Canadian Rock Stars

...and no, I'm not talking about Bryan Adams.
  It's Brier time in Canada. We love our curling here. Why not? In much of this country we have eight months of winter and four months of poor sledding. But that's another story.
  Curling clubs abound here. They're often called the 'Granite Club'; a reference to the fact that the curling rocks, or stones, are crafted from granite.
  Canadian men and women excel not only at the Olympics, but at the big international tournaments. At any one time there are probably six or eight teams in the country that could take on the best in the world...and win.
  It won't always be that way, of course. China and Korea are coming on strong, thanks to Canadian coaches. Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, Switzerland and Scotland have always had excellent teams. To the south, the Americans are skilled, but have fewer teams against whom to polish their game. Allison Pottinger and Debbie McCormick are well known and popular here in Canada, as are Pete Fenson and Heath McCormick.
  But the unsung rock stars in the curling world are the ice makers. Even curling fans like myself who don't play the game know the importance of the ice. The variables are myriad, and rarely predictable. I find it interesting that curling fans are as familiar with the names of the icemakers as they are with the players...well, almost.
  So, a tip of the hat to the icemakers. It's a tough job, but at least for today, not thankless.