麻豆社区

Two Yukon curling rinks will set foot on the national stage next week to compete in the 2012 Dominion Curling Club Championship in Scarborough, Ont.

Both rinks will represent the Whitehorse Curling Club.

Ray Mikkelsen, a 2002 Brier veteran, will skip the men's entry, while national rookie Jody Smallwood will skip the women's team.

The championship, which pits local club league champions against each other, runs Nov. 19 to 24 at the Scarboro Golf and Country Club.

Mikkelsen leads a team that includes his 29-year-old son Dustin, a former national junior curler, at third, Scott Williamson at second, and Wade Kopan at lead.

The elder Mikkelsen was a second on Jon Solberg's rink at the Brier 10 years ago, where the Yukon finished 3-8.

"I think we can compete with any of the club champions,鈥� he said yesterday. "The team last year was pretty close to making the playoffs, so we're going to try and make the playoffs. That's our expectation, and then go from there.鈥�

Last year's Yukon men's rink finished 3-3 at the Dominion championship in Richmond, B.C.

Mikkelsen admitted he hasn't curled competitively in years, but said he has played with his son off-and-on for the last decade.

"Last year, I wasn't even going to curl,鈥� he said. "I was going to play hockey. But Dustin was trying to get a team together and the skip that they wanted to skip their team didn't want to curl.

"So I was their second choice,鈥� he laughed. "It's worked out well.鈥�

Williamson began last season as a spare player, but stepped onto the scene when original team member Mike Menzies injured his knee in a fall.

At Dominion, Williamson and Kopan will break onto the national scene for the first time.

On the women's side, Smallwood said she's not sure what to expect after her rink's third Evelyn Pasichnyk broke her wrist in the final game of the ladies bonspiel last weekend.

While Pasichnyk will still attend the championship for moral support, the Yukon team will be forced to play with a spare player from Ontario.

Smallwood's team also includes second Joan Ewing and lead Jari Smarch.

"We really want to get a good experience out of it and do the best we can, but we had a little accident last weekend,鈥� Smallwood said.

"I had goals before Ev broke her wrist, but now it's kind of just to go there and make the best out of it. Just have fun and enjoy the experience. I think it's going to be some stiff competition, but the four of us do good under pressure.鈥�

Sherry MacInnis' Atlin-based rink represented the Yukon at the 2011 Dominion, finishing 0-6.

Smallwood was an avid curler in high school, but said she hadn't curled competitively until she reacquainted herself to the sport after a move to Whitehorse a few years ago.

Her rink curls in the local Wednesday night ladies league, and has achieved their share of success.

"We thought we were ready to go a little further,鈥� she said.

While Mikkelsen isn't looking past the tournament, as a big B.C. Lions supporter, he's hoping his football team can get by the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL semifinal this Sunday.

The 100th Grey Cup will be played in Toronto Nov. 25, the same day as the Yukon curlers' return flights are booked.

"If the B.C. Lions make it into the Grey Cup, I've got a decision to make whether I'm going to try and get a ticket,鈥� he said.