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Banff, Okotoks curling clubs play first-ever game 160-km apart using live stream

“It got me thinking … why can’t we use live steam technology to create a different community of curlers.”

BANFF – Taking a crack at a new approach, a local influence has inspired a modern spin on how curling can be played and the possibility for games at any rink between any teams, anywhere in the world.

Banff widely celebrated one of the nation’s most popular sports on Saturday (Feb. 25) when Curling Day in Canada came to town in a big way, which included national coverage on TSN, indoor/outdoor games, and activities and festivities all centred around curling.

While this was all happening, over at the Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre history was being made as the first-ever curling game was being played between teams at two different rinks using live streaming technology.

“We felt like it was a very real game,” said Steven Young, president of the Banff Curling Club.

“The nice thing about our sport is when your team throws, there’s nobody trying to block your shot, there’s nobody interfering, there’s no reliance on another team. It’s more like a chess or a checkers. You do you and then the other team does them.”

The Banff and Okotoks curling clubs collaborated through live streaming technology, commentary, and two teams of four all while being separated by 160 kilometres of Alberta land to make the innovative format work.

How it all came to be sparked from a friendly rivalry between Young and the Okotoks Curling Club’s head ice maker and manager Mike Libbus. Both clubs have live streaming capabilities, which allow viewers from anywhere can watch online. So one day, a challenge was made.

“I said we both do live streams, why can’t I live stream my game to you and you live stream your game to me and we can watch each other and we can play a game,” said Young.

“It got me thinking … why can’t we use live steam technology to create a different community of curlers.”

When Curling Day in Canada in Banff was coming up, it presented the perfect opportunity to showcase the concept – hiccups and all. Through the effort of both clubs and volunteers, TV and computer monitors showing the other club’s set up and rocks, IT was in place, and a rivalry commentary team calling the action was made up of Young and Libbus.

“The key [for the game] was the cameras worked," Young said. "Players could watch pretty instantly the other people’s shots and see where they ended up.”

The game was played between Banff skip Bob Dales, second Kathy Dales, third Shane Coultis, and lead Vic LeMecha against Okotoks skip Grant Cooper, third Sid Giroux, second Darryl Zacharias, and lead Glen Thompson.

Each team entrusted a neutral placer – Banff’s Colin LaMecha and Okotok’s Ron McLaren – to position the rocks as accurately as possible after each throw.

The restyle of gameplay had the curlers focusing a little harder on what was happening on the monitors next to the sheets of ice.

“It was weird getting used to that there were no other curlers out after you threw your rock and finished your play and not being able to see their stone finish,” said Kathy Dales.

“You had to stay work a little harder to stay focused on the game.”

Bob Dales had the good fortune to toss the first rock.

“I think it was a great experience, a fun experience to do that, but looking back at that as a first-ever it’s a very cool cherry on top of the whole thing,” he said.

After five ends, Okotoks won 9-1, taking the first game of its kind and a friendly loser-buys-pizza bet.

Moving forward, Young's next call might not be to the Guinness Book of Records (just yet), but rather other curling communities – provincially, nationally, and even internationally  – to use the format for connecting the community and as a way to get people to curl.

"We didn’t try to create perfection, we tried to create opportunity,” said Young.


Jordan Small

About the Author: Jordan Small

An award-winning reporter, Jordan Small has covered sports, the arts, and news in the Bow Valley since 2014. Originally from Barrie, Ont., Jordan has lived in Alberta since 2013.
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