Every country has their curling team picked out for February's Olympics in Torino.

Every country, that is, except Canada.

And Great Britain. But this is about Canada.

The North American Mecca of "chess on ice" doesn't just delegate their '05 World Championship representatives as their Olympic ambassadors. Oh no. They do it in style. They party down and watch their nations best skips, sweepers and shooters slide skillfully across the slippery ice. (But it's not as slippery as skating ice.)

Starting December 3, Halifax, Nova Scotia is the home of the nine-day-long Tim Horton's Curling Trials, better known more affectionately as the Roar of the Rings.

On December 11, two teams will win an all-expense-paid trip to Italy to play against the world's best curlers. (Yes, the United States has a shot at winning.)

How they qualified

With 10 spots for both men's and women's trials, each spot was won by either winning a Canada Cup, a Brier/Tournament of Hearts, or placing first in the Canadian Tournament Ranking System (CTRS). And since teams can't qualify twice, the next unqualified team below them earns a spot in the Olympic trial draw.

MEN'S TRIALS (Skip name listed)
Randy Ferbey - 2003 Canada Cup (won)
Mark Dacey - 2003 Brier (won)
John Morris - 2004 Canada Cup (finished 2nd to Ferbey rink)
Jay Peachey - 2004 Brier (finished 3rd to Ferbey and Dacey rinks)
Jeff Stoughton - 2003/04 CTRS (1st place)
Brad Gushue - 2004 Canada Cup East (won)
Pat Ryan - 2004 Canada Cup West (won)
Kevin Martin - 2005 Canada Cup (won)
Shawn Adams - 2005 Brier (finished 2nd to Ferbey rink)
Glenn Howard 2004/05 CTRS (finished 3rd to Martin and Ferbey rinks)

WOMEN'S TRIALS (Skip name listed)
Sherry Middaugh - 2003 Canada Cup (won)
Colleen Jones - 2003 Tournament of Hearts (won)
Sherry Anderson - 2004 Canada Cup (finished 2nd to Jones rink)
Marie-France Larouche - 2004 Tournament of Hearts (finished 2nd to Jones rink)
Shannon Kleibrink - 2003/04 CTRS (Finished 3rd to Anderson and Jones rinks)
Jo-Ann Rizzo - 2004 Canada Cup East (won)
Kelly Scott - 2004 Canada Cup West (won)
Jan Betker - 2005 Canada Cup (finished 2nd to Kleibrink rink)
Jennifer Jones - 2005 Tournament of Hearts (won)
Stefanie Lawton - 2004/05 CTRS (finished 3rd to Kleibrink and Scott rinks)

Roar of the Rings draw schedule

MY PICK: Goin' with the heavy favorites, Team Randy Ferbey and Team Colleen Jones.

Olympic participants (skip name only)

Women's

Canada
Denmark (Dorthe Holm)
United Kingdom (To be selected Dec. 22)
Italy (Diana Gaspari)
Japan (Shinobu Aota)
Norway (Dordi Nordby)
Russia (Ludmila Privivkova)
Sweden (Anette Norberg)
Switzerland (Mirjam Ott)
United States (Cassie Johnson)

Men's

Canada
Finland (Markku Uusipaavalniemi)
Germany (Andy Kapp)
United Kingdom (To be selected Dec. 22)
Italy (Stefano Ferronato)
Norway (Pål Trulsen)
New Zealand (Sean Becker)
Sweden (Peja Lindholm)
Switzerland (Ralph Stöckli)
United States (Pete Fenson)