The earlier twilights and the dipping temperatures are a sure sign for curlers to hunt down their brooms and sliders from the closet consignment. For St. Gregor curler Kirk Muyres, there’s hardly been a day off the ice over the summer break. Kirk is one half of the Team Walker/Muyres mixed doubles curling juggernaut that’s set to renew their pursuit of an Olympic berth. Laura Walker teamed up with Muyres several years ago in for single competition. That pairing proved so successful initially that both curlers have set aside the four-player game to focus on the newer discipline.  

Given the success that they’ve had in high level competitions, winning on the national and international stage and finishing in the final rounds, Walker and Muyres are poised to continue their climb when this season officially gets under way Thanksgiving weekend.  

Muyres says there was some time for rest and recovery, but not much. 

“All in all, as soon as the season ended last year, Laura and I were finding ways to get better for this season as we head into the last season and a half before the Olympic Trials. We went back to the drawing board with the coaches and figured out what we needed to do better. We’ve been working on that from April on.” 

That work has left Muyres feeling strong and confident about the new season. As much as the off-season was geared toward physical and technical training, Muyres says there was a strong focus on the mental and strategic aspects. 

“Because the mixed doubles discipline is so new, I don’t think people have taken a good, hard look at how to play the game tactically and strategically. A lot of curling minds haven’t looked at the game deeply to understand how to play it well. So, we sat down for a couple hours each day looking at game film and finding ways to attack other teams and be better in certain situations.” 

Because Muyres and Walker are, by and large, singularly focused on mixed doubles, they feel they’re in a position to deconstruct the game and come up with new and innovative approaches that will serve them well. They also concentrated on the mental component of their game that would result in stronger game closing. 

“We were one of the better teams in the country and the world, ranked number 3 or 4, but we lost three finals and won one. We made the finals, but we didn’t win enough of them, so we worked with our sports psychologist all summer on how to level up once we get into those final big moments.” 

In the last month or so, Muyres says the focus has shifted to technical matters with a new “bench coach” in their corner. World champion curler Dave Murdoch was picked up by Curling Canada as its new high performance director. Murdoch is no stranger to curling fans worldwide, and after a remarkable stint with the Scottish program, Murdoch has brought his considerable expertise and insight to Canada.  

“He’s decided that it’s a priority for all Canadian athletes to be technically better, so Laura and I have been sliding and sliding for the last month and a half, so hopefully it pays off.” 

Canada has never won the world mixed doubles championship, and that becomes a target right off the hop for Walker and Muyres who curl out of Edmonton. On their way, they’re hoping to finish in the top three in the world rankings and capture at least 4 championships in the 8 spiels they’re participating in this season.  

“It’s a lofty goal, but if we want to be world champions and Olympic gold medalists, then we have to figure out ways to win those big games and set ourselves up deep in events.” 

Ultimately, it’s all in aid of heading into the next Olympic cycle. The competition for that coveted Olympic spot comes earlier than in previous cycles with the announcement of the Canadian Trials being held a year in advance of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy. 

“Dave Murdoch had a lot to do with this,” Muyres explains. “He sees what teams have to do to be successful at the Olympic Games and he decided the mixed doubles teams would be decided one year ahead of the Olympics. So, our trials are slated for the end of 2025. That’s a bit over a year away, but I think it’s great news. The winner of that event will get to play in the world championship. They’ll get seasoned up playing under the Maple Leaf against the best teams in the world. And then they have a year to prepared for the Olympic Games.” 

The first official slide of the season takes place in Sherwood Park, AB with the first of the CBC Super Series Events. CBC has once again stepped up to sponsor and carry games on its CBC Gem streaming platform. Given the ever-increasing popularity of the sport, there’s a good chance that some of the games in the series will migrate to the main network. The following weekend, it’s off to Chilliwack for the second leg, and at the end of the month, Saskatchewan fans will get a chance to attend the third leg of the CBC Super Series when it comes to Moose Jaw from Oct. 26-29. These events are all part of the major mixed doubles touring season set up to bring the best in the world together. 

Muyres and Walker are lockstep in their approach, in terms of both goals and how to get there. 

“Those are the goals we have this year, and I know they’re lofty,” admits Muyres, “And it’s crazy for a kid from St. Gregor to think he can be on a team that does that, but what the hell, right?” 

Right indeed … and when the “what the hell” query morphs into the “give ‘em hell” approach to the game, curling fans can expect great things from Muyres and Walker this season and beyond.  

Listen to the full interview with Kirk Muyres. 

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