On one of eight ice sheets at the Vancouver Curling Club, Andrew Bass is taking a lesson from veteran curler Mark Bailey. The handsome younger man crouches in the hack, grips a stone and nearly keeps his balance as he pushes ahead and slides forward.
It's the first time they will be competing with the same rink (this is their first time on the ice together) and Bailey, his cheeks flushed after an hour in the cavernous ice shed, will be the team's skip and throw the crucial last two rocks each end. New to the team, he's stepping in for his son who is busy helping organize a national tournament schedule for Vancouver this weekend. The Bailey rink will be competing in the recreational bonspiel.
"I'm looking forward to taking over his team and hopefully coming out on top," said Bailey, showing the competitive edge of his playfulness. Now he's teaching Bass, his son's partner, how to improve his game in preparation for the Canadian Gay Curling Championships hosted Feb. 3 to 5 by the Pacific Rim Curling League, one of the largest leagues in the province with 220 gay, lesbian and trans members.
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John Boychuk, the past president of Vancouver Pride and former chairperson of the 2011 Vancouver Outgames, said sport provides a vital social network that can contribute to an individual's self-esteem and sense of self. A large-scale tournament encourages pride and challenges stereotypes.
"First off, when you take a look at what sport does for individuals who are out or coming out, it gives them a sense of being part of a team. Second off, for individuals who think sport is not for the gay and lesbian community, this shows a variety of abilities and shows that your average, everyday person who plays sport also plays the same sports as the straight community," Boychuk said.
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