A Humboldt area junior curler has discovered that there's more than one way to play the sport. Braden Fleischhacker has long been invested in competitive curling but only recently turned to the mixed doubles sport. That curiosity led to a first-place finish in the Provincial U 18 mixed doubles competition. Along with teammate Abbey Johnson from Weyburn, Fleischhacker finished both the round robin and the playoffs without a loss to capture the title. In a field comprised of some of the province's best junior curlers, that's no small feat. Their victory brings another reward, a birth in the Provincial Mixed Doubles Championship coming up in Weyburn. Not to be confused with the U 18 counterpart, the Saskatchewan Championship includes the likes of Steve Laycock, Humboldt's Dustin Kalthoff, and Michelle Englot. 

Fleischhacker became involved in mixed doubles at the suggestion of some friends. He explains, "We're curling all over the province all winter and a few of my friends and buddies from other teams had mentioned it, and I thought it would be a fun event to try out."

From there it was a matter of finding a teammate who had the same adventurous spirit. Enter Abbey Johnson from Weyburn. She too had been curious about the sport. Fleischhacker recounts their decision to enter the competition, "With the same teams every bonspiel every weekend, you're travelling around and you get to know everyone pretty good. Neither of us had a partner. We both were really interested in mixed doubles, so thought why not team together to go down and try it out." The two found an on-ice chemistry that led to a perfect spiel.

Fleischhaker says that mixed doubles provides unique challenges and opportunities compared to conventional curling. He observes, "It's really good training for four-person teams. It forces you to be a skip, a sweeper, a thrower, everything. Not just a lead and second ready to sweep while the skip and third are making all the decisions. It forces you to be involved with everything."

When it comes to the fitness levels required for the sport, Fleischhacker points out even more differences. "It's a lot more active than a normal game, there are fewer breaks. You throw your rock and then you pop up and start sweeping. You need a little more stamina to play this game."

Johnson and Fleischhacker are anxious to test their skill against the province's best in Weyburn as the Provincial Championship begins in Weyburn this weekend.