game is played appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

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 … Continue reading Curling in Slovenia w/ Štefan Sever → The post Curling in Slovenia w/ Štefan Sever appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

The 2022 World Junior B Curling Championships, which determine the final entrants for World Juniors, was canceled on Jan. 6 after an outbreak of COVID-19 among the competitors. We are joined not only by our usual co-host, Jonathan Havercroft, but by all of Team England: Joe Sugden, Felix Price, Archer Woods and Harry Pinnell. They … Continue reading Emergency Podcast: Inside the cancelation of the World Junior Bs → The post Emergency Podcast: Inside the cancelation of the World Junior Bs appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

What a couple of weeks it's been in the curling world. For the Olympic qualifier, we cover Australia's mixed doubles triumph, the start of the men's and women's events and the EasyToys sponsorship resolution. Next, we discuss upcoming events that have already been canceled and the status of others. Finally, Jonathan puts the breakup of … Continue reading Aussies in the Olympics, Sexy Sponsors, Event Cancelations and Team Breakups → The post Aussies in the Olympics, Sexy Sponsors, Event Cancelations and Team Breakups appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

We go around the world as curling teams start earning spots at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. We cover the USA Curling Olympic Trials, Canadian Olympic Trials, European Championships and the upcoming mixed doubles Olympic Qualification Event. In addition to the action on the ice, we talk about the hoops we've had to jump through … Continue reading Olympic spots on the line → The post Olympic spots on the line appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

In this episode: Recapping the World Wheelchair Curling Championships Updates from the Canadian pre-trials & US mixed doubles trials The Scottish women's team is selected for Euros (but not Olympic qualifying) A recent event looking at why young women are dropping out of youth curling in Scotland Looking ahead to international events and Olympic trials The post The present and future of Scottish women's curling appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

In this episode we discuss the fragmented state of curling live streams and how it mirrors the world of streaming overall. What will the future hold for live streaming of curling events, both on tour and at the national and world level? Also in this episode: Olympic qualifiers Canadian Pre-Trials British Curling's team selections World … Continue reading What does the future of curling live-streaming look like? → The post What does the future of curling live-streaming look like? appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

Lots of excited news from around the curling news to discuss. We start in the US where the Southern California Curling Center hosted Team USA and the Late Late Show with James Corden. We also have news from curling center that either just opened or will soon across the US in San Francisco, Austin, Nashville … Continue reading News from some the USA's newest curling centers → The post News from some the USA's newest curling centers appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.

Jonathan and Ryan discuss the news out of the World Curling Federation's Annual General Assembly. First, the rule changes that will be tested at the 2022 World Curling Championships. Does the version of the game we see on TV need to match what we experience at curling centers? Are we over-complicating things for potential first-time … Continue reading Does Curling on TV Need to Look Like Club Curling? → The post Does Curling on TV Need to Look Like Club Curling? appeared first on Rocks Across The Pond.