Continental Cup (curling)

The Continental Cup of Curling is a curling tournament held annually between teams from North America against teams from Europe. Each side is represented by six teams (three women's teams and three men's teams), and compete using a unique points system. The tournament is modeled after golf's Ryder Cup. The event is held at the beginning of the curling season and is not held in the same season as the Olympics.

Playing Format

Each side is represented by six teams - for the North Americans, four (two of each gender) are determined by the Canadian Curling Association based on recent participation at either the Canada Cup of Curling, the World Curling Championship, or the Olympic Winter Games. The other two North American teams are determined by the United States Curling Association. The World Curling Federation determines the six rinks representing Europe for the event.

There are four main competitions for the event, and for either side to claim the Continental Cup, 201 points must be attained from these competitions.

Mixed Doubles

The first event is the mixed doubles event, a six-end game with two rocks in play at the start of each end (one for each team). Each team consists of two sweepers and two throwers, of which one man and one woman is to play each position. There are six mixed doubles matches, with six points given for a win in each match (or three points for both teams in the event of a tie after six ends). All 24 players on each side must play in either a sweeping or a throwing role.

At the start of each end, two rocks, one for each team, starts in play - one inside the house and the other guarding. Five rocks are played per team, with scoring performed as normal. One thrower must throw the first and last stones of each end, while the other thrower must throw the three in between.

There is an additional concept, known as the option, given to one of the teams. The option is given to the team which did not score in the previous end (or randomly determined in the first end), and switches teams in the event of a blank end. The team with the option has the option to select which of the two rocks in play is theirs, with the hammer going to the team with the rock in the house.

Year	Mixed doubles winner	Points
2002	Europe	24-12
2003	North America	24-12
2004	North America	21-15
2006	North America	24-12
2007	North America	27-9

Singles

The singles competition is akin to the skills competitions found in ice hockey. There are six singles matches (three women's and three men's), with two points given to the winner of each match. Eight bonus points are also awarded to the team with the better aggregate score for the singles events. Although only twelve players throw stones in singles play, all of the players must participate in some capacity, the non-throwers being given sweeping or skipping duties. By convention, the twelve throwers consist of one member from each team in the tournament, with the remainder of the players sweeping or skipping for their teammate.

Each singles match is determined based on a points system, with the thrower with the higher score winning the event. Up to five points can be scored in each of six different shots:

• the hit-and-stay
• the draw to the button
• the draw through a port
• the raise
• the hit-and-roll
• the double takeout

Year	Team winner	Points	Top male	Top female
2002	Europe	24-8	Kevin Martin (27pts)	Katarina Nyberg (24pts)
2003	Europe	20-12	Magnus Swartling (22pts)	Marianne Haslum (15pts)
2004	North America	28-4	Randy Ferbey (21pts)	Patti Lank (20pts)
2006	Europe	18-14	Flemming Davanger (22pts) Markku Uusipaavalniemi (tie)	Kelly Scott (22pts)
2007	North America	28-4	Glenn Howard (26pts)	Jennifer Jones (26pts)

Teams

The team portion of the Continental Cup is highlighted by twelve regular curling games (with each rink playing twice), with six points awarded to the winner (three for each team if the game remains tied through eight ends).

Year	Team winner	Points
2002	North America	48-24
2003	Europe	42-30
2004	North America	45-27
2006	Tie	36-36
2007	Tie	36-36

Skins

The final event, and the event worth the most amount of points, is the skins portion. Up to 260 points can be claimed in this event, meaning that neither team can clinch the Continental Cup until the skins games are played.

Until 2007, there were six skins games, three men's and three women's, with the three games worth 30, 40, and 60 points. The points are distributed in an uneven manner through each of the eight ends. In order for a team to claim a skin (and the accumulated points), the team must either score at least two points with the hammer or force a steal without. If after eight ends there remains points to be claimed, a draw to the button determines which team will get the accumulated points.

In 2007, eight skins games would be played. Three are worth 20 points, three are worth 30 points and the remaining two are worth 55 points. One 20 and one 30 point game feature mixed teams.

Year	Skins winner	Points	Men's feature game	Women's feature point game
2002	North America	139-121	Kevin Martin 43-17 Peja Lindholm	Colleen Jones 41-19 Elisabet Gustafson
2003	Europe	134-113	Randy Ferbey 30-17 Peja Lindholm	Anette Norberg 60-0 Sherry Middaugh
2004	North America	134-126	Randy Ferbey 47-13 Peja Lindholm	Anette Norberg 41-19 Colleen Jones
2006	Europe	163-97	Brad Gushue 43-17 David Murdoch	Anette Norberg 32-28 Shannon Kleibrink
2007	North America	199-61	Glenn Howard 47-8 David Murdoch	Kelly Scott 33-22 Kelly Wood

List of Continental Cups

Year	Venue	Score	North America	Europe
2002	Regina, Saskatchewan	207-193 North America	David Nedohin, Randy Ferbey, Scott Pfeifer, Marcel Rocque Colleen Jones, Kim Kelly, Mary-Anne Waye, Nancy Delahunt Patti Lank, Erika Brown, Nicole Joraanstad, Natalie Nicholson Kelley Law, Julie Skinner, Georgina Wheatcroft, Diane Dezura Kevin Martin, Don Walchuk, Carter Rycroft, Don Bartlett Paul Pustovar, Mike Fraboni, Geoff Goodland, Richard Makel	Luzia Ebnöther, Carmen Küng, Tanya Frei, Nadia Röthlisberger Elisabet Gustafson, Katarina Nyberg, Louise Marmont, Elisabeth Persson Peja Lindholm, Tomas Nordin, Magnus Swartling, Peter Narup Hammy McMillan, Norman Brown, Hugh Aitken, Roger McIntyre Rhona Martin, Debbie Knox, Fiona MacDonald, Janice Rankin Pål Trulsen, Lars Vågberg, Flemming Davanger, Bent Ånund Ramsfjell
2003	Thunder Bay, Ontario	208-179 Europe	Mark Dacey, Bruce Lohnes, Rob Harris, Andrew Gibson David Nedohin, Randy Ferbey, Scott Pfeifer, Marcel Rocque Pete Fenson, Eric Fenson, Shawn Rojeski, John Shuster Colleen Jones, Kim Kelly, Mary-Anne Waye, Nancy Delahunt Debbie McCormick, Allison Pottinger, Anne Swisshelm Silver, Tracy Sachtjen Sherry Middaugh, Kirsten Wall, Andrea Lawes, Sheri Cordina	Peja Lindholm, Tomas Nordin, Magnus Swartling, Peter Narup Jackie Lockhart, Shelia Swan, Katriona Fairweather, Ann Laird Hammy McMillan, Norman Brown, Hugh Aitken, Roger McIntyre Dordi Nordby, Hanne Woods, Marianne Haslum, Camilla Holth Anette Norberg, Eva Lund, Cathrine Norberg, Helena Lingham Pål Trulsen, Lars Vågberg, Flemming Davanger, Bent Ånund Ramsfjell
2004	Medicine Hat, Alberta	228-172 North America	Mark Dacey, Bruce Lohnes, Rob Harris, Andrew Gibson David Nedohin, Randy Ferbey, Scott Pfeifer, Marcel Rocque Colleen Jones, Kim Kelly, Mary-Anne Waye, Nancy Delahunt Patti Lank, Erika Brown, Nicole Joraanstad, Natalie Nicholson Marie-France Larouche, Karo Gagnon, Anne Lemay, Veronique Grégoire Jason Larway, Doug Pottinger, Joel Larway, Bill Todhunter	Luzia Ebnöther, Carmen Küng, Yvonne Schlunegger, Laurence Bidaud Peja Lindholm, Tomas Nordin, Magnus Swartling, Peter Narup David Murdoch, Craig Wilson, Neil Murdoch, Euan Byers Dordi Nordby, Linn Githmark, Marianne Haslum, Camilla Holth Anette Norberg, Eva Lund, Cathrine Lindahl, Anna Bergström Sebastian Stock, Daniel Herbeg, Stephan Knoll, Patrick Hoffman
2006	Chilliwack, British Columbia	Europe 229-171	Pete Fenson, Shawn Rojeski, Joe Polo, Doug Pottinger Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Russ Howard, Jamie Korab Shannon Kleibrink, Amy Nixon, Bronwen Saunders, Christine Keshen Debbie McCormick, Nicole Joraanstad, Natalie Nicholson, Tracy Sachtjen Jean-Michel Ménard, François Roberge, Éric Sylvain, Maxime Elmaleh Kelly Scott, Jeanna Schraeder, Sasha Carter, Renee Simons	David Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Peter Smith, Euan Byers Anette Norberg, Eva Lund, Cathrine Lindahl, Anna Svärd Mirjam Ott, Binia Feltscher-Beeli, Valeria Spälty, Janine Greiner Andrea Schöpp, Monika Wagner, Anna Hartelt, Tina Tichatschke Pål Trulsen, Lars Vågberg, Flemming Davanger, Bent Ånund Ramsfjell Markku Uusipaavalniemi, Kalle Kiiskinen, Jani Sullanmaa, Teemu Salo
2007	Medicine Hat, Alberta	North America 290-110	Todd Birr, Bill Todhunter, Greg Johnson, Kevin Birr Randy Ferbey, David Nedohin, Scott Pfeifer, Marcel Rocque Glenn Howard, Richard Hart, Brent Laing, Craig Savill Jennifer Jones, Cathy Overton-Clapham, Jill Officer, Dawn Askin Debbie McCormick, Allison Pottinger, Nicole Joraanstad, Natalie Nicholson Kelly Scott, Jeanna Schraeder, Sasha Carter, Renee Simons	Angelina Jensen, Madeleine Dupont, Denise Dupont, Camilla Jensen Andy Kapp, Andy Lang, Holger Höhne, Andreas Kempf David Murdoch, Niklas Edin, Peter Smith, Euan Byers Ludmila Privivkova, Olga Jarkova, Nkeiruka Ezekh, Ekaterina Galkina Andreas Schwaller, Ralph Stöckli, Thomas Lips, Damian Grichting Kelly Wood, Jackie Lockhart, Lorna Vevers, Lindsay Wood

Similar events in other sports

• Ryder Cup — Men's golf
• Solheim Cup — Women's golf
• Mosconi Cup — Nine-ball pool
• Weber Cup — Ten-pin bowling
• IAAF World Cup — Athletics
• NFL Global Junior Championship — American Football, includes a Team Europe

External links

• Official website