Blood is not only thicker than water 鈥� it runs pretty well on the frozen, pebbled variety.
The field at the 2017 Canadian Junior Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 Curling Championships proves that, as sons and daughters of former national, world and Olympic champions and medallists will be in competition at the Esquimalt Curling Club and Archie Browning Sports Centre beginning Jan. 21.
Manitoba leads the way with skip Laura Burtnyk 鈥� daughter of Kerry Burtnyk, the two-time Brier (1981, 1995) and world champion (1995) 鈥� who brings her team to Victoria. The foursome also includes third Hailey Ryan, daughter of Jeff Ryan, who played third on Kerry Burtnyk鈥檚 triumphant 1995 rink.
鈥淚t means the world to me,鈥� Laura told reporters after recently claiming her provincial junior title with dad on hand watching. 鈥淓specially with what he鈥檚 done in the sport 鈥� it鈥檚 awesome.
鈥淣ow I鈥檝e tied him for junior titles, so it feels pretty awesome. I鈥檝e got a few things to climb in women鈥檚, but I鈥檝e tied him in juniors, so there you go,鈥� she told the Winnipeg Sun.
Her dad, Kerry, won his one and only junior title in 1978.
Curling fans will also recall Hailey Ryan鈥檚 uncle, Pat Ryan, of the famous Ryan鈥檚 Express of Alberta who claimed three Brier titles (1988, 1989, 1994) and two world crowns (1989, 1994).
It doesn鈥檛 stop there for the Ryan clan as Manitoba junior men鈥檚 representative, J.T. Ryan, is Hailey鈥檚 brother and son of Jeff.
J.T. Ryan knocked off two-time Canadian junior champ Braden Calvert to don the Manitoba colours in Victoria. Ryan鈥檚 third, Jacques Gauthier, is the son of Cathy Gauthier, a 1992 and 1995 Scotties winner and currently curling commentator with TSN.
Laura Burtnyk鈥檚 lead, Rebecca Cormier, also has Island roots as parents Shayne and Dana (nee Little) were solid athletes in their days in Nanaimo. Shayne was an excellent fastball catcher and Dana played basketball at Malaspina College and also curled.
Of course, there鈥檚 also Saskatchewan third Sara England 鈥� of Kaitlyn Jones鈥� victorious junior team 鈥� who is the daughter of three-time Scotties and world champion (1993, 1994, 1997) and 1998 Olympic gold medallist Sandra Schmirler, who died in March 2000 from cancer at age 36.
鈥淚 think the fact that everybody still thinks so highly of Sandra ... they want that connection to her,鈥� Shannon England said of his daughter, Sara, back at the sa国际传媒 Winter Games in Prince George two years ago. 鈥淲ith Sara coming up and curling now there鈥檚 that connection back to Sandra.鈥�
Ontario junior men鈥檚 rep, Matthew Hall, has Joey and David Hart at second and lead, respectively. They are the sons of Richard Hart, the 1998 Olympic silver medallist (with Mike Harris) and 2007 Brier and world champion on Glenn Howard鈥檚 rink.
Quebec skip Vincent Roberge and his second, Etienne Elmaleh, are sons of 2006 Brier winners and world silver medallists Fran莽ois Roberge and Maxime Elmaleh.
Several more curlers in Esquimalt have parents who competed in Scotties or Briers, including skip Kristen Streifel of Alberta, daughter of Tracy Streifel, and Chris Gallant, the P.E.I. third, who is the son of Peter and Kathie Gallant.
Other junior men鈥檚 teams competing here include: Tyler Tardi of sa国际传媒 (Langley); Colton Goller of Alberta; Liam Marin (N.B.); Tanner Horgan (N. Ont.); Greg Blyde (Nfld. and Labrador); Sawer Kaeser (N.W.T.); Matthew Manuel (N.S.); Arthur Siksik (Nunavut); Tyler Smith (P.E.I.); and Rylan Kleiter (Sask.).
Among the women are Corryn Brown (Kamloops), the sa国际传媒 skip (with Nanaimo鈥檚 Marika Van Osch at third); Samantha Crook (N.B.); Brooke Godsland (Nfld. and Labrador); Krysta Burns (N. Ont.); Zoey Walsh (N.W.T.); Kristin Clarke (N.S.); Sadie Pinksem (Nunavut); Hailey Armstrong (Ont); Lauren Lenentine (P.E.I.); Camille Boisvert (Que.); and Alyssa Meger (Yukon).
Tickets for the event, which runs through to Jan. 29, can be found online through the curling.ca website.
