By Curtis Galbraith

Curling

Planning, preparing for curling season continues during pandemic

May 17, 2020 | 7:00 AM

Curlers have been staying busy with their sport even during the pandemic.

Nampa’s Kayla Skrlik describes it as being “a little bit different.”

“We didn’t get to meet up and discuss anything in person. Everything is over the phone, which isn’t completely abnormal for curlers anyway. I’m used to sitting down with my potential teammates that we’re looking to recruit and having a conversation and we did that over Facebook video messenger instead.”

As for off-season training, Skrlik says she and her teammates are sticking with home workouts and running where usually, they would go to a gym.

“All four of us are used to going to a gym and doing that every day. It’s been a little bit of a switch to move to home workouts and we’ve definitely been utilizing YouTube and whatever free services we have available to make our lives a little bit easier. It’s different, for sure, so it’ll be interesting to see, when and if we get on the curling ice this year, what impact that will make to our season.”

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Skrlik says events for the upcoming season are being planned but thinks it will be July or August before anyone knows for sure if the ones planned for September and October will go ahead.

Skrlik recently re-united with sister Ashton on the same team, plus added long-time competitor Selena Sturmay.

“Selena reached out to Brittany (Tran) and I when we announced our split from our other two team members. Selena just seemed like such a great fit. She’s won so many things as a skip and her and I have played against each other for years, so we knew each pretty well.”

Skrlik adds she loves playing with her sister.

“She’s great. I think this will be our 17th season together or maybe 15th season together. We only took one season off, so it’s going to be familiar and really nice to get back on the ice as a unit again.”

Ashton was in junior last year while Kayla had moved up to women’s. Their respective teams played in some of the same events, but never against each other. Kayla says it will be easier on the family to have the two sisters on the same team again.

Skrlik says who plays what position on the new foursome has not been decided yet.

The team recently announced on its Facebook page May 13 that it will be based out of Calgary’s Glencoe Curling Club.