Kevin Martin (curler) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kevin Martin CM
Curler
Kevin Martin at the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier
Born	(1966-07-31) July 31, 1966 (age 58) Killam, Alberta
Career
Brier appearances	12 (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013)
World Championship appearances	4 (1991, 1997, 2008, 2009)
Olympic appearances	3 (1992 (demonstration), 2002, 2010)
Top CTRS ranking	1st (2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11)
Grand Slam victories	15 World Cup: 1 (Jan 2003) The National: 4 (Nov. 2004, Mar 2007, Dec 2007, Dec 2010) Canadian Open: 5 (2002, 2005, Jan 2007, Dec 2007, 2010) Players' Championships: 5 (2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014)
Medal record Men's curling Representing  Canada Olympic Games Gold 2010 Vancouver Men's Silver 2002 Salt Lake City Men's World Championships Gold 2008 Grand Forks Men's Silver 1991 Winnipeg Men's Silver 2009 Moncton Men's World Junior Championships Silver 1986 Dartmouth Men's Representing  Alberta Tim Hortons Brier Gold 1991 Hamilton Men's Gold 1997 Calgary Men's Gold 2008 Winnipeg Men's Gold 2009 Calgary Men's Silver 1996 Kamloops Men's Bronze 1992 Regina Men's Bronze 1995 Halifax Men's Canadian Olympic Trials Gold 2001 Regina Men's Gold 2009 Edmonton Men's Silver 1997 Brandon Men's Bronze 2013 Winnipeg Men's

Kevin Ray Martin (born July 31, 1966) is a Canadian retired curler. He is often called "The Old Bear" or "K-Mart". Many people think he is the greatest curler ever.

Kevin Martin won many big titles. He won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship, and four Canadian championships (called the Brier). He is also in the World Curling Hall of Fame. He retired from competitive curling in 2014. In 2019, he was named the best Canadian male skip in history by TSN. In 2024, he became a member of the Order of Canada.

Kevin Martin's Curling Journey

Starting in Junior Curling

Kevin Martin started curling when he was six years old. His dad was in charge of their local curling club. Kevin first became known in 1985. His Alberta team won the Canadian Junior Championship. The team included Richard Feeney, Dan Petryk, and Michael Berger. They beat Prince Edward Island 6–3 in the final game.

Because they won the Canadian junior championship, the team got to play in the 1986 World Juniors. They played very well, winning all their games until the final. But they lost a close game, 7–6, to the Scottish team.

Early Days as a Professional Curler

After his junior career, Kevin Martin formed a new team. Five years later, in 1991, he won his first provincial championship. This meant his team could go to the 1991 Labatt Brier. His team included Kevin Park, Dan Petryk, and Don Bartlett. At the 1991 Brier, Martin's team finished first. They then won the final game 8–4 against Saskatchewan.

Winning the 1991 Brier also gave them a spot at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Curling was only a demonstration sport then, not an official medal event. Martin won all his early games. But he lost in the semifinal and then the bronze medal match.

In 1992, Martin won his second provincial championship. His team played well at the 1992 Labatt Brier. However, they lost in the semifinal to Ontario. Kevin Martin won his first World Curling Tour event in 1993. This was the 1993 Kelowna Cashspiel. He also won the 1994 Players' Championship. This win is now seen as his first "Grand Slam" title.

Success in the Mid-1990s

Martin did not win the provincial title again until 1995. He changed some players on his team. By the 1995 Labatt Brier, his team included James Pahl, Kevin Park, and Don Bartlett. They finished third in the round robin. They won one playoff game but then lost in the semifinal.

In 1995, Martin changed his team again. He brought in Don Walchuk and Shawn Broda. They won their fourth provincial title. At the 1996 Labatt Brier, they finished first. But they lost a very close final game to Manitoba's Jeff Stoughton. Stoughton won 8–7 in an extra end.

In 1996, Rudy Ramcharan joined the team. With this new team, Martin won another provincial title. At the 1997 Labatt Brier, he finished first again. He then beat Manitoba twice in the playoffs, winning the final 10–8. This was his second Brier win. He then went to the 1997 Ford World Men's Curling Championship. Martin played well in the early games. But he lost in the semifinal and the bronze medal match.

In 1997, Martin tried to go to the Olympics again. The 1998 Winter Olympics would be the first time curling was an official medal sport. At the 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, Martin's team reached the final. But they lost a close game, 6–5, to Mike Harris.

Olympic Dreams and Grand Slam Wins

In 1999, Carter Rycroft joined Martin's team. In 2000, Martin won his sixth provincial title. But the 2000 Labatt Brier was not successful for the team. A week later, Martin won his third Players' Championship.

Martin's team decided not to play in the Brier for a few years. This was because they wanted to focus on the World Curling Tour. But Martin still wanted to win an Olympic medal. His team went to the 2001 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. They finished first and won the final game 8–7. This meant they would represent Canada at the Olympics.

At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Martin's team played very well. They lost only one game in the early rounds. They won their semifinal game. In the final, Martin faced Norway. It was a very close game. Martin had a chance to win with his last shot, but he missed. Norway won 6–5. Kevin Martin won his third international silver medal.

Because of their focus on the World Curling Tour, Martin's team did not win another provincial title until 2006. But during this time, they won five Grand Slam titles. They also won the 2005 Canada Cup of Curling.

Martin played in his third Olympic Trials in 2005. His team did not play well and did not make the playoffs. However, later that season, they won the 2006 Alberta provincials. This sent them to the 2006 Tim Hortons Brier. They finished second in the early rounds. But they lost in the playoffs. The team then won the 2006 Canada Cup of Curling.

Building a New Team and Olympic Gold

In 2006, Kevin Martin made big changes to his team. He brought in John Morris, Marc Kennedy, and Ben Hebert. This new team quickly found success. They won the 2007 Alberta provincials. This sent them to the 2007 Tim Hortons Brier. They played well but lost in the playoffs. Despite this, they won three of the four Grand Slams that season. Between 2006 and 2008, Martin's team won an amazing five Grand Slams in a row.

The team won their second provincial title in 2008. This sent them to the 2008 Tim Hortons Brier. Martin's team made history by going undefeated in the early rounds. They won all 11 of their games. They then won their playoff games, including the final against Glenn Howard. This was Martin's third Brier title.

Martin finally won his first World Championship at the 2008 World Men's Curling Championship. After playing well in the early rounds, he lost one playoff game. But he beat the same team from Scotland in the final, 6–3. This was his first gold medal at an international curling event.

Martin sweeps a stone at the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier.

The 2008–09 season was also very successful. Martin won the Alberta provincial championship again. Then, he went undefeated at the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier, winning all 13 games. He beat Glenn Howard and then Jeff Stoughton in the final. A week later, Martin won his third Canada Cup title. At the 2009 Ford World Men's Curling Championship, Martin won 10 games in a row. But he lost to Scotland in the final, 7–6, winning another silver medal.

Martin's team qualified directly for the 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in his hometown of Edmonton. He lost only one game in the early rounds. He then beat Glenn Howard in the final, 7–3. This win meant Martin would represent Canada at the Olympics for the second time.

Martin throws a stone at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Martin's team was amazing. They won all 9 of their games in the early rounds. This was the first time a curling team had done this at the Olympics since 1924. After winning the semifinal, Martin went on to win the gold medal. He beat Norway 6–3 in the final. This was a rematch of his previous Olympic final. Martin finished his Olympic season by winning the 2010 Players' Championships.

In December 2010, Martin won another Grand Slam title. He won the National against Jeff Stoughton. Martin made his eleventh appearance at the Brier in 2011. He played well but lost in the playoffs. He finished the 2010–11 season by winning his record 7th Players' Championship.

Martin continued to play well in the next seasons. He won the Westcoast Curling Classic in 2011. In 2011, he also won his record 4th Canada Cup title. This win also earned his team a spot in the 2013 Olympic Trials. In 2012, Martin won the 2012 Victoria Curling Classic Invitational. He also won his twelfth provincial title in 2013.

At the 2013 Brier, Martin's team had a tough start. But they won their last six games. Even with a good record, they did not make the playoffs. A few days after this, Martin's longtime third player, John Morris, announced he was leaving the team.

Retirement and Last Win

After John Morris left, Kevin Martin announced that David Nedohin would join his team. Nedohin used to play for a rival team. Martin's new team won their first event of the season. Martin also played in the Masters Grand Slam final, but lost to Glenn Howard.

Martin tried to qualify for his fourth Olympics at the 2013 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. His team played well and made it to the semifinal. But they lost a close game to John Morris's team. After this, Martin worked as a curling expert for NBC Sports at the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2018 Winter Olympics.

On April 18, 2014, Kevin Martin announced he was retiring from curling. His last tournament was the 2014 Players' Championship. He played very well in his final event. He won his games and reached the final. He won the final game 4–3, capping his career with his eighteenth Grand Slam title. This was his eighth win at the Players' Championship.

After retiring, Martin became a curling expert for Sportsnet. He was also inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame and the World Curling Hall of Fame.

Kevin Martin's Impact on Curling

During his career, Kevin Martin greatly helped curling become a more competitive sport. He was a key part of creating the Grand Slam of Curling series. In the early 2000s, he spoke out about making curling more financially successful. This was done through the World Curling Tour, which offered cash prizes and corporate sponsors.

Martin and other top curlers even boycotted the Canadian Curling Association for a while. They wanted the Brier to be more like the World Curling Tour. This helped change the Brier and made the Grand Slam series grow. Because of this, curling became a popular sport for people to watch. The sport also became more professional. Curlers trained more like athletes, and the quality of games improved.

Awards and Recognition

• World Junior Curling Championships All-Star skip: 1986
• Hec Gervais Award (Brier MVP): 1997, 2009
• Brier Shot of the Week Award: 1997
• Brier first all-star team skip: 1996, 2008, 2009
• Brier second all-star team skip: 2006, 2007
• World Curling Tour (WCT) MVP: 2008–09
• WCT Team of the Year: 2008–09
• WCT MVP: 2009–10

About Kevin Martin's Life

Kevin Martin is married to Shauna Martin. They have three children: Karrick, Kalycia, and Mykaela. His son, Karrick, also curls competitively. Karrick played as an alternate for his dad at the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier. He also played as the lead for another team that won the Alberta men's championship in 2017. Kevin Martin coached that team.

Martin owns a curling supply shop called Kevin's Rocks-n-Racquets. It is located at the Saville Sports Centre. He has owned this business since 1991. Before that, he worked as an ice maker for curling rinks.

Kevin Martin studied petroleum engineering technology. He graduated from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in 1987. He also curled at NAIT, where he met his coach, Jules Owchar. Martin received an honorary degree in 2010 and an award in 2011 for his achievements in curling.

Martin cares a lot about the future of curling. He often runs curling academies at the Saville Sports Centre. Every summer, he organizes a curling camp for young players. It is called the "Kevin Martin Summer Curling Academy." This camp helps talented junior players improve their skills. Martin also created a mobile app with tips and drills to help curlers get better.

Images for kids

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  From left: Martin, John Morris, Marc Kennedy, Ben Hebert at the 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials

See also

In Spanish: Kevin Martin (curling) para niños