Rockstar Curling is alive and well, and we continue to move our planning, logistics forward with our sponsoring partners. As most of you know, the Beijing Summer Games are approaching rapidly, and a great deal of attention has been devoted to deal with the many moving parts around the Summer Games. In respect to the resources required, we will be holding our try-outs after the Beijing Games have been completed... while this will reduce the training time for the selected Teams, it will allow all of us involved behind the scenes a better opportunity to put our full resources against the program. It will still follow the same format, and we are looking forward to an amazing experience for everyone...
We appreciate all of the entries and inquiries we have received, and continue to receive each day. Please check back here for the times, locations of all the tryouts. They will be announced shortly after the conclusion of the Summer Games
Awesome!
Posted by: College Curler | April 21, 2008 at 05:59 PM
The decision to move the date back is going to seriously compromise the ability of a team to develop in time for the first round USCA playdowns (Jan 7-11). Even if they start immediately after the Beijing Games, you're already down to four months of training, and you'll potentially be missing out on some of the early season bonspiels that the team could use to get real game experience.
Posted by: Disappointed | April 22, 2008 at 04:36 AM
This could pose a problem, though how much a trainging schedule as full as theirs will affect player development is uncertain. Some of the players could learn in a 40+ hour curling training week what took some curlers months to learn. Time will be short, but that might not be a bad thing to limit bad habits from forming. I have my first opportunity this summer to continue curling after my regular season with my club and I have already noticed some improvments in my delivery due to continued building off of my regular playing time. Never underestimate on-ice time, especially when the teams will have so much in a condensed time frame with great coaches.
Posted by: Jacob | April 22, 2008 at 08:09 AM
I don't think the later launch time will hurt too much as far as curler development. A 40-hour week training is almost the equivalent of an entire season on the ice. Fold in coaches with constant feedback and the fact that most of it will be practice, not games - so you can figure to be throwing 100s of shots per week. I'd trade the missed bonspiels for world-class coaching any day!
Yes, less calendar time for the teams to jell, but still more ice-time together than many championship curling rinks. Sign me up!
Posted by: PlywoodTom | April 29, 2008 at 01:46 AM
Methinks it's time to quote Dr. McCoy...
"It's dead Jim."
Even if it's not dead, then the lack of practice time will make this a project a sick joke. I seriously doubt if any of the teams will score a point against the pros (unless it's an act of charity)
Why the turn-around from NBC? I'm guessing since the writer strike is over, and times are getting tight, NBC isn't so desperate for material anymore.
Posted by: Bosco Coltrain | June 29, 2008 at 02:57 PM
To the Producers:
Hopefully everything is going good and the producers will be able to announce the tryouts when they have it scheduled. I am deeply looking forward to this opportunity.
To everyone else:
If you want a obvious answer as to why the tryouts were moved to post-olympics, just look at how much coverage NBC is giving to the summer games. 3 times that of the previous olympics in a country that is still primarily an agricultural society. Many crews had to come from overseas not to mention all the equipment. With that drain, I can imagine why so many new shows arent coming out soon unless they were recorded this spring. have some faith and hope this great opportunity for this sport to get some great attention. See ya on the sheet.
Posted by: HopeOfChicago | August 11, 2008 at 06:16 AM
I totally agree!! We need to have faith and not give up hope! I am pumped from the Beijing Olympics and I can’t wait to find out about the trials. We can’t let the producers forget about us. I say everyone who checks this site write in and let them know that we are ready for the challenge and the excitement has not passed. I am tired of checking this site and seeing nothing. So come on America let the producers know we are ready to go now! Go USA!!!
Posted by: Ready to curl | August 14, 2008 at 07:29 PM
Considering the fact that only ONE club in the Entire country has ice at this point the only training and practice that could even begin would be off-ice practice...which anyone who is interested in the show could be doing on their own. No club in the country gets ice until October, and those that do get ice early are the ones that are selected by the USCA or that have additional funding to do so. So the fact that the date has been pushed back may have more to do with the fact that we have no curling ice in the US, except in Rice lake WI. which is currently being used for a bonspeil, and is not cheap to have in during the summer months. So for those who can't wait for a challenge and think that nothing is happening, well maybe you should do your research and you would realize that there is no where to hold a show when there is no "real" ice to curl on in the US, unless you would like us to hop on a skating rink and call it good :) But then again this show will do wonders for the sport in educating the US that curling isn't just played on any old ice rink, and it might take learning a little bit about the history and the sportsmanship of the game for those to realize why people play a game that doesn't offer million dollar pay checks. GO USA!!
Posted by: CurlingclubBartender | August 15, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Rockstar Curling organizers, we are still excited in Seattle! We'll have ice in mid-September, so hope you can come over for the try-outs!
Posted by: SeattleRocks | August 19, 2008 at 11:33 AM
I am very much looking forward to the possibility of trying out... This would be a great opportunity to those involved.
Posted by: coroner | August 20, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Green Bay WI never took their ice out for the year. They could have held tryouts there. I think the truth is that this show will never be produced because nobody is interested in airing it.
Posted by: GB Curler | August 21, 2008 at 05:40 AM
*chirp* *chirp* *chirp*
Posted by: Crickets | August 28, 2008 at 10:35 AM
OK, so now that the summer olympics are officially over, what's the next step for Rockstar Curling??? C'mon...you've left us in suspense long enough. Is this terrific idea ever going to get off the ground??? I think there are many people across the country that would like to see this program up and running!!!!
Posted by: Sam | August 31, 2008 at 09:38 AM
The later the start of training gets, the less possible it becomes for someone relatively new to the sport to have a chance on the show. Despite how "easy" curling might seem to the layperson, this is a sport in which experience is as important as pure athleticism. Some of Canada's top pros are in their 40's (and balding). But they have the balance, finesse, hand-eye coordination, and strategy that only someone who's been playing the sport for 30+ years can attain. Come on, let's get this thing going!
Posted by: Brian | September 08, 2008 at 06:26 AM
That's it. I am officially quitting work and staring my intense training for the playdowns. I know that rockstar would have picked me anyways, so I will see all of you in Denver.
Posted by: Done | September 09, 2008 at 11:12 AM
*chirp* *chirp* *chirp*
Posted by: Crickets | September 17, 2008 at 04:41 AM
What a sick joke. You guys were all talk and no show!!! So, what's the sob story....NBC pulled the plug for something even more stupid?
I bet you guys had no intention of doing this!!!! It was all a stunt so that you could scam some money or get some free publicity. What a bunch of liars!!!!
You losers, go back to telemarketing. F***ing rubes !!!!
Posted by: Jimbo Bob | February 03, 2009 at 02:48 PM