South Frontenac Icestock team heading to world games with Team Canada

SOUTH FRONTENAC, ONT. -

Ten team members from South Frontenac, Ont., are on their way to Italy this week to represent Team Canada at the Icestock World Games.

It marks the first time so many members from the South Frontenac Stocksport Club will be heading to Europe with Team Canada since being established in 2014.

Those like Tammy Lambert, a special education teacher, have qualified for the women’s team.

“Very excited a little nervous, a little apprehensive, but very excited,” she says.

Described as a cross between curling and bocce ball, team members throw a rock down the ice to reach a target. The team with the most points wins the game.

After picking up the sport a little over four years ago, she said she quickly decided to go competitive.

“It’s a physical game but, it’s just as much a mental game. You have to know where that shot needs go with the help of your team members,” she says.

The games are in Ritten, in northern Italy, and it’s a first for the team in the small town to have so many members going.

President Karl Hammer says he’s proud.

“It’s so exciting and it’s a real testament to the growth of our club,” he says. “We have this little niche happening in South Frontenac where that for many reasons we’ve been able to build a sport is not known to people.”

There are also solo categories, like the distance throw. In that category, Sophia Antoine will be the youngest ever Team Canada member at 16.

“If you’re angry or you have something on your mind you can just huck something down and with no regard for breaking anything,” she says of why she loves it.

With more than 25 countries competing at the games, they’ll be up against heavy hitters like Germany, where the sport originated.

Antoine says it’s about blocking it all out and enjoying the game.

“Just being like pretending it’s a practice with my team because their super fun,” she says.

The ten members, dreaming of bringing home the gold.

“I think it’s an opportunity for growth for me personally and for our team. Because I think it’ll be awesome to see teams that have played ice stock for a long time,” says Lambert.