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The Scottish national title has so far eluded Ayrshire curler, Alan Smith. In the last three years so familiar has he become with his team's role as perpetual bridesmaid - two fourths and a fifth place in the nationals - that the 'career summary' section of his online biography bears only the words, so near but yet so far.
Yet, all could be about to change for the Stewarton 32 year old after a cracking start to the season. Last weekend he won the Edinburgh International, beating Team Kelly narrowly by two stones. It was the perfect follow up to his Inverness Skins title of four weeks ago and his quarter final placing (only beaten by the eventual winners) in the Lucerne Curling Trophy a fortnight later.
It seems to be shaping up very well, admits Smith, for whom a recent change of team seems to be making all the difference. I've moved Neil McArthur up to third, David Reid at second and Mark Fraser at lead and it seems to be working. Fraser was plucked from the team which won the Edinburgh event last year.
Smith, a garage foreman, is not one to get too carried away by his success and for the time being is keeping his feet firmly on the ground or, to be more precise, the ice.
You set goals and once you reach that you move onto another goal, he said. Our next competition is the Perth Masters in the first week of January. Our goal for that is to qualify for the quarter finals, then go from there and see what happens.
Helping Smith towards his goals is the West of Scotland Institute of Sport, which supports Scottish governing body-identified athletes by providing high performance expertise in the form of essential support services in sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, and career and lifestyle guidance.
I've been with the West of Scotland Institute since last year and I get very good on ice training once a week with Rhona Martin and a supervised gym session each week. It makes a big difference and I'm very pleased with the help they give.
Beyond Perth are the Scottish Championships in February. A win, though he is not ready to contemplate that elusive title just yet, will be a passport to the World Championships in North Dakota, USA next April.
The ultimate goal every year is to win the Scottish Championships, he says. That gives us entry to the World Championships.
As a junior I've been in one Scottish final and two semis but I've never made a semi final in the senior Scottish Championships. I've finished fourth, fourth and fifth the last three years, so I've always been chapping at the door.
Hopefully with the team we have at the moment we might make a semi final spot in the Scottish Championship.
It seems to be shaping up very well, admits Smith, for whom a recent change of team seems to be making all the difference. I've moved Neil McArthur up to third, David Reid at second and Mark Fraser at lead and it seems to be working. Fraser was plucked from the team which won the Edinburgh event last year.
Smith, a garage foreman, is not one to get too carried away by his success and for the time being is keeping his feet firmly on the ground or, to be more precise, the ice.
You set goals and once you reach that you move onto another goal, he said. Our next competition is the Perth Masters in the first week of January. Our goal for that is to qualify for the quarter finals, then go from there and see what happens.
Helping Smith towards his goals is the West of Scotland Institute of Sport, which supports Scottish governing body-identified athletes by providing high performance expertise in the form of essential support services in sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, and career and lifestyle guidance.
I've been with the West of Scotland Institute since last year and I get very good on ice training once a week with Rhona Martin and a supervised gym session each week. It makes a big difference and I'm very pleased with the help they give.
Beyond Perth are the Scottish Championships in February. A win, though he is not ready to contemplate that elusive title just yet, will be a passport to the World Championships in North Dakota, USA next April.
The ultimate goal every year is to win the Scottish Championships, he says. That gives us entry to the World Championships.
As a junior I've been in one Scottish final and two semis but I've never made a semi final in the senior Scottish Championships. I've finished fourth, fourth and fifth the last three years, so I've always been chapping at the door.
Hopefully with the team we have at the moment we might make a semi final spot in the Scottish Championship.
