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 59) 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 is a famous Canadian curler who retired from the sport in 2014. He was born on July 31, 1966, in Killam, Alberta, and later lived in Edmonton. People often called him "The Old Bear" or "K-Mart".

Kevin Martin is one of the greatest curlers of all time. He won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics, a World Championship, and four Canadian Championships. He is also a member of the World Curling Hall of Fame.

During his 30-year career, he competed in three Winter Olympics and four World Championships. He earned two Olympic medals and three World Championship medals. He also won 15 Grand Slam titles, which are major tournaments on the World Curling Tour. His teams earned about $2 million in prize money. He was the first skip (the team leader) to win a "career Grand Slam," meaning he won a title in each of the main Grand Slam events.

Kevin Martin also helped change the sport of curling. He made it more competitive and helped create high-level events. He also helped curling become a popular sport for people to watch, not just to play. In 2019, a poll by TSN named him the greatest Canadian male skip ever. In 2024, he was recognized as a member of the Order of Canada, a high honor in Canada.

Kevin Martin's Curling Journey

Starting in Junior Curling

Kevin Martin started curling when he was just six years old. His dad was involved in their local curling club, which got him interested.

In 1985, Kevin and his Alberta team, which included Richard Feeney, Dan Petryk, and Michael Berger, won the 1985 Canadian Junior Men's Curling Championship. This was their first year playing together. They finished second in the first part of the tournament and then won their semifinal and the final game. Because they won, Kevin also got to go to the 1985 World Junior Curling Championships as an alternate player.

Winning the 1985 Canadian junior title meant his team qualified for the 1986 World Junior Curling Championships. They played very well, winning all their games in the first round and their semifinal. However, they lost a close final game to the team from Scotland.

Early Years in Adult Curling

After his junior career, Kevin Martin formed a new team. In 1991, he won his first provincial championship (a championship for his home province, Alberta). This win sent him and his team, Kevin Park, Dan Petryk, and Don Bartlett, to the 1991 Labatt Brier, which is the Canadian men's curling championship.

At the 1991 Brier, Kevin's team finished tied for first place in the round robin. They won their semifinal and then beat Saskatchewan in the final, winning his first Brier title. This victory also qualified them for the 1991 Canada Safeway World Men's Curling Championship in Winnipeg. Kevin's team played perfectly in the round robin at the Worlds, but they lost in the final to Scotland.

His 1991 Brier win also gave him a spot at the 1992 Winter Olympics. At that time, curling was a "demonstration sport," meaning it was shown but didn't award official medals. Kevin's team won all their games in the first round but lost in the semifinals and the bronze medal match.

In 1992, Kevin won his second provincial championship and went back to the 1992 Labatt Brier. His team played well, but they lost in the semifinal.

Kevin's first big win on the World Curling Tour was the 1993 Kelowna Cashspiel. He also won the 1994 Players' Championship, which is now considered his first Grand Slam win, even though the Grand Slam series officially started later.

Mid-Career Successes (1995–2006)

After a few years, Kevin Martin made some changes to his team. By the 1995 Labatt Brier, his team included James Pahl, Kevin Park, and Don Bartlett. They finished third in the round robin but lost in the semifinal.

In 1995, Kevin changed his team again, adding Don Walchuk and Shawn Broda. They won their fourth provincial title and went to the 1996 Labatt Brier. His team finished first in the round robin, but they lost a very close final game to Manitoba in an extra end.

In 1996, Rudy Ramcharan joined the team. With this new lineup, Kevin won another provincial title. At the 1997 Labatt Brier, his team had another great round robin. They then beat Manitoba twice in the playoffs, including the final, to win his second Brier title. This win sent them to the 1997 Ford World Men's Curling Championship. They finished first in the round robin but lost in the semifinal and the bronze medal game.

In 1997, Kevin tried to represent Canada at the 1998 Winter Olympics, where curling would be an official medal sport for the first time. At the 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, his team made it to the final but lost a close game. In 1998, Kevin won his second Players' Championship.

In 1999, Carter Rycroft joined Kevin's team. In 2000, Kevin won his sixth provincial title, but his team didn't make the playoffs at the 2000 Labatt Brier. A week later, he won his third Players' Championship.

Kevin's team decided not to play in the Brier for a few years because they wanted to focus on the World Curling Tour, which had better prize money and different event schedules. However, Kevin still wanted to win an Olympic medal. His team went to the 2001 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials and finished first, earning a spot in the final. They won the final, which meant they would represent Canada at the Olympics.

At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Kevin's team played very well, losing only one game in the round robin. They won their semifinal game. In the final, they faced Norway. The game was tied in the last end, and Kevin had a chance to win with his final shot, but he missed it. This meant Norway won the gold, and Kevin's team took home the silver medal.

Due to their focus on the World Curling Tour, Kevin's team didn't win another provincial title until 2006. During this time, they won five Grand Slam titles and the 2005 Canada Cup of Curling.

Kevin played in his third 2005 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in 2005, but his team didn't perform as well as they hoped. Later that season, they won the 2006 Alberta provincials, which sent them to the 2006 Tim Hortons Brier. They finished tied for second in the round robin but lost in the playoffs. His team later won the 2006 Canada Cup of Curling.

Olympic Gold and World Champion (2006–2013)

In April 2006, Kevin Martin changed his team. He brought in John Morris as third, Marc Kennedy as second, and Ben Hebert as lead. This new team quickly found success. They won the 2007 Alberta provincials and went to the 2007 Tim Hortons Brier. They finished second in the round robin but lost in the playoffs. Despite this, they had a very successful season on the World Curling Tour, winning three of the four Grand Slams. Over the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, Kevin's team won an amazing five Grand Slams in a row.

The team won their second straight provincial title in 2008, sending them to the 2008 Tim Hortons Brier. On March 13, 2008, Kevin's team made history by going undefeated through the entire round robin at the Brier. They then won their playoff games, including the final against Glenn Howard of Ontario, to win Kevin's third Brier title.

Kevin finally won his first World Championship at the 2008 World Men's Curling Championship in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After a strong round robin, they lost one playoff game but then beat the same team from Scotland in a rematch in the final to win the gold medal. This was Kevin Martin's first gold medal at an international curling event. His team finished the 2007–08 season with two more Grand Slam titles.

Martin sweeps a stone in the house at the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier

The 2008–09 season was also very successful. Kevin's team won the Alberta provincial championship again and then went undefeated (13–0) at the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier. They won the final against Jeff Stoughton, earning Kevin his fourth Brier title. A week later, they won their third 2009 Canada Cup of Curling. At the 2009 Ford World Men's Curling Championship, Kevin's team won 10 games in a row. However, they lost to Scotland in the final, taking home the silver medal.

Kevin's team directly qualified for the 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in his hometown of Edmonton. He played very well, losing only one game in the round robin. He then won the final against Glenn Howard, earning the right to represent Canada at the Olympics for the second time. Before the Olympics, they also won the 2010 BDO Classic Canadian Open.

Martin throws a stone during round robin play at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Kevin Martin's team had an incredible performance. They went undefeated (9–0) in the round robin, which was a rare achievement. After winning their semifinal, Kevin went on to win the gold medal, defeating Norway in the final. This was a special victory, as it was a rematch of his previous Olympic final. Kevin finished his Olympic season by winning the 2010 Players' Championships, his second Grand Slam win of the year.

In December 2010, Kevin's team won another Grand Slam title, the National. In 2011, Kevin made his eleventh appearance at the 2011 Tim Hortons Brier for Alberta. His team had a good round robin, but they lost in the playoffs and then lost the bronze medal game. Kevin finished the 2010–11 season by winning his record seventh Players' Championship.

The 2011–12 season saw Kevin's team win the 2011 Westcoast Curling Classic and the 2011 Canada Cup of Curling, which was his record fourth Canada Cup title. This win also secured them spots in future major events, including the 2013 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. Kevin's team also reached the final of the National Grand Slam, but lost a close game. In February 2012, Kevin's team did not win the Alberta provincials, meaning they missed the Brier for the first time since 2010.

Kevin started the 2012–13 curling season by winning his third straight Westcoast Curling Classic title. He also helped Team North America win the 2013 Continental Cup of Curling. In the Alberta provincials, he won his twelfth provincial title. At the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier, Kevin's team had a tough start but won their last six games. Despite a good record, they did not make the playoffs. A few days after the Players' Championship, Kevin's longtime third, John Morris, announced he was leaving the team.

Retirement and Legacy (2013–2014)

After John Morris left, Kevin Martin announced that David Nedohin would join his team. They won their first event of the season, the Shoot-Out. Kevin also reached the final of the Masters Grand Slam.

Kevin tried to qualify for his fourth Olympics at the 2013 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials. His team played consistently and made it to the semifinal, but they lost a close game. Kevin later worked as a curling analyst for NBC Sports at the 2014 Winter Olympics and again at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

On April 18, 2014, Kevin Martin announced he would retire from competitive curling after the 2014 Players' Championship. In the last tournament of his career, Kevin played incredibly well. He won his playoff games and then defeated Brad Jacobs in the final. He ended his career with his eighteenth Grand Slam title, and his eighth at the Players' Championship.

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

Kevin Martin had a huge impact on curling. He was a key part of creating the Grand Slam of Curling series, which brought more money and attention to the sport. He helped make curling a more professional and exciting sport for both players and fans. His efforts led to better training for curlers and improved game quality.

Kevin Martin's Teams

Kevin Martin played with many different teammates throughout his career. Here are some of the teams he led:

Personal Life and Contributions

Kevin Martin is married to Shauna Martin, and 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 and later as a lead for another team that won the 2017 Alberta men's championship, with Kevin as their coach.

Kevin Martin owns and runs Kevin's Rocks-n-Racquets, a store that sells curling supplies. It's located at the Saville Sports Centre. He has had his own business since 1991. Before that, he worked as an ice maker for curling rinks.

Kevin studied petroleum engineering technology and graduated in 1987. He also curled at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), where he was coached by Jules Owchar, who continued to coach Kevin throughout his career. In 2010, Kevin received an honorary degree, and in 2011, he received an award for his achievements in curling.

Kevin is very dedicated to helping the sport of curling grow. He often runs curling academies at the Saville Sports Centre. Every summer, he organizes a special curling camp for junior players called the "Kevin Martin Summer Curling Academy." This academy helps talented young curlers improve their skills. Kevin also created a mobile app that offers drills and tips to help curlers get better at the game.

See also

In Spanish: Kevin Martin (curling) para niños