Episode 25 - Arnold Asham

11/02/17 • 88 min

Arnold Asham is a curler, dancer, inventor, showman and in his words, an opportunist. From his early days in Reedy Creek, Manitoba, Arnold dreamed he would be a millionaire in the sports industry. Curling became his passion and eventually the red brick slider, along with hard work and dedication to what to others deemed a foolish pursuit, led to his financial success. But there was also a desire to compete against the great teams that wore his corporate logo. When he teamed up with a young David Nedohin to compete on a fledgling World Tour that he helped keep afloat, Arnold proved he could do battle with the best in the country. Arnold shares his vision for how the Olympic champions of the future will be developed, and his philosophy of living your passions, which for him include the Asham Stompers dance troupe and helping empower others from indigenous communities. You can find Asham Curling at https://www.asham.com/ and information on the Stompers at http://www.ashamstompers.com/

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Episode 24 - Wally Ursuliak

Wally Ursuliak has had quite a life. From Brier Champion with Hector Gervais, to corn broom salesman, camp instructor, then curling missionary in Japan to selling granite from Ailsa Craig, all while running an amusement ride business across Alberta. We'll cover Wally's introduction to curling, and his relationship with Hector, Ray, Don and Herb Olson. He shares stories of the big games and many characters of that era, before explaining why he left the competitive game to become a builder. Wally explains why he, Ray and Don taught the flat foot (and not the tuck slide), and who created the no lift delivery that is prevalent today. We'll find out how Japan started curling outdoors and you'll learn more about curling rocks than you possibly wanted to know.

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Episode 26 - Peja Lindholm

Peja Lindholm began curling outdoors at age 11. Learning the game with his friends, Peja eventually led teams to three World Junior Championships, capturing gold, silver and bronze. With his longtime teammates Thomas Nordin, Magnus Swartling and Peter Narup, he captured three World Mens titles for Sweden in 1997, 2001 and 2004. Peja discusses his early days and the development of both his game and that of European curling during the 80's and 90's. We discuss the transition to the free guard zone and why he had success against Martin and Ferbey, while struggling against other Canadian foes. Peja shares his thoughts on the Continental Cup and Olympics, before revealing the origins of the plate dance.