Eight-ender
Encyclopedia
An eight-ender, also called a "snowman," is a perfect score within a single end of curling
. In an end, both sides throw eight rocks, and in an eight-ender, all eight rocks from one team score points.
Eight-enders are extremely rare in competitive curling and are analogous to a perfect game in baseball or a perfect game (300) in bowling. Eight-enders are so rare that the Canadian Curling Association
has an eight-ender award to recognize any eight-ender scored in Canada
. In 2007 Asham Curling Supplies awarded an $8000 prize randomly to one of the 145 teams that registered an eight-ender in the 2005–06 curling season.
in Calgary
, Alberta
on April 15th, 2006. The tournament was the final Grand Slam event in the 2005-06 Grand Slam of Curling
and had a CAD$100,000 purse – one of the largest in women's curling.
The match between Kelly Scott
, who at the time was the reigning Canadian women's champion
and went on to become a world champion
, and Cathy King
a former world bronze medalist. In the 6th end of their match, King and her rink played rather poorly, while Scott and her rink capitalized on King's mistakes. King ricocheted her final stone out the side of a crowded house, leaving Scott a draw for 8. Although her shot was heavy, Scott's rock came to a stop eighteen inches from the back of the house, enough to score her eighth point.
, the world's largest bonspiel
. In this match Leskiw stole his eight points. In curling, when the team that does not have last rock in the end scores, the points scored are termed as stolen points. In this game, Leskiw managed an eight-ender even though Hamblin had the last rock, which gave him the opportunity to score or prevent Leskiw from scoring eight. In fact, Hamblin knocked Leskiw's eighth rock into the house with his final shot, turning a seven point end into an eight-ender.
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
. In an end, both sides throw eight rocks, and in an eight-ender, all eight rocks from one team score points.
Eight-enders are extremely rare in competitive curling and are analogous to a perfect game in baseball or a perfect game (300) in bowling. Eight-enders are so rare that the Canadian Curling Association
Canadian Curling Association
The Canadian Curling Association is a Canadian organization responsible for encouraging and facilitating growth and development of the sport of curling. The CCA is associated with more than a dozen provincial and territorial curling associations across the country.-History:The CCA was created in...
has an eight-ender award to recognize any eight-ender scored in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In 2007 Asham Curling Supplies awarded an $8000 prize randomly to one of the 145 teams that registered an eight-ender in the 2005–06 curling season.
Scott vs King
Perhaps the most famous eight-ender occurred at the 2006 Players' Championships2006 Players' Championships
The 2006 Players' Championships was held April 13–16 at the Stampede Corral in Calgary, Alberta. It was the first Players' Championship to feature a women's event...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
on April 15th, 2006. The tournament was the final Grand Slam event in the 2005-06 Grand Slam of Curling
Capital One Grand Slam of Curling
The Capital One Grand Slam is a series of curling bonspiels and are a part of the annual World Curling Tour. Grand Slams tend to offer the most amount of money out of all the bonspiels in the curling season, and usually feature the best teams from across Canada and around the World...
and had a CAD$100,000 purse – one of the largest in women's curling.
The match between Kelly Scott
Kelly Scott
Kelly Scott is a Canadian curler from Kelowna, British Columbia.-1995-2005:...
, who at the time was the reigning Canadian women's champion
Scotties Tournament of Hearts
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is an annual Canadian women's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association. The winner goes on to represent Canada at the women's world curling championships. Since 1985, the winner also gets to return to the following year's tournament as...
and went on to become a world champion
World Curling Championships
The World Curling Championships are annual curling events which showcase the world's best curlers, organized by the World Curling Federation. There are men's, women's and mixed championships. The men's championship started in 1959, while the women's in 1979...
, and Cathy King
Cathy King
Cathy King , formerly Cathy Borst is a Canadian curler from St. Albert, Alberta...
a former world bronze medalist. In the 6th end of their match, King and her rink played rather poorly, while Scott and her rink capitalized on King's mistakes. King ricocheted her final stone out the side of a crowded house, leaving Scott a draw for 8. Although her shot was heavy, Scott's rock came to a stop eighteen inches from the back of the house, enough to score her eighth point.
Leskiw vs Hamblin
Another notable eight-ender occurred on January 22nd, 2011 at the MCA BonspielMCA Bonspiel
The Manitoba Curling Association Bonspiel is the annual Manitoba Curling Association bonspiel held at the end of every January in Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada. It is the largest curling bonspiel in the world with the tournament setting a record in 1988 with 1280 curling teams, as well as the...
, the world's largest bonspiel
Bonspiel
A bonspiel is a curling tournament, traditionally held outdoors on a frozen freshwater loch. The word comes from the Scottish Gaelic and means league match . Though not mandatory, curling teams involved in bonspiels often wear theme costumes...
. In this match Leskiw stole his eight points. In curling, when the team that does not have last rock in the end scores, the points scored are termed as stolen points. In this game, Leskiw managed an eight-ender even though Hamblin had the last rock, which gave him the opportunity to score or prevent Leskiw from scoring eight. In fact, Hamblin knocked Leskiw's eighth rock into the house with his final shot, turning a seven point end into an eight-ender.