Rogue rocks irksome

EDMONTON—Rogue rocks were the theme of opening weekend of the Canadian men’s curling championship.
Skips’ brows furrowed over a new set of curling rocks purchased recently by the Canadian Curling Association.

They said some rocks didn’t behave like the others, making it difficult to decide broom placement and weight calls.
“There’s a couple pigs out there,” Northern Ontario skip Brad Jacobs observed yesterday at Rexall Place.
“Slow, slow cutters. They don’t run true,” he noted. “They stop and die quicker.
“It’s just a matter of picking up on them as quickly as you can.
“I think that’s going to be a common theme this week,” Jacobs added. “You’re going to hear a lot of the curlers say the rocks are tough and they are.”
Quebec skip Jean-Michel Menard concurred.
“There’s at least one rock per sheet that is way different than the others,” he remarked.
“You’ve got to stay big-time focused and communicate well with your teammates on which rocks they were throwing,” Menard stressed.
“As a skip, it’s very exhausting mentally.”
The CCA tested the new rocks first at an Ottawa curling club and then at the Canadian junior curling championships last month in Fort McMurray, according to the CCA’s director of championship services.
“They were fast and swingy,” Danny Lamoureux said. “These are very good stones and [it was] recommended by our top ice-makers that we make this deal.
“Every set in the world reacts differently,” he noted. “There’s not a set in the world that are identical.
“I think one of the issues is no one has ever seen these before,” Lamoureux added.
“They don’t have a book on them.”
Lamoureux said the Scottish company that produced the stones is the Olympic Games supplier.
The stones at this year’s Brier—which cost about $500 apiece plus their $1,000 electronic handles—are twins to the set that will be used in Sochi, Russia next year.
Pre-tournament favourite Kevin Martin of Alberta was uncomplimentary of the rocks, as well. The reigning Olympic gold-medallist opened the Brier in his hometown with a pair of losses before beating B.C. last night for the host province’s first victory.
“You’re just trying to find a pair that are somewhat near the same,” the veteran skip lamented after losing to Quebec yesterday morning.
“As the week goes on, we’ll get that,” Martin added.
“Hopefully we’re around still by the time we can get them matched up.”
Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador was alone at 4-0 heading into action this afternoon.
Northern Ontario, Quebec, and defending champion Glenn Howard of Ontario also were undefeated teams at 3-0.
Howard beat Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton 8-5 last night to drop the Winnipeg rink to 2-1.