Dustin Kalthoff is still rising through the curling ranks.
Dustin Kalthoff, a member of the Nutana Curling Club, will be missing a rink in March in an attempt to represent Saskatchewan at the Brier.
Curling was Kalthoff’s passion since the outset.
Kevin, his father, played three times for Saskatchewan at the Brier with the Quill Lake and Humboldt Doug Harcourt rinks.
Playing in the local bonspiels in Humboldt as a young kid, having a good time, learning, and eventually working my way up through the ranks has been a fantastic adventure.
In his professional career, Kalthoff has switched between teams and roles on the ice. Alongside former Tankard champion Randy Woytowich, he went to the provincial finals in curling in 2015 with Jason Jacobson.
Starting with the front-end roles, Kalthoff learned about various game elements.
“Where you need to be reading the ice surface, understanding the weight in certain areas, knowing how to properly sweep the rocks, and understanding how the ice changes throughout the game.”
Kalthoff claims that at the skip and third places, you are more involved in the game strategy.
In addition to the conventional four-person game, Kalthoff participates in Mixed Doubles Curling. His partner, Ashley Thevenot, will represent Saskatchewan in the Scotties in Calgary next month. Skylar Ackerman’s rink won the 2024 Provincial Scotties in Tisdale with Ashley as their third player.
Playing doubles, said to Kalthoff, has taught him more about curling than any other activity.
The skip of the Nutana Curling Club stated, “With doubles, you’re playing every position kind of at the same time,” adding that responsibilities may be divided among the four players. “You must take all of the shots and complete all of the ice reading.” “It’s a humiliating game, but very much an enjoyable game,” he continued. “It puts all of the onus on you as a person, which encourages you to grow more as a person.”
The eight teams that made it to the Tankard were Kalthoff’s rink, which was chosen by Curling Canada using their CTRS (Canadian Team Ranking System). The skip believes that with third baseman Sam Wills, second baseman Aaron Shutra, and lead pitcher Mat Ring, the club is becoming better every week of the season.
“I think we grow better every time we get together and work hard,” stated Kalthoff. “I think we’ve done a wonderful job of improving as a team and I guess more cohesive as a team and learning from our experiences,” he added. The squad is in its first year.
The Saskatoon-based rink qualified for all of the events this year and won a championship in October at the Highland Curling Club in Regina.
“We’ve proven that we’ve put in the work, and with four good men, we’re going to be a genuine contender at the Tankard,” the player said.
The Tankard Curling Club in Saskatoon, home of the Nutana Curling Club, is where the Kalthoff rink will play in the provincial championship. He believes that his side will benefit from having a home rink advantage even if they won’t be the only ones.
“It’s good to sleep in your own bed,” Kalthoff remarked, noting that it’s an alternative routine to traveling to the majority of the team’s bonspiels. He noted that the ice surface on the Tankard will be different from the one they are used to at the Nutana Curling Club, and that the rocks on the Tankard will also be different.
The national final will be held in Regina in 2024, saving the victorious Saskatoon team from having to travel.
Though Kalthoff thinks it’s not his primary priority, it may be great to represent the province in the warm and cozy confines of the Brandt Center.
You can’t win games by keeping one eye on the trophy and one eye on the action; in the end, it’s one game at a time, one shot at a time.
The Tankard takes place at the Nutana Curling Club from January 30 to February 4.
