David Nedohin opts for a quieter curling life
Former world champ plays for fun these days
David Nedohin is still curling, but claims his days as a competitive player are over.
“I have absolutely no desire to get back into the full swing of things right now,” said the 40-year-old Nedohin, who threw skip rocks for Randy Ferbey’s successful crew that dominated men’s curling a decade ago.
“I look at the grind that these teams are going through right now, weekend after weekend after weekend, Swan River (Man.) to Red Deer to Brooks and so forth and so on,” he continued. “I’m really busy with work and the kids are extremely active and I’m helping (his wife) Heather with her curling a little bit where I can.”
Nedohin was going to pack it in after the 2012-13 season but couldn’t walk away from a chance to play with Kevin Martin in the 2010 gold medallist’s bid to qualify for his fourth Olympic Games.
“That was a little different, being asked by the best team in the world to take a run at the Olympics, and even that took me a lot of time to decide if I was going to or not,” said Nedohin, who replaced John Morris at third on Martin’s powerhouse rink.
“It was a great experience and I’m really glad I did it, but right now, I have no intention of getting back into it.”
Nedohin’s curling these days is in the Thursday night men’s league and a Sunday open league with his family at the Sherwood Park Curling Club.
“People expect us to go out there and make these miraculous shots, including ourselves at times,” he said. “And the reality is when you’re not doing all the things you would do as a professional curler, it’s hard to just step on the ice in a Sunday league and play like you’re used to playing at a high level.
“Honestly, for me anyway, I just go out there and have fun. I think that a lot of the people we play against maybe circle that game (on their calendar) because they look forward to playing against somebody who has been in those big events.”
Heather, the Sherwood Park club’s manager this season, teased David that he’s “a superstar on Thursday nights.”
“Well, we play for the double board. We usually get it,” he admitted.
At some clubs, the last team to make a double-takeout wins a free round of drinks.
Sherrard fails in three-peat attempt
Two-time Canadian champion Dan Sherrard’s dramatic comeback from a 3-0 deficit after three ends fell just short as his reign at the Travelers Curling Club Championship ended prematurely last weekend.
Sherrard and his Jasper Place rink of Brandon Klassen, Kyle Reynolds and Cody Brown had a perfect 6-0 record in round robin play at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, but lost 6-5 in the semifinals to Michael Hull of Kingston, Ont., after rallying to tie the score 5-5.
Sherrard had a slightly different team in each of his three appearances in the Canadian championship because he usually plays with a five-man rink at the Crestwood Curling Club, but still managed to compile an overall record of 20-3.
Saskatoon’s Kory Kohuch won this year’s title with a 5-4 win over Hull in the final.
Extra ends
❚ Chelsea Carey’s Saville Centre rink of Laura Crocker, Taylor McDonald and Jen Gates not only earned $7,000 for winning the Boundary Ford Curling Classic at Lloydminster on Monday, but the group probably clinched an Alberta Curling Tour berth into the provincial women’s championship, as well. The byes will be announced on Tuesday. ❚ Brock Virtue of Calgary won the Black Diamond/ High River Cash Spiel last weekend with Kalynn Park, daughter of Edmonton’s Kevin Park, playing lead in the men’s event. ❚ The Northern Alberta Curling Association’s junior playdowns will be held Friday through Sunday at the Sherwood Park Curling Club. There are seven teams in each category. Kelsey Rocque will try to defend her world junior title with an entirely new team of Danielle Schmiemann, Holly Jamieson and Jesse Iles while Thomas Scoffin attempts to earn an eighth trip to nationals in his final season of eligibility with David Aho, Brayden Power and Blake McDonald.