Bob Ursel

{{short description|Canadian curler and curling coach (born 1965)}} {{Infobox curler | name = Bob Ursel | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|2|12|mf=y}} | birth_place = [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]], Canada | Curling club = [[Kelowna Curling Club|Kelowna CC]], [[Kelowna]] | Brier appearances = 3 ({{Brier|1999}}, {{Brier|2003}}, {{Brier|2008}}) | Top CCA ranking = 10th (2007-08, 2009-10) | Grand Slam victories = 0 | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | [[Curling]] }} {{MedalCompetition | [[World Junior Curling Championships|World Junior Championships]] }} {{MedalGold | [[1985 World Junior Curling Championships|1985 Perth]] | }} {{MedalCompetition | [[Nokia Brier]] }} {{MedalBronze | [[2003 Nokia Brier|2003 Halifax]] | }} }}

'''Robert (Bob) "Bobby" Ursel'''<ref>2017 Brier Media Guide: Previous Rosters</ref> (born February 12, 1965) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[curling|curler]] and curling [[coach (sport)|coach]]. Born in [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]], Ursel lives of [[Kelowna]], [[British Columbia]].

== Curling career == After finishing 6–5 at the [[1983 Canadian Junior Men's Curling Championship]], Ursel [[Skip (curling)|skipped]] his native Manitoba to a [[Canadian Junior Curling Championships|Canadian Junior Curling Championship]] [[1984 Canadian Junior Men's Curling Championship|In 1984]]. The following year, he skipped the Canadian Junior Team to a [[1985 World Junior Curling Championships|World Junior Curling Championship]] title. That team was inducted into the [[Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=1985 Bob Ursel Team |url=http://honouredmembers.sportmanitoba.ca/inductee.php?id=508&criteria_name=&criteria_sport=&criteria_keywords=&criteria_induction=2016&criteria_sort=name |website=Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame - Honoured members database |publisher=Sport Manitoba |access-date=10 November 2021}}</ref>

It would be 15 years out of junior that Ursel would finally make it to [[the Brier]]. He played third for [[Bert Gretzinger]]'s 1999 British Columbia team. They finished 5-6. In 2002 Ursel moved to play third for [[Pat Ryan (curler)|Pat Ryan]] where he made the [[2003 Nokia Brier]]. At the 2003 Brier, the team lost in the semi-final to Nova Scotia (skipped by [[Mark Dacey]]).

After the 2003 Brier, Ursel left the Ryan team to form his own team. Ursel won his third and final BC provincial championship, and only one as skip in 2008, when he defeated former World Champion [[Greg McAulay]] 8–7 in the final an extra end.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ursel rink wins B.C. title, sets sights on Brier in Winnipeg|date=February 11, 2008|page=A38|newspaper=The Province|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91858842/the-province/|accessdate=January 4, 2022}}</ref> He played in his third [[2008 Tim Hortons Brier|Brier in 2008]] where he lost in the 3-4 game to Ontario's [[Glenn Howard]].

Ursel sat out most of the 2010-11 season with a knee injury. His team continued to be referred to as "Team Ursel" on the [[World Curling Tour]], but he was replaced by Ken Maskiewich at the third position while regular fourth [[Jim Cotter (curler)|Jim Cotter]] took over the reins as skip.

He is the coach of [[Japan]]ese men's team, who won gold at the [[2018 Pacific-Asia Curling Championships]].

==Personal life== Ursel's father, [[Jim Ursel|Jim]], won the 1977 Brier as skip of the Quebec team. Ursel is currently married,<ref>2019 World Men's Curling Championship Media Guide: Team Japan</ref> and has four children. Prior to becoming the Japanese national team coach, he was employed as a police officer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.curling.ca/files/2021/03/2021-BKT-Tires-OK-Tire-World-Mens-Curling-Championship-media-guide.pdf|title=2021 BKT Tires-OK Tires World Men's Curling Championship Media Guide|website=Curling Canada|access-date=March 30, 2021}}{{Dead link|date=June 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Grand Slam record == {{Curling GS key}} {{clear}} {| class="wikitable" border="1" |- ! Event ! [[2004-05 curling season|2004–05]] ! [[2005-06 curling season|2005–06]] ! [[2006-07 curling season|2006–07]] ! [[2007-08 curling season|2007–08]] ! [[2008-09 curling season|2008–09]] ! [[2009-10 curling season|2009–10]] |- | [[Masters of Curling|Masters]] | style="background:#afeeee;" | [[2004 Masters of Curling|Q]] | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#afeeee;" | [[2006 Masters of Curling (December)|Q]] | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#afeeee;" | [[2008 Masters of Curling (November)|Q]] | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP |- | [[BDO Canadian Open of Curling|Canadian Open]] | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#afeeee;" | Q | style="background:#afeeee;" | Q | style="background:#ffebcd;" | QF |- | [[The National (curling)|The National]] | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#afeeee;" | Q | style="background:#afeeee;" | Q |- | [[Players' Championships]] | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#EFEFEF;" | DNP | style="background:#afeeee;" | Q |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Sports links}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ursel, Bob}} [[Category:1965 births]] [[Category:Canadian curling coaches]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers]] [[Category:Curlers from Kelowna]] [[Category:Curlers from Winnipeg]] [[Category:Canada Cup (curling) participants]] {{Canada-curling-bio-stub}}