UNITY—Young curlers in Unity, Kindersley, and Denzil are set for an unforgettable experience as the 13th annual Community Rocks Curling Tour, sponsored by Corr Grain Systems Inc., brings mixed doubles team Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres to their communities.
The tour runs Jan. 28-30, starting in Unity, then moving to Kindersley, and concluding in Denzil. The Unity Curling Club, which has previously applied for the tour, expects close to 20 curlers to participate.
Michelle Sieben of the Denzil Curling Club said the community is thrilled to host the tour after three years of applying.
“We are choosing to run our event by invitation, as we only have two sheets of ice, allowing us to accommodate about 24 students for the on-ice portion of the afternoon,” said Sieben. Invitations were sent to youth curlers in Denzil and students in the curling programs at Luseland and Macklin schools.
“We have 16 kids confirmed so far, and if we don’t reach our maximum, we’ll open it up to local youth who may want to try curling,” she added.
Muyres has been part of the tour since its inception, initially with his men’s team and now with his mixed doubles partner. He hopes to inspire young players by sharing lessons on curling, teamwork and dedication.
“When we were kids, we attended a curling clinic with ‘elite’ players of the time. It was exciting and helped shape our love for the game,” Muyres told SaskToday.ca. “We wanted to give Saskatchewan youth that same chance to fall in love with curling.”
Walker and Muyres select tour locations based on clubs that are actively building their membership.
“Last winter, we focused on northeastern Saskatchewan, so this year we wanted to visit the west,” said Muyres. “The clubs in Unity, Kindersley and Denzil have been working hard to grow the curling community and involve kids in the sport. They’re awesome clubs with dedicated volunteers, so it was a natural fit.”
Walker and Muyres, who won bronze at the 2018 World Mixed Doubles, first met at the 2011 Canadian Juniors, where Walker represented Team Ontario and Muyres played for Team Saskatchewan. They teamed up in 2018 when Walker’s husband and former teammate competed in the Men’s World Championship, leaving her in need of a partner.
The duo’s training regime includes up to three hours on the ice daily, an hour strategizing and another hour in the gym. While not overly superstitious, they admit to occasionally wearing the same socks during a winning streak.
“Playing doubles is great. Games are quicker, taking only about an hour and a half. There are huge point swings, and no lead is ever safe,” said Muyres.
Outside of curling, Muyres stays busy working on his farm near Humboldt and spending time with his girlfriend. Walker, based in Edmonton, balances curling with raising her two children and enjoys golfing when time permits.
After completing the tour, Walker and Muyres will turn their attention to the national championships, set for March 17-22 in Summerside, P.E.I.
