VoIP Defender World Junior Curling Championships 2017
We are thrilled to have the honor to represent Canada at the 2017 VoIP Defender World Junior Curling Championships in Gangneug, South Korea. We will be updating this page with more information regarding the event, our results and pictures while at the event. Please check back regularly!
The host website is:
http://www.worldcurling.org/wjcc2017
The schedule can be found here:
http://www.worldcurling.org/wjcc2017/schedule
Games will be geeked on curling geek - www.curlinggeek.com
Our games are as follows:(Time difference between Vancouver and Gangneung is 17 hours)
Pacific Time Time in Korea Opponent Result
Feb 15 - 9 pm Feb 16 - 2 pm Sweden W - 12:8
Feb 16 - 4 pm Feb 17 - 9 am Korea L - 5:9
Feb 17 - 2 am Feb 17 - 7 pm China W - 7:3
Feb 18 - 4 pm Feb 19 - 9 am Italy W - 9:2
Feb 19 - 2 am Feb 19 - 7 pm USA L - 2:6
Feb 19 - 9 pm Feb 20 - 2 pm Norway W - 8:5
Feb 21 - 2 am Feb 21 - 7 pm Switzerland W - 8:3
Feb 21 - 9 pm Feb 22 - 2 pm Turkey W - 7:5
Feb 23 - 2 am Feb 23 - 7 pm Scotland L - 8:9
Feb 24 - 4 pm Feb 24 - 9 am Tiebreaker vs Norway L - 7:8
http://www.worldcurling.org/wjcc2017
The schedule can be found here:
http://www.worldcurling.org/wjcc2017/schedule
Games will be geeked on curling geek - www.curlinggeek.com
Our games are as follows:(Time difference between Vancouver and Gangneung is 17 hours)
Pacific Time Time in Korea Opponent Result
Feb 15 - 9 pm Feb 16 - 2 pm Sweden W - 12:8
Feb 16 - 4 pm Feb 17 - 9 am Korea L - 5:9
Feb 17 - 2 am Feb 17 - 7 pm China W - 7:3
Feb 18 - 4 pm Feb 19 - 9 am Italy W - 9:2
Feb 19 - 2 am Feb 19 - 7 pm USA L - 2:6
Feb 19 - 9 pm Feb 20 - 2 pm Norway W - 8:5
Feb 21 - 2 am Feb 21 - 7 pm Switzerland W - 8:3
Feb 21 - 9 pm Feb 22 - 2 pm Turkey W - 7:5
Feb 23 - 2 am Feb 23 - 7 pm Scotland L - 8:9
Feb 24 - 4 pm Feb 24 - 9 am Tiebreaker vs Norway L - 7:8
Day 14 - Heading home and Thank-you!
We can't believe this journey is over. What a huge honor and privilege it was to wear the Maple Leaf on our backs and to represent Canada.
We would once again like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in making the 2017 VoIP Defender World Junior Curling Championships in Gangneung, South Korea such a huge success. Thank you to the organizers and the host committee, the officials, the icemakers, the volunteers, the city of Gangneung, the World Curling Federation, Curling Canada, Curl BC, all of our sponsors and to all the family that supported us from near and far. Thank you to the Rabl family for lending us Nicholas this week. We couldn't have done it without him. To everyone that was here to support us - Diana, Phil, Elyse, Fred, Nathalie, Clint, Chris, Teri, Charlie, Anita, Brian and of course our amazing coach Paul - thanks for all you do for us. A huge thank you to our sponsors who were with us through thick and thin this season. We appreciate all of the opportunities that came as a result of your support. And to everyone at our curling clubs - thank-you for the unconditional support. Tyler, Sterling Jordan and Nicholas
We would once again like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in making the 2017 VoIP Defender World Junior Curling Championships in Gangneung, South Korea such a huge success. Thank you to the organizers and the host committee, the officials, the icemakers, the volunteers, the city of Gangneung, the World Curling Federation, Curling Canada, Curl BC, all of our sponsors and to all the family that supported us from near and far. Thank you to the Rabl family for lending us Nicholas this week. We couldn't have done it without him. To everyone that was here to support us - Diana, Phil, Elyse, Fred, Nathalie, Clint, Chris, Teri, Charlie, Anita, Brian and of course our amazing coach Paul - thanks for all you do for us. A huge thank you to our sponsors who were with us through thick and thin this season. We appreciate all of the opportunities that came as a result of your support. And to everyone at our curling clubs - thank-you for the unconditional support. Tyler, Sterling Jordan and Nicholas
Day 13 - Closing Ceremony and Banquet
The medal games for the boys took place today. A huge Congrats to all of the teams for medalling, but a huge congrats to the host team, Team Korea for winning the Gold. What a battle! After the games, the closing ceremony took place and then we all shuttled back to the hotel for the Closing Banquet. The entertainment was fantastic! After the banquet their was a frenzy in the hallways - everyone was shirt trading!! We all came home with some great shirts from other countries! We finished off the night with some more Karaoke and then it was time to pack - everyone heads home in the morning!
Day 12 - Go Canada Go!
Today was the beginning of the playoffs for both the boys and girls teams. Girls also had their medal games. Congrats to the girls team for winning the World Bronze Medal!! We are proud of you. In the evening we had a blast in the music room (Karaoke) at the hotel. We had so much fun getting to know some of the other teams off the ice! We have included some photos from the beach side of our hotel.
Day 11 - Tiebreaker and end of our World Journey
We played Norway in the tiebreaker today. Came down to last rocks and unfortunately we lost the game. We gave it our all, but it just wasn't our day. Good luck to Norway, Scotland, USA and Korea for making the playoffs.
Day 10 - End of Round Robin Play
Last day of the round robin today. We didn't play until the evening draw so it gave us the opportunity to go venture out and see some of downtown Gangneung. We visited the grocery store and the Farmers market. Cheered on the girls and then it was time for our game against Scotland. Played an extra end, but did not come out victorious. After round robin play, there is a 4 way tie for second. USA gets second place because they beat Norway, Scotland and us; Scotland gets 3rd place because they had the best draw to the button (we were just behind them in second place). That means it is on to a tiebreaker vs Norway in the morning.
Day 9 - Thanks Curling Canada!
We are loving the mornings we get to sleep in! Today was another one of those days. Leisurely breakfast, some down time, lunch buffet and then we headed to the arena. We played Team Turkey and they were sharp. A very determined team looking for their first win. It was head to head all the way to the 10th end. Tied up after 10 we went into the extra end and knew we had to pull out the win. We managed to get our deuce, but really had to fight for the win. After the game, Curling Canada invited both Team Canada's out for dinner. We had a great time and it was nice to have the opportunity to get to know one another a bit better. Thank-you so much Curling Canada - very much appreciated! Afterwards we all headed back to the hotel and played a game of Pictionairy. Neither team has the early draw tomorrow, so we get to sleep in again! Big games for both of us tomorrow - if we win our game we are in the playoffs!
Day 8 - Surfs up!
Today was a one game day, but we didn't have to play until the evening. We had a nice leisurely breakfast and then just hung around. Some of us went and checked out the beach for awhile. The Sea of Japan was churning today. Our parents went out exploring today and we have included some of their pictures as well. They visited the Sun Cruise hotel, a temple and came across a Unification Memorial. We enjoyed the lunch buffet at the hotel and then it was time to head to the arena. We were fired up and ready to go and played a solid game against Switzerland. We are sitting with a record of 5:2 with 2 games to go in the round robin. We play again tomorrow at 2 pm vs Turkey.
Day 7 - Red Pants Return
We were very grateful to have the opportunity to sleep in today. Had a nice leisurely breakfast and didn't have to leave for the Gangneung Curling Center until 11 am. We arrived just in time for lunch and then had enough time to prep for our game against Norway. We started off with a few blank ends and patiently waited for an opportunity to get our deuce. We got our deuce, gave up a 3, but then we put the pressure on them. It was a nail biter but we came out victorious in the end. We travel past the Sea of Japan on a regular basis and the waves were crashing today - it was spectacular to watch. Back to the hotel for our debrief and dinner and then we got some ice cream! Tonight we are just going to have a relaxing evening of board games and for some of us we plan to get some homework done. Another big game coming up tomorrow night against Switzerland. We have included more pictures of the area around Gangneung and Yangyang. Hope you like them!
Day 6 - Double Day
It was a long busy day for us - 2 game day. First against Italy where we played strong and pulled out the win. Nick Rabl was able to play an end with us as well before handshakes! We had the afternoon off so checked out some of the Olympic Village and cultural displays. We played the USA in the evening, where we just weren't as sharp as we needed to be and lost the game. After a 16 hour day we headed back to the hotel and we are glad we get to sleep in in the morning!
Day 5 - Alpensia Sliding Center
We had a fabulous day today with our families. First of all thank-you to everyone involved in making it possible for all of us to go to the Alpensia Sliding Center to see where all of the sliding events will take place during the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Buildings are still in the process of being built, roads are being constructed and the venues are taking shape. It was exciting watching the Luge test event, to see the Ski Jumping area and to wander around the Olympic Village. When we got back to Gangneung and the Curling Center we wandered around the Olympic Village there as well. Grabbed some authentic Korean food, visited the Cultural Center and the trade show. Back to the hotel for dinner and early to bed since we have another double game day tomorrow. Team Italy in the morning, followed by Team USA in the evening. That game will be live streamed on the WCF youtube channel. Nick Rabl and Brian (our team leader) stayed at the Curling Center to give Nick a chance to throw some rocks. Hope you enjoy the pictures from our day today! Pictures include some of our breakfast options, some fun in the kids games room, some of the sights along the way to the Alpensia Sliding Center, the luge/bobsled track, athletes accommodations, and the inspiring Olympic Rings in Gangneung.
Day 4 - Rockin' the Red Pants
We had a very early start to our day today. The first bus of the day left the hotel at 7 am. That meant downstairs for breakfast at 6:15 am. Luckily there is a huge spread for us so we were able to eat quick and get on the bus for our 9 am game against Korea. We played a pretty solid game against Korea, but they were sharp and barely missed a thing. The home team is definitely going to be a tough team to beat.
After the game we had lunch at the players lounge and then a few of us headed over to check out the Olympic Village. We weren't able to get into the figure skating venue, but it was pretty cool just to walk around the area and to see what is taking shape for next year. There were some VR simulators which were pretty fun. We stayed to cheer on the girls (the ban on noise makers was lifted) so it was great to be Canadian proud! We had some dinner back at the players lounge and then it was our game vs China and we were able to finally wear our red Hardline pants! We played a solid game against them and are settling in. We are feeling pretty good and aren't feeling the effects of jet lag anymore. Tomorrow we get to sleep in and do some exploring of the area! Thank-you everyone for your support and a shout out to Craigflower Elementary for the inspirational video!!
After the game we had lunch at the players lounge and then a few of us headed over to check out the Olympic Village. We weren't able to get into the figure skating venue, but it was pretty cool just to walk around the area and to see what is taking shape for next year. There were some VR simulators which were pretty fun. We stayed to cheer on the girls (the ban on noise makers was lifted) so it was great to be Canadian proud! We had some dinner back at the players lounge and then it was our game vs China and we were able to finally wear our red Hardline pants! We played a solid game against them and are settling in. We are feeling pretty good and aren't feeling the effects of jet lag anymore. Tomorrow we get to sleep in and do some exploring of the area! Thank-you everyone for your support and a shout out to Craigflower Elementary for the inspirational video!!
Day 3 - First day of Competion and Opening Ceremony
It was our first day of competition today and we were ready to get out on the ice. Before we left for the arena we had a little adventure in the food department. We wanted to grab something quick to eat, but there wasn't anything available, so we quickly made some bagels with peanut butter or Nutella before we had to catch the bus. Our hotel is about 45 minutes from the arena. It was exhilarating walking out on the ice during the opening ceremony. Canada was the first team announced as we walked into the arena, we could only imagine what it will be like for the athletes that will be representing their countries in just a year from now. Introductions were made and a group of flute players started things off. Once the teams were announced it was time to get ready for our game against Sweden. We made a few mistakes along the way but scored when we needed to and managed to pull out the win. After the game we went to the World Anti Doping display, took a quiz on the pledge to curl clean and won some shirts! Took the shuttle back to the hotel and met up with some of our parents for dinner. Early morning start tomorrow as we have a two game day vs Korea and China.
Days 1 and 2 - travel and Practice Day
We made it to Yangyang! After a long day of travelling - 11 hours by plane and another 3.5 hour bus ride, we made it to the beautiful Yangyang Sol Beach Hotel & Resort. We started the trip where we met up with the girls team at the Vancouver Airport and were quickly en-route to Seoul. When we arrived at the baggage carousel at the Incheon Airport in Seoul, we spotted an Olympic curling mascot! Great time for a photo op. We tried our best to stay awake on the bus trip to Yangyang and had a blast playing Heads Up.
The girls had to get going early in the morning. They had first practice, but we were able to sleep in. After our breakfast which consisted of both Western and Korean cuisine, we unpacked for a bit and then headed to the venue in Gangneung for the official team meeting, photos and our practice ice. While we were at the arena for our pre-event practice, our parents put together some great goodie bags for our competitors. The arena in Gangneung was beautiful, bright and the most incredible curling venue that we've ever played in. The athletes that will represent Canada at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang are very lucky!
We finished off the day with a Welcome Reception at the hotel. Now it's off to bed and we will head to the arena tomorrow morning for the opening ceremonies followed by our first game vs Sweden at 2:00 pm.
The girls had to get going early in the morning. They had first practice, but we were able to sleep in. After our breakfast which consisted of both Western and Korean cuisine, we unpacked for a bit and then headed to the venue in Gangneung for the official team meeting, photos and our practice ice. While we were at the arena for our pre-event practice, our parents put together some great goodie bags for our competitors. The arena in Gangneung was beautiful, bright and the most incredible curling venue that we've ever played in. The athletes that will represent Canada at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang are very lucky!
We finished off the day with a Welcome Reception at the hotel. Now it's off to bed and we will head to the arena tomorrow morning for the opening ceremonies followed by our first game vs Sweden at 2:00 pm.
