Kevin Martin (born July 31, 1966), nicknamed "The Old Bear" and "K-Mart", is a Canadian retired
curler from
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
, an Olympic, World and four-time Canadian champion and a member of the World Curling Hall of Fame.
He is considered by many commentators and former and current curlers to be the greatest curler of all time.
He is also known for his rivalries with
Randy Ferbey
Randy S. Ferbey (born May 30, 1959) is a Canadian retired curler from Sherwood Park, Alberta. Ferbey is a six-time Canadian champion and a four-time World Champion. He currently coaches the Rachel Homan women's team.
Born in Edmonton, Albert ...
/
David Nedohin
David Nedohin (born December 20, 1973) is a Canadian curler. Nedohin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and now plays out of Sherwood Park, Alberta. He is best known as the longtime fourth for Randy Ferbey.
Curling career
Nedohin joined the Randy ...
, the best Alberta provincial rivalry ever as the two teams were generally regarded the best in the world from 2002 to 2006; his rivalry with
Jeff Stoughton
Jeffrey R. "Jeff" Stoughton (born July 26, 1963) is a Canadian retired curler. He is a three-time Brier champion and two-time World champion as skip. Stoughton retired from competitive curling in 2015. He is one of the most successful Manitoba ...
, perhaps the most famous all prairies rivalry ever which spanned over 2 decades from 1991 to 2014; with
Glenn Howard
Glenn William Howard (born July 17, 1962) is a Canadian curler who is one of the most decorated curlers of all time. He has won four world championships, four Briers and 17 Ontario provincial championships, including a record eight straight ...
from 2007 to 2014, perhaps the best two team rivalry in Canadian curling history, and his rivalry with Sweden's
Peja Lindholm
Peter "Peja" Rutger Lindholm (born 2 June 1970 in Östersund, Sweden) is a retired Swedish curler. Lindholm is currently a coach of the Chinese Curling Association.https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/curling/athlete-prof ...
from 1997 to 2006, perhaps the best ever men's Canada-Europe rivalry.
Over his 30-year curling career, he won four
Briers, a gold medal at the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
, and one
world championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
. He went to a total of three
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
and four World Championships, and won a total of two Olympic medals and three World Championship medals. He won 15
Grand Slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
titles on the
World Curling Tour
The World Curling Tour (WCT) is a group of curling bonspiels featuring the best male, female, and mixed doubles curlers in the world.
History
The World Curling Tour was founded by former World Champion Ed Lukowich, with later assistance from Jo ...
(the media count 18, including three
Players' Championship
The Players' Championship is one of the final events on the World Curling Tour (WCT) and is a part of the Grand Slam of Curling.
From 2016 to 2019, it was the penultimate slam of the curling season, and the last of the four "majors". The even ...
s won prior to its inclusion as a Grand Slam event), which includes a record eight Players' Championship titles. Over the course of his career, his teams won around $2 million. He was the first skip to win a "career Grand Slam," winning a title in each Grand Slam event, after he won the Players' Championship Grand Slam event in April 2005. Martin also holds the record for the most Olympic victories, with 20 total wins at the Olympics.
During his career, Martin also served as a major influence in the development of the sport of curling, establishing the competitive tier in the sport and setting the groundwork for the management of curling teams and the creation of high-level competitive curling events. He is also known for contributing to the growth of curling, long known as a recreational and participant-based sport, as a spectator sport. Martin retired from competitive curling in 2014.
In 2019, Martin was named the greatest Canadian male
skip
Skip or Skips may refer to:
Acronyms
* SKIP (Skeletal muscle and kidney enriched inositol phosphatase), a human gene
* Simple Key-Management for Internet Protocol
* SKIP of New York (Sick Kids need Involved People), a non-profit agency aidin ...
in history in a
TSN poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.
Career
Junior career
Martin began curling when he was six years old. He took up the sport because his father was the vice president of his local curling club.
Martin first came on the curling scene in 1985 when his Alberta team of
Richard Feeney,
Dan Petryk
Daniel P. Petryk (born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian curler.
He is a and a 1991 Labatt Brier champion.
He played at the 1992 Winter Olympics when curling was a demonstration sport, Canadian men's team finished at fourth place.
Teams
Pers ...
and
Michael Berger won the
1985 Canadian Junior Championship in their first year together as a team. The rink (a group of players) finished the round robin in second place, with a win–loss record of 7–4, behind Prince Edward Island's
Kent Scales. This forced them into a semifinal against the third place Quebec rink, skipped by
Steve Gagnon. They beat Quebec 5–4, earning a spot in the final against Prince Edward Island which they won with a score of 6–3. After winning the championship, he accompanied the Canadian team as an alternate at the 1985
World Junior Curling Championships
The World Junior Curling Championships are an annual curling bonspiel featuring the world's best curlers who are 21 years old or younger. The competitions for both men and women occur at the same venue. The men's tournament has occurred since 1 ...
.
By winning the 1985 Canadian junior championship, the team qualified for the following season's . The team went undefeated through the round robin and won their semifinal match against Sweden. However, in the final, they came up short, losing 7–6 to the Scottish team skipped by
David Aitken.
Early career
Five years out of the
World Junior Championships, Martin had formed a new team and won his first
provincial championship. This qualified him and his team of
Kevin Park
Kevin Park (born September 2, 1964 in Hythe, Alberta) is a Canadian curler from Edmonton, Alberta.
Career
Early career
Park was a two time provincial junior champion in his native Alberta, winning in 1983 and 1984.
Park played third for Kev ...
, Dan Petryk and
Don Bartlett
Donald Bartlett (born April 1, 1960) is a Canadian curler who lives in Edmonton, Alberta. Bartlett is best known for his many years playing lead for Kevin Martin.
In 1999 Bartlett's home town became host the Don Bartlett Curling Classic. Now ...
for the
1991 Labatt Brier. At the 1991 Brier, Martin finished the round robin with an 8–3 win–loss record, tying Saskatchewan for first place. Martin knocked off British Columbia in the semifinal, and then beat Saskatchewan (skipped by
Randy Woytowich
Randy Woytowich (born July 22, 1954) is a Canadian curling, curler from Saskatchewan. He is a former Canadian mixed champion and two-time provincial men's champion.
As a junior curler, Woytowich and teammates Rick Woytowich, Ben Dies and Jo ...
) with a score of 8–4 in the final. The rink was then off to the
1991 Canada Safeway World Curling Championships in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
. Martin turned the tables, going undefeated through the round robin. After beating Norway's
Eigil Ramsfjell
Eigil Ramsfjell (born 17 March 1955 in Oslo) is a Norwegian curler, world champion and Olympic medalist. Many consider him one of the pioneers in modern curling. He received a bronze medal as skip at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. in the semifinal, Martin's team lost in the final, losing to Scotland's
David Smith with a score of 2–7.
His 1991 Brier victory also earned him a spot at the
1992 Winter Olympics
)
, nations = 64
, athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women)
, events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines)
, opening = 8 February 1992
, closing = 23 February 1992
, opened_by = President François Mitterrand
, cauldron ...
, where curling was just a demonstration sport at the time. Martin won all three of his round robin games before losing the semifinal to Switzerland with a score of 4–8 and losing to the United States with a score of 2–9 in the bronze medal match.
In 1992, Martin won his second provincial championship. His team went 8–3 once again at the
1992 Labatt Brier
The 1992 Labatt Brier was held from March 8 to 15 at the Agridome in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Vic Peters of Manitoba defeated Russ Howard of Ontario in the final in an extra end to win his first and only Brier of his career.
Teams
Round-robin s ...
, tying them in second place with Ontario. However, in the semifinal, the Ontario rink, skipped by
Russ Howard
Russell W. "Russ" Howard, CM, ONL (born February 19, 1956 in Midland, Ontario) is a Canadian curler and Olympic champion, based in Regina, Saskatchewan, but originally from Midland, Ontario. He lived in Moncton, New Brunswick from 2000 to 2 ...
, defeated Martin's team by 7–4.
Martin's first
World Curling Tour
The World Curling Tour (WCT) is a group of curling bonspiels featuring the best male, female, and mixed doubles curlers in the world.
History
The World Curling Tour was founded by former World Champion Ed Lukowich, with later assistance from Jo ...
event was the
1993 Players' Championship, then known as the "Seagrams VO Cup". His first WCT event win came the following season at the 1993
Kelowna Cashspiel
Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''k ...
. Later that season he won the 1994 Players' Championship, which has been retroactively considered his first Slam win, even through the event occurred long before the Grand Slam series began.
1995–1999
After his two Brier seasons, Martin did not win the provincial title again until 1995. In the meantime, he had made some line-up changes in his team, and by the
1995 Labatt Brier
The 1995 Labatt Brier was held from March 5 to 12 at the Metro Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kerry Burtnyk of Manitoba defeated Brad Heidt of Saskatchewan in the final.
Teams
Round robin standings
Round robin results Draw 1
Draw 2
...
, he had settled on
James Pahl as his second, retaining Park and Bartlett as his third and lead, respectively. At the 1995 Brier, he placed in third after the round robin with a 7–4 win–loss record, tied with Ontario and Prince Edward Island. Martin knocked off Ontario's
Ed Werenich
Edward Werenich (born June 23, 1947) is a Canadian curler from Holland Landing, Ontario. Nicknamed "The Wrench," Werenich has been known to be a colourful and outspoken character. Outside of curling, Werenich worked as a firefighter.
Career
We ...
in the
page playoffs
The Page playoff system is a playoff format used primarily in softball and curling at the championship level, the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League cricket tournaments. Teams are Single-elimination tournament#Seeding, seeded using a ...
3 vs. 4 match, but lost to
Kerry Burtnyk
Kerry Burtnyk (born November 24, 1958) is a Canadian curler from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He grew up in Reston, Manitoba. He is a two time Canadian champion skip, and the 1995 World Champion skip. He is currently the coach of the Darcy Robertson rin ...
's Manitoba rink in the semifinal with a score of 9–3.
In 1995, Martin replaced Park and Pahl with
Don Walchuk
Donald J. Walchuk (born March 6, 1963 in Melville, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian curler from Edmonton, Alberta. For many years Walchuk played third for Kevin Martin's team. On Martin's rink, Walchuk was known especially for his "high heat" - his ...
and
Shawn Broda Shawn may refer to:
*Shawn (given name)
*Shawn (surname)
See also
* Sean
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' () ...
, respectively. Martin won his fourth provincial title, sending him to the
1996 Labatt Brier. The team placed first after the round robin, finishing with a 10–1 win–loss record. However, in the page playoff 1 vs. 2 game, he lost to Manitoba's
Jeff Stoughton
Jeffrey R. "Jeff" Stoughton (born July 26, 1963) is a Canadian retired curler. He is a three-time Brier champion and two-time World champion as skip. Stoughton retired from competitive curling in 2015. He is one of the most successful Manitoba ...
. In the semifinal, Martin rebounded with a win over Quebec, but the rematch against Stoughton in the final resulted in a loss in an extra end, which Stoughton stole after a light draw by Martin to win the game 8–7.
In 1996, Broda was replaced by
Rudy Ramcharan
Rudy Ramcharan (born 1964 in Trinidad) is a Canadian curler from Edmonton, Alberta. He played second for three seasons for Kevin Martin from 1996–97 to 1998–99. He won a Brier as a member of the team in 1997.
Ramcharan joined the te ...
on the team. With his new team, Martin won another provincial title, and at the
1997 Labatt Brier, he once again finished the round robin with a 10–1 win–loss record. His only loss came to the undefeated
Vic Peters
Victor Alvin "Vic" Peters (March 24, 1955 – March 27, 2016) was a Canadian curler who was a three-time Manitoba curling champion, and one-time national champion as winner of the 1992 Labatt Brier.
Peters was once considered a member of Manit ...
rink of Manitoba. However, Martin met and defeated Peters twice in the playoffs, including winning the final with a score of 10–8. With this win, Martin won his second Brier and the right to go to the
1997 Ford World Men's Curling Championship. Martin topped the round robin at the Worlds, with a 7–2 win–loss record, but lost to Sweden in the semifinal with a score of 6–4 and then to Scotland in the bronze medal match with a score of 8–4.
In 1997, Martin looked to represent Canada at the Olympics once again. The
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the ...
would mark the first time curling would be an official medal sport at the games. At the
1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
The 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials were held from November 22 to 30, 1997 at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba. They were held to determine the Canadian National men's and women's Teams for the 1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Wi ...
, Martin's rink finished with a 6–3 win–loss record, tied in second place with
Ed Werenich
Edward Werenich (born June 23, 1947) is a Canadian curler from Holland Landing, Ontario. Nicknamed "The Wrench," Werenich has been known to be a colourful and outspoken character. Outside of curling, Werenich worked as a firefighter.
Career
We ...
. Martin knocked off Werenich in the semifinal but lost to the then little known
Mike Harris
Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945) is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 22nd premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (PC Party) from 1990 to 2002. During his time ...
in the final with a score of 6–5. For the next few years, Martin would fail to make it back to the Brier. In 1998, Martin won his second Players' Championship of his career, then known as the "Apolla World Curling Tour Championship".
1999–2006
In 1999, Martin dropped Ramcharan, who was embroiled by a scandal where he botched organizing a
bonspiel
A bonspiel is a curling tournament, consisting of several games, often held on a weekend. Until the 20th century most bonspiels were held outdoors, on a frozen freshwater loch. Today almost all bonspiels are held indoors on specially prepared ar ...
, and replaced him with
Carter Rycroft
Carter Rycroft (born August 29, 1977) is a Canadian curler from Sherwood Park, Alberta. He was a member of the Canadian Olympic team, skipped by Kevin Martin, that won a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Career
Rycroft joined the Marti ...
, an upstart junior curler. In 2000, Martin won his sixth provincial title, defeating
Frank Morissette
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curr ...
4–2 in the final. However, the
2000 Labatt Brier would be a flop for the team, which finished with a 6–5 win–loss record out of the playoffs. That season, Martin won his third Players' Championship.
Following a failed bid to win the 2001 Alberta championship, the team then boycotted the Brier,
as prominent curling teams of the day wanted to focus more on the
World Curling Tour
The World Curling Tour (WCT) is a group of curling bonspiels featuring the best male, female, and mixed doubles curlers in the world.
History
The World Curling Tour was founded by former World Champion Ed Lukowich, with later assistance from Jo ...
, while the
Canadian Curling Association
Curling Canada (formerly the Canadian Curling Association (CCA)) is a sanctioning body for the sport of Curling in Canada. It is associated with more than a dozen provincial and territorial curling associations across the country, and organizes C ...
scheduled events conflicting with major WCT events. In the meantime, however, Martin still had his sights set on an Olympic championship. The team went to the
2001 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials The 2001 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials were held from December 1 to 9 at the Agridome in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were held to determine the Canadian National men's and women's Teams for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Men
Teams
Final standings
...
and finished first after the round robin with a 7–2 win–loss record. That gave the team a bye to the finals, which Martin won by defeating Kerry Burtnyk with a score of 8–7.
At the
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...
, Martin lost just one round robin matchup and qualified for the playoffs. In the semifinal, Martin knocked off Sweden's
Peja Lindholm
Peter "Peja" Rutger Lindholm (born 2 June 1970 in Östersund, Sweden) is a retired Swedish curler. Lindholm is currently a coach of the Chinese Curling Association.https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/curling/athlete-prof ...
by a score of 6–4, breaking a long losing streak to his main nemesis. In the final, Martin faced Norway, skipped by
Pål Trulsen
Pål Trulsen (born 19 April 1962 in Drøbak, Norway) is a Norwegian curler from Hosle in Bærum, and was the 2002 Olympic curling men's champion.
Career
Trulsen participated in both the and World Junior Championships, finishing both tourn ...
. Early on Martin fell behind 3–0 with Trulsen's team taking steals of 1 and 2, forcing Kevin into extremely difficult final shots due to their dominant and aggressive front end play. Team Martin steadied themselves and climbed to 5–5 with hammer going into the final end however. In the final end, Martin had a simple draw against one Norway rock to win, identical to his successful draw in the Olympic Trials final vs Kerry Burtnyk, which he missed, giving Trulsen the win with a score of 6–5. As a result, Norway clinched the gold medal, and Martin, representing Canada, won his third international silver.
Due to the boycott, Martin's rink would not win another provincial title until 2006. In the meantime, the team had amassed five Grand Slam titles and won the
2005 Canada Cup of Curling.
Martin played in his third
Canadian Olympic Trials in 2005. The event was a disappointment for the team, which finished with a 4–5 record. However, later in the season, the team won the 2006 Alberta provincials, defeating
Mark Johnson in the final. This put the team in to the
2006 Tim Hortons Brier, Martin's first Brier appearance in six years. The team finished the round robin tied in second place with an 8–3 record. However, in the page playoff 3 vs. 4 game, Martin's rink was edged by Nova Scotia's
Mark Dacey
Mark Dacey (born June 22, 1966) is a Canadian curler originally from Saskatchewan. He was based at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Dacey is a former Canadian men's curling champion skip, having won the 2004 Nokia Brier. He ...
8–7. The team would later win the
2006 Canada Cup of Curling
The 2006 Strauss Canada Cup of Curling was held January 31-February 5, 2006 at the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops, British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between ...
.
2006–2013
On April 26, 2006 Martin announced the breakup of his long-time, Olympic silver medallist team of lead
Don Bartlett
Donald Bartlett (born April 1, 1960) is a Canadian curler who lives in Edmonton, Alberta. Bartlett is best known for his many years playing lead for Kevin Martin.
In 1999 Bartlett's home town became host the Don Bartlett Curling Classic. Now ...
, second
Carter Rycroft
Carter Rycroft (born August 29, 1977) is a Canadian curler from Sherwood Park, Alberta. He was a member of the Canadian Olympic team, skipped by Kevin Martin, that won a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Career
Rycroft joined the Marti ...
and third
Don Walchuk
Donald J. Walchuk (born March 6, 1963 in Melville, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian curler from Edmonton, Alberta. For many years Walchuk played third for Kevin Martin's team. On Martin's rink, Walchuk was known especially for his "high heat" - his ...
. The team had disappointed at the 2005 Trials, had not won a single Grand Slam title in the 2005–06 season, and topped it off by finishing fourth at the Brier. Martin replaced Walchuk, Rycroft and Bartlett with
World Junior Champion skip
John Morris at third,
Marc Kennedy
Marc Kennedy (born February 5, 1982) is a Canadian curler, and Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic gold medallist from St. Albert, Alberta.
In 2019, Kennedy was named the greatest Canadian male second in history in a TSN poll of broadcasters, repo ...
at second and
Ben Hebert
Benjamin "Ben" Hebert (born March 16, 1983) is a Canadian curler, a Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic gold medallist, 2008 World Champion and four time Brier Champion from Chestermere, Alberta.
In 2019, Hebert was named the greatest Canadian ma ...
at lead.
His new team won the 2007 Alberta provincials, defeating Team
Kevin Koe
Kevin Koe ( ; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curler. Koe is a two-time World champion and four-time Canadian champion. He was the skip of the Canadian men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Originally from Yellowknife
...
in the final, 9–7 after Team Koe fourth
Blake MacDonald missed two draws to win. This sent the team to their
first Brier, where they finished the round robin with an 8–3 win–loss record in second place, tied with Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador. The new team struggled at the 2007 Brier in Hamilton, and lost in the 3 vs. 4 game to Jeff Stoughton, 6–3. Despite their Brier failure, however, the season was a success on the World Curling Tour, where they won three of the four Grand Slams. During the
2006–07 and
2007–08 curling seasons, Martin and his team won an unprecedented five consecutive Grand Slams, three in the 2006–07 season and two in the 2007–08 season.
The team won their second straight provincials in 2008, sending them to the
2008 Tim Hortons Brier. On March 13, 2008, Martin's team from Alberta became the first team since 2003 to go through the round robin at the Tim Hortons Brier undefeated. They finished the round robin with a perfect 11–0 win–loss record. They knocked off Saskatchewan 8–7 in the 1 vs. 2 game, and then beat rival and defending champion
Glenn Howard
Glenn William Howard (born July 17, 1962) is a Canadian curler who is one of the most decorated curlers of all time. He has won four world championships, four Briers and 17 Ontario provincial championships, including a record eight straight ...
of Ontario 5–4 in the final. With that perfect finish, Martin won his third Brier title. Martin finally won his first World Championship at the
2008 World Men's Curling Championship in
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...
. After finishing the round robin with a 10–1 win–loss record, he lost to Scotland, skipped by
David Murdoch
David Matthew Murdoch (born 17 April 1978) is a retired Scottish curler from Stirling. As the Scotland skip, he and his former team of Ewan MacDonald, Warwick Smith, Euan Byers and Peter Smith are the 2006 and 2009 World Curling Champion ...
, in the 1 vs. 2 game, only to beat them in a rematch in the final 6–3. This was the first time Kevin Martin won a gold medal at an international curling event. The Martin rink finished the 2007–08 season with two more Grand Slam titles. Due to his Brier and World Championship successes in 2008, the
Canadian Curling Association
Curling Canada (formerly the Canadian Curling Association (CCA)) is a sanctioning body for the sport of Curling in Canada. It is associated with more than a dozen provincial and territorial curling associations across the country, and organizes C ...
selected Kevin Martin's team (along with
Jennifer Jones
Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned over five decades, she was nominated ...
,
Kevin Koe
Kevin Koe ( ; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curler. Koe is a two-time World champion and four-time Canadian champion. He was the skip of the Canadian men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Originally from Yellowknife
...
and
Stefanie Lawton
Stefanie Lawton ( Miller; born June 20, 1980) is a Canadian curler from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central r ...
) to be Canada's representatives on "Team North America" at the
2008 Continental Cup of Curling
The 2008 Continental Cup of Curling was the 6th edition of this event and was held from December 18–21, 2008 at the EnCana Arena in Camrose, Alberta. It was the first edition of the Continental Cup in which teams outside of North America and E ...
.
![Alberta 2009 Brier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Alberta_2009_Brier.JPG)
The 2008–09 season would be almost as successful for Martin. He once again qualified for the Brier, winning the
Alberta provincial championship, and then once again went 13–0 in the
2009 Tim Hortons Brier. He knocked off Glenn Howard 7–6 followed by Jeff Stoughton in the final by a 7–4 result. A week later, at the
2009 Canada Cup of Curling, Martin won his third title, defeating fellow Edmonton rink
Randy Ferbey
Randy S. Ferbey (born May 30, 1959) is a Canadian retired curler from Sherwood Park, Alberta. Ferbey is a six-time Canadian champion and a four-time World Champion. He currently coaches the Rachel Homan women's team.
Born in Edmonton, Albert ...
in the final. At the
2009 Ford World Men's Curling Championship
The 2009 World Men's Curling Championship (branded as 2009 Ford World Men's Curling Championship presented by Atlantic Lottery for sponsorship reasons) was held in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada from April 4–12, 2009, at the Moncton Coliseum. T ...
, Martin won 10 straight games until he met Scotland in the final round robin game. Martin lost to Scotland and then lost to them again in the 1–2 page playoff game. Martin rebounded with a tight semifinal victory over Switzerland, but had to face Scotland in a third matchup in the final. The game was tied going into the last end with Martin having the last rock advantage. Before his first rock, Martin was lying one in a complicated setup. After spending about six minutes trying to decide which shot to try, he went against the wishes of his teammates and threw away his shot, forcing Scotland's
David Murdoch
David Matthew Murdoch (born 17 April 1978) is a retired Scottish curler from Stirling. As the Scotland skip, he and his former team of Ewan MacDonald, Warwick Smith, Euan Byers and Peter Smith are the 2006 and 2009 World Curling Champion ...
to make a double-tap to sit shot. Murdoch made his shot, leaving Martin with a short-raise double, which he missed, losing the championship to Scotland, 7–6.
Martin's team directly qualified for the
2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
The 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials were held December 6–13, 2009 at Rexall Place in Edmonton. The event is also known and advertised as ''Roar of the Rings''. The winner of the men's and women's events represented Canada at the 2010 Winter ...
in his hometown of Edmonton. In his fourth Trials, Martin lost just one round robin game. After defeating the previously undefeated Glenn Howard rink in his final round robin game, Martin got a bye to the final, which was against Howard, whom he defeated 7–3. With the win, Martin earned the right to represent Canada for the second time at the
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
. After the Olympic Trials, Martin's rink failed to qualify for the playoffs at the
2010 Swiss Chalet National. This would mark the first time Martin failed to make the playoffs at a Grand Slam since 2003. However, they proved they were worthy to represent Canada at the Olympics by winning the
2010 BDO Classic Canadian Open two weeks later.
![Kevin Martin 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Kevin_Martin_2010.jpg)
At the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
, Martin's team went undefeated (9–0) during the
round-robin phase, becoming the first team to achieve this feat since the British curling team at the
1924 Chamonix Olympics. After winning the semifinal against Sweden's
Niklas Edin
Johan Niklas Edin (born 6 July 1985) is a Swedish curler. He currently resides in Karlstad, which has been his curling home base since 2008. He holds several sport distinctions. He is the first and the only skip in World Curling Federation (WCF ...
, Martin went on to win the gold medal, defeating Norway's
Thomas Ulsrud
Thomas Ulsrud (21 October 1971 – 24 May 2022) was a Norwegian curler from Oslo. He won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics, one World Curling Championship, two European Curling Championships, and fourteen Norwegian titles ( Norwegian M ...
6–3, in a rematch of Martin's only previous Olympic final. Martin wrapped up his Olympic season by winning the
2010 Players' Championships, his second Grand Slam win of the year. He beat
Brad Gushue
Bradley Raymond Gushue, ONL ( ; born June 16, 1980) is a Canadian curler from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Gushue, along with teammates Russ Howard, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam, represented Canada in curling at the 2006 W ...
in the final in an extra end.
It took the Martin rink until December 2010 to win another major bonspiel. Martin claimed another Slam by winning
the National again over Jeff Stoughton. However, he was defeated by Stoughton in the quarterfinal of the
Canadian Open.
Martin made his eleventh appearance at the
Brier
Briar, Briars, Brier, or Briers may refer to:
* Briar, or brier, common name for a number of unrelated thorny plants that form thicket
People
* Brier (surname)
* Briers, a surname
* Briars (surname)
Places
* Briar, Missouri, U.S.
* Bri ...
playing for Alberta, after defeating Kevin Koe in the final of the
provincials. He went through the round robin with a 9–2 win–loss record, and had some trouble during the round robin after losing crucial games to Manitoba and Newfoundland/Labrador in less than 10 ends. After a close win over Glenn Howard in the round robin, Martin dropped a 4–5 decision to Howard after he missed a crucial shot in the 3 vs. 4 game of the playoffs, and he lost the bronze medal game to Brad Gushue 10–5, playing without second
Marc Kennedy
Marc Kennedy (born February 5, 1982) is a Canadian curler, and Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic gold medallist from St. Albert, Alberta.
In 2019, Kennedy was named the greatest Canadian male second in history in a TSN poll of broadcasters, repo ...
, because Kennedy and his wife were expecting a child. Martin finished the 2010–11 season by winning his record 7th Players' Championship.
Martin's first event of the
2011–12 World Curling Tour was the
Point Optical Curling Classic, where he finished as a runner-up to
Mike McEwen. He then won his first event of the season, the
Westcoast Curling Classic
The Westcoast Curling Classic (formerly the Key West Ford Westcoast Curling Classic, the Allied Windows Westcoast Curling Classic and the PriceWaterhouseCoopers Westcoast Curling Classic) was an annual curling tournament, held on Thanksgiving weeke ...
, against McEwen. He next participated in the
Cactus Pheasant Classic as the defending champion, but lost to Randy Ferbey in the semifinals. At the
World Cup of Curling
The Masters is a Grand Slam event on the men's and women's World Curling Tour. It is the second Grand Slam event and first major on the women's and men's tour. The event is an amalgamation of the men's World Cup of Curling and the women's Sun L ...
, Martin finished the round robin with a 4–1 win–loss record, but missed a chance to win another Grand Slam title after he was edged past by
John Epping
John Allan Epping (born March 20, 1983) is a Canadian curler from Toronto, Ontario. He currently skips his own team out of the Leaside Curling Club in East York, Toronto.
Career
Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Epping was a top junior curler, h ...
, 3–4. He failed to make it into the playoffs at his next event, the
Sun Life Classic
The Masters is a Grand Slam event on the men's and women's World Curling Tour. It is the second Grand Slam event and first major on the women's and men's tour. The event is an amalgamation of the men's World Cup of Curling and the women's Sun L ...
. He and his team then competed in the
Canada Cup of Curling
The Canada Cup (branded as the Home Hardware Canada Cup for sponsorship reasons, and also referred to as the Canada Cup of Curling) is a major men's and women's curling championship in Canada. It is organized by Curling Canada and is one of its ma ...
, securing close wins over Glenn Howard and Jeff Stoughton in the round robin and finishing the round robin undefeated. He then played Howard in the final, and managed to defeat him with a score of 7–4, winning his record 4th Canada Cup title as skip. He and his team also earned berths into the
2012 Canada Cup,
Continental Cup, and, most importantly, the
2013 Olympic Trials.
Martin then went to
Dawson Creek, British Columbia
Dawson Creek is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The municipality of had a population of 12,978 in 2016. Dawson Creek derives its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the community. The creek was named after ...
for a shot at an eighteenth Grand Slam title at
the National. He went undefeated through the round robin and made it to the final, where he lost a close game 6–5 to
Glenn Howard
Glenn William Howard (born July 17, 1962) is a Canadian curler who is one of the most decorated curlers of all time. He has won four world championships, four Briers and 17 Ontario provincial championships, including a record eight straight ...
. In February, Martin and team went to
Camrose, Alberta
Camrose ( ) is a city in central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by Camrose County. Located along Highway 13 it had its beginnings as a railroad hub.
History
The area around Camrose was first settled by Europeans around 1900. At that time t ...
for the
2012 Boston Pizza Cup to play for a chance to represent Alberta at the
2012 Brier. They barely qualified for the playoffs after Martin broke his 22-game win streak at the provincials in losing their first qualifier game to
Kevin Koe
Kevin Koe ( ; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curler. Koe is a two-time World champion and four-time Canadian champion. He was the skip of the Canadian men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Originally from Yellowknife
...
and then lost another qualifier game to
Brock Virtue
Brock Virtue (born September 21, 1986) is a Canadian curler. He currently plays third on Team Charley Thomas. He is a former Canadian and World Junior Curling Champion.
Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, raised in from Regina, Saskatchewan, Virtue's ...
. They then defeated
Robert Schlender
Robert "Rob" Schlender (born January 29, 1972 in Millet, Alberta) is a Canadian curler from Sherwood Park, Alberta.
Career
Schlender skipped Alberta in two Canadian Junior Curling Championships, in 1990 and 1991. At the 1990 Canadian Junior C ...
in the bottom page playoff game and advanced to the semifinal against Virtue, where they lost a tight game in the tenth end. Martin's loss meant that he will not be able to represent Alberta at the Brier for the first time since 2010. It also marked the first time since 2005 that he has not won a provincial championship in which he participated. Martin then won the
2012 Pomeroy Inn & Suites Prairie Showdown final against
Liu Rui
Liu Rui (; born March 13, 1982 in Harbin, Heilongjiang; sometimes known as Rui Lui) is a Chinese curler. He was the skip of the Chinese men's Olympic Curling Team at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Liu played in his first World Curling Championships ...
, and then won the
2012 Victoria Curling Classic Invitational final against
Mike McEwen. Martin wrapped up the season by participating in the
2012 Players' Championship, finishing the round robin with a 5–2 win–loss record. However, he was upset in the semifinals by
John Epping
John Allan Epping (born March 20, 1983) is a Canadian curler from Toronto, Ontario. He currently skips his own team out of the Leaside Curling Club in East York, Toronto.
Career
Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Epping was a top junior curler, h ...
, who went on to win the title.
Martin began his
2012–13 season with the
Point Optical Curling Classic, where he was the runner-up the previous year. He lost a close match in the semifinals to provincial rival
Kevin Koe
Kevin Koe ( ; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curler. Koe is a two-time World champion and four-time Canadian champion. He was the skip of the Canadian men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Originally from Yellowknife
...
. He next played at the
Westcoast Curling Classic
The Westcoast Curling Classic (formerly the Key West Ford Westcoast Curling Classic, the Allied Windows Westcoast Curling Classic and the PriceWaterhouseCoopers Westcoast Curling Classic) was an annual curling tournament, held on Thanksgiving weeke ...
, and won his third straight title and his seventh title overall with a win in the final over
Andrew Bilesky
Andrew Bilesky is a Canadian curler from New Westminster, British Columbia.
Career
Bilesky has skipped teams on the World Curling Tour since the 2009–10 curling season. His best finish to date is as champion at the 2011 Kamloops Crown of Cur ...
. Martin participated at the
Whites Drug Store Classic, but lost to
Randy Bryden in the quarterfinals in an extra end. Martin then competed in the
Masters Grand Slam of Curling, where he lost in the semifinals after a close loss to Koe in an extra end. Martin then participated in the
Canada Cup of Curling
The Canada Cup (branded as the Home Hardware Canada Cup for sponsorship reasons, and also referred to as the Canada Cup of Curling) is a major men's and women's curling championship in Canada. It is organized by Curling Canada and is one of its ma ...
, but was unable to match strong play from his opponents, and finished the event with a 1–5 win–loss record, out of the playoffs. Martin was scheduled to play at the
Canadian Open of Curling
The Canadian Open, is an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament. It is one of the seven Grand Slams and four "majors" on the World Curling Tour, and the only one to use a triple knockout format. A women's event was introduced in the 2014–15 ...
, but had to withdraw due to a hernia. He was replaced by
Joe Frans
Joseph Mark Frans (born July 1, 1975 in Grimsby, Ontario) is a Canadian curler from Guelph, Ontario. Frans is most notable for being a two-time provincial champion and for being suspended from competitive curling for cocaine usage.
Career
Fran ...
, and the team finished outside of the playoffs. After recovering, Martin participated in the
Continental Cup, where he assisted in leading Team North America to a fifth win over Team World. Martin also participated in the
All-Star Curling Skins Game, where his all-star team lost in the semifinal against Glenn Howard's all-star team. Martin then competed in the
Alberta provincials, where he clinched the first seed in the playoffs after edging provincial rival
Kevin Koe
Kevin Koe ( ; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curler. Koe is a two-time World champion and four-time Canadian champion. He was the skip of the Canadian men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Originally from Yellowknife
...
. He defeated
Aaron Sluchinski
Aaron Sluchinski (born March 24, 1987) is a Canadian curler from Airdrie, Alberta. He currently skips his own team out of Calgary.
Career
Sluchinski made his first national appearance at the 2008 Canadian Junior Curling Championships skipping ...
in the page playoff, and edged Koe in an extra end in the final to claim his twelfth provincial title.
At the
2013 Brier, Martin and team began the round-robin with one win and four losses, including losses to
Jeff Stoughton
Jeffrey R. "Jeff" Stoughton (born July 26, 1963) is a Canadian retired curler. He is a three-time Brier champion and two-time World champion as skip. Stoughton retired from competitive curling in 2015. He is one of the most successful Manitoba ...
,
Jean-Michel Ménard
Jean-Michel Ménard (born January 19, 1976) is a curler from Aylmer, Quebec, Canada. Ménard is notable for being the first Francophone born skip from Quebec to win the Brier - Canada's national curling championship- which he did in 2006. In 202 ...
, and eventual champion
Brad Jacobs
Bradley Robert Jacobs (born June 11, 1985) is a Canadian curler from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He is an Olympic champion skip, having led Canada to a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Jacobs is also the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier champions ...
, before winning their final six matches. Despite a 7–4 win–loss record, they did not qualify for the playoffs, placing fifth and becoming the first Alberta team since Martin's squad in 2000 to miss the playoffs. At the
Players' Championship
The Players' Championship is one of the final events on the World Curling Tour (WCT) and is a part of the Grand Slam of Curling.
From 2016 to 2019, it was the penultimate slam of the curling season, and the last of the four "majors". The even ...
, Martin and team finished with a 2–2 win–loss record, and they advanced to a tiebreaker, where they lost to
John Epping
John Allan Epping (born March 20, 1983) is a Canadian curler from Toronto, Ontario. He currently skips his own team out of the Leaside Curling Club in East York, Toronto.
Career
Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Epping was a top junior curler, h ...
. A few days after the conclusion of the Players' Championship, Martin's longtime third, John Morris, announced that he and Martin were parting ways.
2013–2014
A few weeks after Morris announced his departure from the team, Martin announced that
David Nedohin
David Nedohin (born December 20, 1973) is a Canadian curler. Nedohin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and now plays out of Sherwood Park, Alberta. He is best known as the longtime fourth for Randy Ferbey.
Curling career
Nedohin joined the Randy ...
, the fourth player on his former provincial rival
Randy Ferbey
Randy S. Ferbey (born May 30, 1959) is a Canadian retired curler from Sherwood Park, Alberta. Ferbey is a six-time Canadian champion and a four-time World Champion. He currently coaches the Rachel Homan women's team.
Born in Edmonton, Albert ...
's team, would join Martin's team. Martin and team won their first event of the season at the
Shoot-Out. They made the semifinals in their next event at the
Point Optical Curling Classic, but Martin injured his back during the semifinal game.
Jeff Sharp subbed in at lead, and Martin's team finished the event as runners-up to
Jeff Stoughton
Jeffrey R. "Jeff" Stoughton (born July 26, 1963) is a Canadian retired curler. He is a three-time Brier champion and two-time World champion as skip. Stoughton retired from competitive curling in 2015. He is one of the most successful Manitoba ...
. After winning the final of the
Direct Horizontal Drilling Fall Classic
The Direct Horizontal Drilling Fall Classic was an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament, that took place at the Crestwood Curling Club in Edmonton, Alberta. The tournament was held in a triple knockout format. The tournament started in 2013 as ...
over
Brock Virtue
Brock Virtue (born September 21, 1986) is a Canadian curler. He currently plays third on Team Charley Thomas. He is a former Canadian and World Junior Curling Champion.
Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, raised in from Regina, Saskatchewan, Virtue's ...
and posting a semifinals finish at the
Cactus Pheasant Classic, Martin played in the
Masters Grand Slam, finishing the round robin with a 3–1 win–loss record. He proceeded to win his games over
Kevin Koe
Kevin Koe ( ; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curler. Koe is a two-time World champion and four-time Canadian champion. He was the skip of the Canadian men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Originally from Yellowknife
...
and
Liu Rui
Liu Rui (; born March 13, 1982 in Harbin, Heilongjiang; sometimes known as Rui Lui) is a Chinese curler. He was the skip of the Chinese men's Olympic Curling Team at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Liu played in his first World Curling Championships ...
before reaching the final, where he played a close game with
Glenn Howard
Glenn William Howard (born July 17, 1962) is a Canadian curler who is one of the most decorated curlers of all time. He has won four world championships, four Briers and 17 Ontario provincial championships, including a record eight straight ...
until Howard pulled away with the win.
Martin attempted to qualify for his fourth Olympics appearance through the
2013 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. In the round robin, he and his team played consistently and posted a 6–1 win–loss record, with their only loss coming to eventual champion
Brad Jacobs
Bradley Robert Jacobs (born June 11, 1985) is a Canadian curler from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He is an Olympic champion skip, having led Canada to a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Jacobs is also the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier champions ...
. Their record qualified for the semifinal, where they lost a close game to
John Morris's team. Martin was hired by
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its d ...
to work as a curling analyst during the
2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
, a role that he would fill again at the
2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
.
After starting off the
Canadian Open of Curling
The Canadian Open, is an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament. It is one of the seven Grand Slams and four "majors" on the World Curling Tour, and the only one to use a triple knockout format. A women's event was introduced in the 2014–15 ...
with a 4–1 win–loss record, Martin dropped his quarterfinals game against
Brad Gushue
Bradley Raymond Gushue, ONL ( ; born June 16, 1980) is a Canadian curler from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Gushue, along with teammates Russ Howard, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam, represented Canada in curling at the 2006 W ...
in the final end of the game. Martin also posted a strong start at the next Grand Slam,
The National, but lost to Glenn Howard in the quarterfinals. On April 18, 2014, amidst rumours of his front end,
Marc Kennedy
Marc Kennedy (born February 5, 1982) is a Canadian curler, and Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic gold medallist from St. Albert, Alberta.
In 2019, Kennedy was named the greatest Canadian male second in history in a TSN poll of broadcasters, repo ...
and
Ben Hebert
Benjamin "Ben" Hebert (born March 16, 1983) is a Canadian curler, a Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic gold medallist, 2008 World Champion and four time Brier Champion from Chestermere, Alberta.
In 2019, Hebert was named the greatest Canadian ma ...
, joining provincial rival
Kevin Koe
Kevin Koe ( ; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curler. Koe is a two-time World champion and four-time Canadian champion. He was the skip of the Canadian men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Originally from Yellowknife
...
in the next season, Martin announced his retirement from curling following the conclusion of the
2014 Players' Championship
The 2014 Players' Championship was held from April 15 to 20 at the Consolidated Credit Union Place in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. It was the fourth and final Grand Slam of the 2013–14 World Curling Tour.
On the men's side, Edmonton's ...
. At the last tournament of his career, Martin posted a 3–2 win–loss record in the round robin, and advanced to the playoffs. He edged
John Epping
John Allan Epping (born March 20, 1983) is a Canadian curler from Toronto, Ontario. He currently skips his own team out of the Leaside Curling Club in East York, Toronto.
Career
Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Epping was a top junior curler, h ...
and
Mike McEwen en route to the final, where he recorded a 4–3 win over
Brad Jacobs
Bradley Robert Jacobs (born June 11, 1985) is a Canadian curler from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He is an Olympic champion skip, having led Canada to a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Jacobs is also the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier champions ...
while curling at 98%. He capped his career with an eighteenth Grand Slam title, his eighth at the Players' Championship.
Martin will become a curling analyst for
Sportsnet
Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then ...
. Following the end of the season, it was announced that Martin had been inducted into the
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame The Canadian Curling Hall of Fame was established with its first inductees in 1973. It is operated by Curling Canada, the governing body for curling in Canada, in Orleans, Ontario.
The Hall of Fame selection committee meets annually to choose induc ...
. He was inducted into the
World Curling Hall of Fame at the
2018 World Men's Curling Championship.
Legacy
During his playing career, Martin greatly influenced the evolution of the sport of curling into a competitive sport. He was an instrumental part of the group that brought about the
Grand Slam of Curling
The Grand Slam of Curling (branded as the Pinty's Grand Slam of Curling for sponsorship reasons) is a series of curling bonspiels that are a part of the annual World Curling Tour. Grand Slam events offer a purse of at least CAD$100,000, and f ...
.
In the early 2000s, he became the spokesperson for the promotion of the financial growth of curling, represented largely by the
World Curling Tour
The World Curling Tour (WCT) is a group of curling bonspiels featuring the best male, female, and mixed doubles curlers in the world.
History
The World Curling Tour was founded by former World Champion Ed Lukowich, with later assistance from Jo ...
, which was growing in popularity due to the benefits afforded by corporate sponsorship opportunities and cash prizes at tournaments. The Martin-led boycott of the
Canadian Curling Association
Curling Canada (formerly the Canadian Curling Association (CCA)) is a sanctioning body for the sport of Curling in Canada. It is associated with more than a dozen provincial and territorial curling associations across the country, and organizes C ...
for its refusal to allow the developments in the World Curling Tour to be mirrored in the
Brier
Briar, Briars, Brier, or Briers may refer to:
* Briar, or brier, common name for a number of unrelated thorny plants that form thicket
People
* Brier (surname)
* Briers, a surname
* Briars (surname)
Places
* Briar, Missouri, U.S.
* Bri ...
catalyzed not only the transformation of the Brier, but also the growth of the Grand Slam, and in doing so, ultimately allowed the sport of curling to become a legitimate spectator sport. The development of the competitive tier of the sport also marked a change in both the players of the sport and the sport itself, as evidenced by improvements in the development and training of curlers as athletes and improvements in the quality of curling games due to better ice conditions and precision-based gameplay.
Career statistics
Grand Slam record
Teams
Awards
*
World Junior Curling Championships
The World Junior Curling Championships are an annual curling bonspiel featuring the world's best curlers who are 21 years old or younger. The competitions for both men and women occur at the same venue. The men's tournament has occurred since 1 ...
All-Star skip: 1986
* Hec Gervais Award (
Brier
Briar, Briars, Brier, or Briers may refer to:
* Briar, or brier, common name for a number of unrelated thorny plants that form thicket
People
* Brier (surname)
* Briers, a surname
* Briars (surname)
Places
* Briar, Missouri, U.S.
* Bri ...
MVP): 1997, 2009
* Brier Shot of the Week Award: 1997
* Brier first all-star team skip: 1996, 2008, 2009
* Brier second all-star team skip: 2006, 2007
*
World Curling Tour
The World Curling Tour (WCT) is a group of curling bonspiels featuring the best male, female, and mixed doubles curlers in the world.
History
The World Curling Tour was founded by former World Champion Ed Lukowich, with later assistance from Jo ...
(WCT) MVP: 2008–09
* WCT Team of the Year: 2008–09
* WCT MVP: 2009–10
Personal life
Martin is married to Shauna Martin and has three children,
Karrick, Kalycia, and Mykaela. Karrick curls competitively, most recently as the alternate for his father at the
2013 Tim Hortons Brier
The 2013 Tim Hortons Brier, the Canadian men's national curling championship, was held from March 2 to 10 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta. This edition of the Brier marked the thirteenth time that Alberta has hosted the Brier, and the sixth ti ...
, and as the lead for
Brendan Bottcher
Brendan Michael Bottcher (born December 19, 1991) is a Canadian curler from Sherwood Park, Alberta. Bottcher is a three-time provincial men's champion, and was the skip of the 2021 Canadian men's championship team, having led Alberta to victory ...
, winner of the
2017 Alberta men's championship to represent the province at the
2017 Tim Hortons Brier, with Kevin as coach.
Martin is the owner and operator of Kevin's Rocks-n-Racquets, a curling supply shop located at the
Saville Sports Centre
The Saville Community Sports Centre is a sports facility run by the University of Alberta's Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, where it is located in Edmonton, Alberta. It features a curling rink, tennis courts and a gymnasium.
Opened ...
. He has owned his own business since 1991. Prior to that, he was an ice maker.
Martin has a degree in petroleum engineering technology from the
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) is a applied sciences institute in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. NAIT provides careers programs in applied research, technical training, applied education, and learning designed to meet the deman ...
(NAIT), which he earned upon graduating in 1987. He also curled at NAIT under the tutelage of coach
Jules Owchar
Jules Owchar (born October 12, 1944 in Lac La Biche, Alberta) is a Canadian curler, curling coach, and golf coach from Edmonton, Alberta. Owchar is best known as the longtime coach of Kevin Martin, a retired Olympic champion, world champion, and ...
, who has coached Martin since they met at NAIT. Martin also received an honorary bachelor's degree in technology management in 2010, and received the Alumni Award of Distinction in 2011 for his achievements in curling.
Martin is very invested in building the future of the game of curling. He regularly runs curling academies at the Saville Sports Centre. Each summer he organizes a curling camp for junior players called the "Kevin Martin Summer Curling Academy". The Academy is targeted at elite junior players looking to take their game to a higher level.
Martin has also created a
mobile app
A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...
with purchasable content, which includes drills and tips aimed at helping curlers improve their game.
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Curling Scoops Team Profile Page* Video:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Kevin
1966 births
Living people
Brier champions
Curlers at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Curlers at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Curlers at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Curling broadcasters
Olympic curlers of Canada
Olympic gold medalists for Canada
Olympic silver medalists for Canada
People from Flagstaff County
Curlers from Edmonton
World curling champions
Olympic medalists in curling
Medalists at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Canadian male curlers
Continental Cup of Curling participants
Canadian curling coaches
Curling ice makers
Canada Cup (curling) participants