Canadians, crowds captivate curling (News Feature)

By David Hein Feb 25, 2010, 21:09 GMT

Vancouver - Curling in Canada is on a similar level to football in Europe. And thanks to spectacularly enthusiastic crowds and a pair of Canadian coaches, the 2010 Vancouver Games have done a good job exporting the game around the world.

The Vancouver Olympic Centre has seen great crowds throughout the first eight days of the competition, which included three sessions of usually four matches at 9 am, 2 pm and 7 pm.

Ticket sales ranged from 5,037 to 5,190 from February 16-23 save for the morning session on February 21 when 4,790 fans showed up despite the hangovers of Saturday night Olympic parties.

'Isn't it something? It's just great. It's so red-and-white in there with Canadian colour and Canadian pride. It's fun,' said Canadian men's skip Kevin Martin.

'It's as loud as it can be. I've been to a lot of playoff games in hockey and we've played in front of 18,000 fans in curling before, but this is loud.'

There is so much dedication and love for this sport that 3,400 fans came for the single tie-breaker match between Britain and Sweden at 2 pm while the men's ice hockey game between Canada and Russia started at 4.30 pm.

The crowds have been so boisterous - especially when the Canadian teams throw a good rock - that many members of other teams have admitted it has disturbed their shot-making as brushers struggle to hear if shots are on line or not.

'But that's just a minor detail in my view. Still, this is the best curling crowd I have ever played for. This is just amazing,' said Norwegian skip Thomas Jansrud, whose opinion was shared by many of those same players who voiced their concerns.

'We kind of love this. Of course we do because we're getting all the cheers. But I've talked to the other coaches and they think it's marvellous,' said Canadian women's coach Dennis Balderston.

'It's like going to a hockey game.'

The crowd fun reached a crescendo on February 19 when play had to be delayed as the 5,000-strong crowd broke out in a chorus of the Canadian national anthem during the Canada-Britain men's showdown.

'We've been at big crowds before at different events. But I've never heard a crowd break out O Canada before,' admitted Martin.

On February 22, the public announcer asked the crowd to please respect the other teams while they were shooting.

'It's an amazing experience. The energy here is spectacular. The announcer I noticed said not to cheer when teams are throwing their rocks. That's rather difficult to do,' said Switzerland women's coach Ken Tralnberg.

For Tralnberg, the 2010 Games in Vancouver are extra special. The 53-year-old Saskatchewan native is participating at his second Winter Olympics and his first in his homeland after winning silver with Martin at Salt Lake City 2002.

The Swiss coach is one of three Canadians coaching teams in Thursday's women's curling semi-finals along with Balderston and Chinese coach Dan Rafael.

Tralnberg and Rafael are doing their best to help the likes of Switzerland and China rise to the elite of the game. And the results have been clear already as China skip Bingyu Wang won the 2009 world title under the helm of Rafeal.

'He played and knows curling so well after so many years. He knows so much more than we know. And we learn so much from him,' said Wang.

For Rafael, however, it's clear that he's not coaching passionate Canadians.

'This team has baffled me for two years,' said Rafael after his team lost against minnows Russia one day after knocking off giants Canada.

'Just when you think they're okay, they're not. The day before yesterday they played like crap. And then they beat Canada. And to follow that they lose against a bottom feeder - badly,' said Rafael.

When asked if he thought Rafael and himself were actually helping other nations beat their home Canada, Tralnberg said he's helping the game.

'I think by us having other nations know the game as well as Canadians serves the sport well in the long term. I feel like I'm doing a service to the sport.

And the Canada boss Balderston agrees.

'Some people are looking at it like we're training those countries to beat us. But I look at it from the perspective they're helping those countries get stronger,' he said.

'And going beyond that, it will help develop the sport in those countries. The better they can perform here it will get more interest in their country. And overall it's bound to help curling.'