News 2004

May 7th, 2004:
Ice Cup: Good curling, great guests, friends forever 

Ice Cup, the first international tournament in curling held in Iceland, was a succsess according to players, both guests and home players. Everyone had a great time and the foreign guests did talk a lot about the great hospitality of Akureyri curling players and tournament organizers. For instance we have received an e-mail from Emma Pettersson on behalf of the Swedish team, Queens from Helsingborg, where she states that they have never experienced such hospitality before and that they had the most wonderful time in Akureyri these few days. Willie Arnason, who came to Akureyri with a team including his wife, daughter and son in law, said that he has only once before experienced such hospitality before in his long life (70 years) and that was in his last trip to Iceland in the 70’s when he amongst other things visited the president of Iceland, Kristjan Eldjarn, as their mothers were first cousins. But now to the tournament itself.

Ten teams, 49 players
Ten teams played in Ice Cup 2004 including 49 players (11 women, 38 men) some of them having played just few times before and some of them having played for more than half a century.! That was probably one of the things making Ice Cup a great event, a one to remember forever for some players.

Seven of the teams were “home teams” from Akureyri, including the six teams which played in the Icelandic Championship 2004 plus one new team. One team came from Reykjavik but curling has not been played in Reykjavik yet – hopefully it will start next august or september. Two foreign teams took part in this tournament, one from Gimli Canada and one from Helsingborg Sweden.

Team Willie Arnason
When curling started in Iceland it was the interest and enthusiasm of some Canadian Icelanders (Western Icelanders) that got us going. Four people from Iceland were invited to Gimli, Manitoba, in 1996 in order to learn how to curl. Akureyri Curling Club (i.e. Curling Division of Akureyri Ice Scating Club) was founded in 1996 and we have been curling ever since, first outside but for the last four years in a new ice rink. One of those who tought our people how to curl was Willie Arnason from Gimli and when he heard about Akureyri Curling Club holding an international tournament it did not take much effort to convince him to come. Willie formed a team including his wife, Donna-Mae, his daughter and son in law, Tracy and Karl Jakobson – an all “Icelandic” team from Canada.

Willie has been playing for about 58 years and Donna-Mae a little shorter. Tracy and Karl have also been playing “for decades”. Added together they have been playing for more then 150 years! And Willie alone has probably more experience in curling than all the Icelandic players in Ice Cup together.

It came as no surprise when Willie and family won all games in heat A in Ice Cup. In four games they had 8 points, winning 20 ends and scoring 45 stones. (See results of all games here…)

Queens of Helsingborg
Players in Akureyri were very excited and delighted when the Queens registered for Ice Cup. Four of us met them in Oresunds Cup 2003 in Taarnby, Denmark. The team started in 1996 as Team Alm and two from that team are now in the team Queens, Sari Alm and Jeanett Ekberg. Few years later Emma Pettersson joined the team. First years they considered curling as a good social weekly event first and foremost. Last two years they have been curling more seriously and playing in some tournaments. Although they never forget the good spirit when they play. Last autumn they had a new team mate improving the team whene Charlotte Hedegaard from Taarnby Curling Club in Denmark joined them. Charlotte has for example won a bronze medal in the World Championship (1994).

The Queens played very well in Ice Cup but were unfortunate not to make it to the final game for the gold medal. In heat B they played four games, got six points, 14 ends and scored 30 stones. (See results of all games here…) 

Results
Winning teams of each heat played for the gold medal, second team in each heat for bronze and so on, down to the last place.

Results of heat A:

Results of heat B:

Three teams were even in points in heat B and so ends had to be taken into consideration. There the Icelandic team Falkar had the upper hand by one end (17), Icemasters came in second (16) and Queens were third (14). GGT and Gullmolar had one point each but GGT had more ends, 11, but Gullomar 10.

Willie got his hands on the gold in the fourth end
In the final game the Icelandic team Falkar scored two stones in the first end and almost scored three stones in the second, but Willie himself would not allow that and put his last stone at the right place to score one stone. Willie also scored one stone in the third end, making it 2-2. The game turned in the fourth end when Falkar did not make the last shot right and Willie scored five stones. After that there was no turning back for Willie and co and the final results were 11-2.

Garpar and Ismeistarar played for the bronze medal. Garpar had the lead from start and won the game against the Icelandic champions, Ismeistarar, 7-6.

Vikingar and Queens played for 5th place. Queens won that game 8-2.

Kustar beat GGT for the 7th place, 8-6.

Gullmolar beat Ernir for the 9th place, 6-5.

Prepare for Ice Cup 2005
The aim of most curling players, to have a good time and make good friends on and off the ice, was very much alive in Ice Cup and it will be upheld in the future.  Everyone had a great time, made new friends and the Icelanders learned a lot from the guests. Hopefully these two teams can make it back to Akureyri some day to play curling because Akureyri Curling Club will be holding Ice Cup 2005, 2006, 2007…… see you there.