It's time again for Yale's college bonspiel, and this year's theme was Game of Thrones! That means you'll get to enjoy a fair number of puns related to the HBO series, including some great team names (like Peter Rinkledge).  My guests for this episode include returning favorites Chelsea Blink and Allison Goldberg, as well as first-time podcast participant Frank Kemper. We discuss fantasy curling, the Russian Olympic doping scandal, the Scotties, and which pies we'd want on our curling teams. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES Here's the BoardGameGeek.com page for Twilight Struggle, a truly awesome two-player board game.  The IMDB page for "Good Bye Lenin!", which is apparently a comedy.  The now famous/infamous Cheetos curling video! There are also some famous music videos that involve curling, including: The Weakerthans - Tournament of Hearts LMFAO - Yes Hammerfall - Hearts on Fire 

Broomstackers - A Social Curling Podcast

Yale SuperSpiel 2018

In honor of the release of Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, I'm joined by returning guest Tian Tian Cai to make some curling teams out of our favorite Star Wars characters! We dive deep into the original trilogy and the new Disney films to come up with representative curling squads for both light and dark sides of the force. Also, we mostly ignore the prequels, for reasons that should be obvious. Who should skip the old school light side team? Is Jabba the Hutt capable of curling? What of Porkins and Wedge Antilles, and all the other pilots? And did any of the original characters hold on to their roster spots for the new trilogy? We answer all of these questions and more in this Star Wars BYOC Special!  SHOW NOTES: FiveThirtyEight did indeed do a bit of force projection for the original trilogy, but really only for the Empire. You can see their tidy little graph here (spoiler: losing entire Death Star crews really hurts).  Turns out the Machete Order and the order I recalled are very similar! It's not a bad idea if you want to incorporate the prequels into a marathon watch (or for viewers new to Star Wars). Here's a look at the Machete Order in particular. Apologies for our voices on this one: though we were half a world apart, both Tian Tian and I were recovering from illnesses when we recorded.  

Star Wars BYOC Special

It's a new season of Broomstackers! My friend Lane attended a learn-to-curl with me, and discusses curling for the first time after hearing me talk about the sport for the past eight years. Sliding, throwing, sweeping, skipping, and (of course) broomstacking: she got the chance to experience it all, and lived to talk about it. This episode also sees the debut of a new theme song, and you might notice some new logos that were introduced this summer. It's the start of an exciting new curling season, and I'm hoping to put out a lot of fun episodes between now and the spring! SHOW NOTES The new theme song is "Sweep Me Over the Hogline" by The Zambonis. If you enjoyed it, support the band by downloading a copy of the song. My Dad Wrote a Porno is a hilarious podcast about a man who found out his dad wrote a bunch of erotic e-books after retiring. Head on over to their website to learn more.  If you think a learn-to-curl at Nutmeg Curling Club sounds like fun, take a look at our upcoming events page. Or if you don't live in the Bridgeport area, look for a similar event at a curling club near you! 

Let's Learn to Curl!

It's another Bring Your Own Curler (BYOC) special edition of Broomstackers, this time in honor of Season 7 of Game of Thrones, which premieres this Sunday! Kelsey Schuder and Tian Tian Cai join the show to discuss the greatest bonspiel Westeros has ever seen. Who is showing up for this event? Where will it be hosted? And most importantly of all, who's going to winthe curling crown of the Seven Kingdoms? Note that there are spoilers for the first six seasons of HBO's Game of Thrones, and that these roughly correlate to the first five books of the Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R. R. Martin, so you may not want to listen if you're behind and somehow haven't been spoiled yet. SHOW NOTES Here are the Stark children singing along to the show's opening theme. Then, in season 2, they decided to do some beatboxing. In Season 3, they followed that up with some percussion work...or at least they tried. According to this article, there are four Game of Thrones spin offs currently in development by HBO. George R. R. Martin has taken on a lot of projects in recent years, though some fans believe this is secretly evidence that he has completed Winds of Winter. 

The Game of Thrones Bonspiel

Who says curling has to stop when it gets hot outside? On a special summer edition of Broomstackers, Ed is joined by Adam Kapp, Michael Cohen, and Allison Goldberg as they venture to Tropicurl, a bonspiel that takes place on an island in the middle of Pittsburgh. The team ventured to a tiki bar, won a mystery box, and celebrated Canada Day in style, all while enjoying some excellent summer curling in the process. There's also talk about the GNCC's recent 150th anniversary, as well as a BYOC segment that brings together some of our favorite world leaders to form an elite curling rink.  SHOW NOTES Curling Update: We lost our Sunday morning game 6-5 after clawing back from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game heading into the final end. Alas! Here's one source with some information on the history of curling in New York City. Critiki is "the guide to Tiki bars." Learn more about pawpaw! The official website for Thai Foon in Pittsburgh. The mystery box unboxing video! Here's a story on the tennis match that was interrupted by sex noises (includes some hilarious video).  Finally, a baseball announcer tries to figure out what furries are after meeting them in Pittsburgh some years back. Happy Canada Day! 

Tropicurl 2017 - A Mystery Box for Canada Day

It's the final episode of the 2016-2017 season, and it is surprisingly short on curling content! Sure, I talked to the Yale curlers about their recent trip to Nationals, but the conversation quickly shifted to a recently-released TV movie that happened to be directed by a former Nutmeg curler. Throw in some chat about podcasters and you have a fun way to finish out the curling season.  Don't worry - the podcast will be back in the fall! I expect a couple of special episodes to be recorded during the offseason as well, so keep an eye on our Facebook page or our Twitter feed for updates. SHOW NOTES Here are Chelsea's shark leggings. A link to the Stalker's Prey page on iMDB. The film was originally titled Hunter's Cove.  Update: Fabian has provided a video of "German dancing." 

Sharks, Movies, Podcasters, and Maybe Some Curling

Can't get enough Bring Your Own Curler? Constantly searching for the nearest Pokestop whenever you're at a bonspiel? Then you'll love this special recording! Kelsey Schuder, Allison Goldberg, and Sean Mayne join me to make a team out of our favorite Pokemon, even if some of us are less knowledgeable about the subject than others. We even added a coach and alternate to make this a team worthy of any competitive Pokemon trainer!  SHOW NOTES Here are links to more information on each of our chosen curlers: LEAD SECOND VICE SKIP ALTERNATE COACH

BYOC Special: Pokemon

Playdowns for Mixed Nationals might be serious business, but that doesn't mean we can't record an episode of Broomstackers while we're there! I'm joined by Kelsey Schuder, Sean Mayne, and Allison Goldberg to talk about our time at the Bucks County Curling Club for the GNCC Mixed Championship. We recap our results and the local restaurant scene, mispronounce several words, and expose ourselves for the huge nerds we all are -- especially in this edition of Bring Your Own Curler.  SHOW NOTES Congratulations to Team Melville for winning the GNCC Mixed Championship! They defeated Team Maroldo in the final, a game that came down to the last rock (appropriate for the tight-fought nature of the entire event). Here's the CurlingZone coverage of the event, including the final standings.  Team Stopera ultimately lost to Korea in the final of the World Junior Men's Championship, but they still did a great job earning their silver medals. Way to represent American curling, guys! Bucks County Curling Club is still taking donations for their new warm room. More information can be found here. Here's photo evidence of our romantic team dinner: Birds of Paradise (the original art):  

2017 GNCC Mixed Championship

On this episode, I had two different conversations at the Nutmeg Curling Club: one during the Yale SuperSpiel, a college curling tournament, and another during a small Super Bowl party we had after a college curling practice. We talk about the emerging sport of Crokicurl, why you can't trust a Totino's Pizza Roll to skip your team, and whether or not a British accent is necessary to curl for England. And perhaps the most important question of all: are you on #TeamSub or #TeamSpare? SHOW NOTES Here's some proof that Crokicurl really exists! If you're interested in following along with the USA College Curling season, check out their website. You can indeed find the SNL Totino's sketch on YouTube... ...As well as Melissa McCarthy's depiction of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. By the way, did you know that he's also the Communications Director? That's like being Toby Ziegler and C.J. Cregg at the same time! Here's an example of one Provincial that only had two teams because of the cost of travel. 

Super Spiels and Super Bowls

Broomstackers is back with a new episode recorded after a weekend at The Big Spiel, the 96-team curling extravaganza organized by the Twin Cities Curling Association. The event, spread out between four clubs in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, proved to be a great time for Ed and the rest of his team: both on and off the ice. From games against national champions to sliding down Minehaha Falls, there was no shortage of fun to be found on this trip -- and we're more than happy to tell you all about it over drinks. This week's episode features host Ed Scimia along with Kelsey Schuder, Larry Bocchiere, and Allison Goldberg.  SHOW NOTES You can pick up your own copy of Telestrations at Amazon! According to the St. Paul Curling Club website, the club boasts more than 1,200 members. After further review, the legality of taking a curling broom in a plane cabin as a carry-on is uncertain. Articles from 2013 show that hockey sticks were being allowed; however, the TSA website currently lists them as prohibited. Allison (and other curlers we know) have yet to run into problems attempting to board with their brooms, but it may be best to check them if you're not sure. Some photos mentioned during the episode: 

The Big Spiel 2017

It's the first ever Broomstackers holiday episode! I interviewed several of my fellow curlers about their curling-related holiday wishes. We also talked about the recent in-house bonspiel held at Nutmeg Curling Club, the importance of a good pair of shoes, crokinole (also known as "curling on wood"), and a visit from an Olympic silver medalist.  Regular episodes will be back in January. Happy New Year, and good curling! SHOW NOTES Here's a video of the curling ice at Kaiser Tiger in Chicago. The weight of a curling stone is indeed taken without including the handle - though that should only marginally change the weight, in any case. Never heard of Festivus? This Seinfeld episode should help you understand the traditions of this important winter holiday.  Carolyn Darbyshire-McRorie's Wikipedia page. It's short, but it does reflect her silver medal win in 2010. 

2016 Holiday Special: Merry Curlmas!

Ed and the rest of his team recorded an episode of Broomstackers looking back on their experience at this year's GNCC Men's Club Playdowns! The boys discuss how long it takes to make five sandwiches, explain what it means to saturate one's soul, and whether the vehicle they entered on Saturday evening was actually a taxi. It all culminates in an epic explanation of how the main characters of Seinfeld would form a curling team that could well go down as the greatest segment in Broomstackers history! Thanks to Michael Hope, Larry Bocchiere and Eric Sebastian for recording with me on my phone in one of our hotel rooms (during the first half of the episode, you may occasionally hear the heating unit in the background - sorry about that). And thanks to the Schenectady Curling Club for hosting such a great event! SHOW NOTES The winners of the GNCC Club Playdowns this year were Team Guzman of Broomstones on the Men's side, and Team Furman of Ardsley Curling Club on the Women's side. Good luck to both teams at Nationals! You can see full coverage of both events here. Sorry, no location as of yet for the 2017 GNCC Club Playdowns! 

GNCC Club Playdowns: Rock Lobster Saturated Our Souls

After an extended break, Broomstackers is back! Chelsea is back on the show after overwhelming demand from our listeners. Of course, this meant that we spent a lot of our time making bad CSI-related puns and discussing who would make the Gryffindor curling team. We also talked about what curling-related things we were thankful for, why Chelsea finds the name "Schenectady" just a little bit hilarious, and a whole lot of topics that have little-to-nothing to do with curling. It's a good time all around! As a heads up, the next episode will be released in about two weeks, after Ed and his team return from GNCC Club Playdowns in Schenectady (where we'll probably be recording plenty of podcast material). Wish us luck! SHOW NOTES Brian's Song was a 1971 TV movie that told the story of Brian Piccolo (played by James Cann in the film), a football player who was diagnosed with terminal cancer after joining the Chicago Bears. After a last minute comeback by the Stampeders, the Ottawa Redblacks managed to defeat Calagary 39-33 in overtime in the Grey Cup, capping a huge upset victory. Never seen a haka? This is a haka! Of course, it predates sports: it is a traditional war cry of the Maori. Yes, the New Zealand national basketball team really is known as the Tall Blacks. On the other hand, while it is widely believed that the All Blacks name started with a typo, it seems as though there's no way to confirm whether this is how the name gained popularity. 

Yeeeeoooow!

On this week's episode, I travel to the Cool Duck 5-and-Under Bonspiel at the Ardsley Curling Club! Along with watching his friends compete in the tournament, I was lucky enough to meet some curlers who are trying to develop a curling team that could compete for India. In addition, I was able to follow up on some actual broomstacking with last week's guests over a game of Crokinole, and an interesting debate sprung up about werewolf locomotion. Finally, I talk to my teammate Eric about how he would make a curling team out of the members of his favorite basketball team: the Boston Celtics. SHOW NOTES You can learn more about India Curling on their Facebook page. If you're not familiar with Crokinole, it's a popular board game in Canada that can be found at many curling clubs. Here's the Wikipedia page on the game! Want some more info on Lupin before making your decision? Here is his page on the Harry Potter wiki. The referenced Shakira song. 

The Cool Duck, Curling in India, and Werewolves

It's the premiere episode of the Broomstackers podcast! Host Ed Scimia talks with Michael Parker and Chelsea Blink, both of whom are members of the Yale curling club. It's an episode with a distinct lack of broomstacking, but plenty of great discussion topics.  Do cats make better rocks or stabilizers? Who should skip our hypothetical curling rink of major party presidential and vice presidential candidates? And will the Cubs win Game 5 of the 2016 World Series? Spoiler alert on that last one: they did. All this and a little college curling chat in a tidy 37-minute run time! SHOW NOTES Here is the parody video of cat curling at the Olympics. There are many real videos of cats enjoying being treated like curling stones. Like this one, or this one. Yes, there really are dog curling shower curtains. Clarification: obviously, the club's old rocks are in various places. The new rocks, naturally, are at the club now. Here is the promised photo of elite curler Rachel Homan: 

Curling with Cats and Corgis

Broomstackers is the curling podcast that covers everything from on-the-ice action to what we're talking about at the table over a second round of drinks.

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Broomstackers - A Social Curling Podcast

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