The Sports Truth

A few weeks ago, The Sports Truth debated whether curling (among other things) should be considered a sport. By a convincing 5-2 margin, our panel declared it worthy of sport status, and one of the supporting arguments for the majority decision (naturally) was the good-looking women.

We had no idea.

Since our debate, we’ve been contacted by a retired curler and member of Canada’s 2002 Olympic squad in Nagano, Japan, who turned us on (pun not intended) to Fire On Ice, the incomparable 2007 calendar featuring the women of curling.

The 2006 calendar showcasing the women of curling sold over 4,000 copies worldwide, putting some valuable cash into the jeans of the 12 female curling athletes who dared not wear any for the photo shoot.

The media furor of a year ago, which included write-ups in Playboy, Esquire and Sports Illustrated, brought the sport great publicity, and the Sports Truth is happy to play any role in promoting the cause.

The 2007 calendar, which you can learn more about and purchase by following this link, is on sale now. It features 17 models and a special page of four models from last year’s collectors edition in new poses. Some of the images are in color, the rest in artful black and white.

“We were looking to add value to the product, not that it was shy on value
last year,” said the calendar’s creator Ana Arce, a competitive curler from Spain, who shot all the photographs and, once again, posed herself - this time on the cover.

“We have more of the most beautiful curling girls in the world this year, extra pages, and of course the same large product size and paper quality. We know people will be pleased, and the fact they are helping women’s curling is the best touch.”

For the first time, Fire On Ice features athletes from the USA - 2003 world champion skip (and 2006 runner-up) Debbie McCormick, and teammate Nicole Joraanstad. The calendar also features three Canadians, including 2006 Olympic bronze medallist Christine Keshen of Calgary.

Keshen offered some memorable quotes when the calendar debuted, saying she would lose her clothes and pose nude if asked. A year later, the Olympian is also a pin-up girl. One that hopes to garner attention for her sport.

“I’m the wild one on the team,” Keshen said. “I say bring it on. We need something, a boost. Some curlers are beautiful. At the end of the day, if it helps the entire sport, it’s great.”

“My hope is to help increase interest in women’s curling,” she added. “To show the world that the women that curl are beautiful, fit athletes. Perhaps it’s challenging to see that when we’re on ice covered in our jackets, trying to keep warm. If you want proof on how fun, cool, and sexy curling is, just buy a calendar!”

Fire On Ice, which we’ve included another link to in case you missed the first, also features athletes from Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Scotland, Austria, Sweden and Norway.

Posted in Curling