Colleen Jones, Curling Star

I don't watch a lot of curling, but I do watch some since our son curls as his major extra-curricular activity. Curling started in Scotland (it needs the Robin Williams treatment on how it was invented by a crazy/drunk Scotsman), but I think of it now as almost distinctively Canadian--yet another cold-weather sport.

Colleen Jones of Nova Scotia has skipped a team to the women's national championship four times in a row, and six times in total. She has won the world's twice. On the women's side in Canada, unlike the men's, the previous year's champion is automatically in the nationals, playing as "Team Canada." Other teams have to go through often gruelling provincial championships, as all the men's teams do. So Canadians have seen a lot of Colleen on TV. Her day job, incidentally, is doing the weather or something on CBC TV--possibly only in the Maritimes, in any case something I don't watch.

She is famous for her fierce competitiveness on the ice. (I have no doubt she is a very nice person otherwise). When she is delivering a rock herself, she adopts what some call her "Cruella de Ville" face, and she is a bit of a screamer. Female champions receive gold jewellery, and Colleen has a habit of wearing all the gold she has won in the past--even on the ice. There's maybe a Nora Desmond side to her.

This year, she didn't make it to the finals--the game which is on right now. As she was eliminated by her opponent's last shot yesterday, she broke down in tears, and this was on a lot of TV news in Canada. More remarkably, the nearby semi-final game came to a halt, and the whole crowd paid her homage. The slightly nasty muttering you hear is that not everyone is sorry to see her eliminated, but she obviously deserves recognition for her achievements.

She had remarkable success when she was very young--maybe almost too easily. Then it was years before she was back on top--somehow a much more impressive accomplishment.

I'm going to try to find some pictures.

colleen jones

This is more or less Cruella de Ville.

Colleen uses a much more demure or professional shot for her gigs as a motivational speaker.

colleen demure

UPDATE: It turns out Colleen does weather and sports on the national morning show on CBC TV. Thanks, Richard.

Wed Mar 2, 2005 5:40 pm MST by robertll | Email Article |

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Comments

I think Colleen Jones is gorgeous. I love that she is the only team in Culing that wears skirts while playing. I think she makes the weather a joy to watch,

Thu Jun 23, 2005 3:57 am MST by Steve

Colleen Jones is the best female curler in the game, but she could not have accomplished what she has without an amazing team, which she has, they all work so well together. They are truly a joy to watch. Colleen herslef is an amzing talent, not only at her shotmaking ability, but mentally as well, her ability to not let anything bother her, not a missed shot, a lost game, or what peopl have to say about her. I have watched Colleen in the Scotts, Worlds, and Continental Cup, and i must say that she is very impressice, and let me just say that i was there for that loss she had to the U,S. and being a competitive curler myself, I know what it is like to lose a game that you have been working for, not only all year, but for your entire curling career. I think Colleen Jones is a great Canadian embassador and handled herself verywell after that particular game, she went undefeated to get to that game, and then to lose, but worst of all they lost at their own game, which made it hurt that much more. And they did what anyother team would do after losing they showed their true emotion, because many people know that they have put 100% into curling and that team, they have taken time from family and team to make their curling goals come true. Also what I think is more remarkable about that loss is that they got back on their horse as a team and made the team decision to get better, and get back to the world championship back. And since they did that i think i consider them to be so tough as people and as competitors. Her and her team are great pople and players who have been very nice to me when i have been lucky enough to meet them in person. Now they have another test to face, and that is Dec. 2005 and the Olympic Trials...that they so deperstely want and in my opinion deserve, this will be the ultimate test, I know they have the goods, I jusgt want to see them deliver. And as the C. Jones teams says over and over again, they will have to face their biggest opponent to do so. Themselves, and if they can do that, I believe they will win in Halifax, and ultimately the Gold in Turin.

Mon Apr 11, 2005 8:48 pm MST by Anonymous

Your my superhero ! I love you !

Thu Apr 7, 2005 1:55 am MST by brAndi

I am not generally a curling fan but i did get interestee somewhat when I saw Colleen Jones do weather and sports on cbcnews. I really liked her, but when I saw her a couple of years ago curling against the US I think? and when she lost, she was such a poor sport and never even smiled or acknowledged the winning team, and her disappointment and bitterness was so apparent that even I who was not even there was embarressed for her and for Canada and I could not understand that attitude, which was not the bouncy nice Colleen that I was used to seeing doing the weather and sports on cbc news. Wow she must be some kind of witch hopefully she will get over herself and the game and come back smilling

Mon Apr 4, 2005 2:29 am MST by betty

I am not generally

Mon Apr 4, 2005 2:23 am MST by BETTY

Actually, Colleen is seen on a National TV show on CBC in the mornings. She reports on both weather and sports. Now that I commute I do not watch that show, but I enjoyed her casual style, and smiles, when I did watch. Richard

Mon Feb 28, 2005 7:47 pm MST by Richard

Colleen Jones, Curling Star

Colleen Jones, Curling Star

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