Ice-maker Clarence "Shorty" Jenkins was inducted into the World Curling Federation Hall of Fame in Las Vegas ©WCF

Clarence "Shorty" Jenkins, one of curling's finest ice-makers, has been posthumously inducted into the World Curling Federation (WCF) Hall of Fame.

His daughter Kitty Jenkins received the accolade at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas during the World Men's Curling Championship 2018.

Jenkins, who died on April 11, 2013 aged 77, was born in Alberta, Canada, and became involved in curling when he convinced his local club in Trenton, Ontario to let him make their ice.

According to a WCF release, Jenkins was "an unforgettable character, with his pink cowboy hat, boots and jacket, but he was also known for his determination and dedication to improving and understanding curling ice".

"Without his work the quality of elite curling ice would not be what it is today," the statement added.

"He poured countless hours into understanding the ice temperatures and how the stones reacted to differences in the ice surface and he refined techniques for pebbling and cutting.

Ice-maker Clarence
Ice-maker Clarence "Shorty" Jenkins, inducted into the World Curling Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, pioneered monitoring ice by timing the speed of stones as they travelled ©Getty Images

"It is also believed that he was the first to time how fast stones moved along the ice - something that athletes and officials do widely today.

"Also, to ensure the high standards he set he delivered many courses all over the world."

WCF President Kate Caithness was among those to pay tribute.

"Shorty was a great innovator when it comes to the first-class ice that we have at our events worldwide today," she said.

"Perhaps his greatest legacy is all the athletes and officials that you see across the globe with stopwatches timing the speed of their stones - a practice he pioneered.

"Shorty exemplified the spirit of curling and is a thoroughly deserving winner of this accolade, for his absolute dedication to improving and understanding curling ice."

Members of the Hall of Fame are inducted either as "curlers" or "builders".

A builder, the category which Jenkins is inducted under, is someone who has given distinguished service and has made a major contribution to the development and advancement of curling internationally.

The Hall of Fame is described as "the highest non-playing honour that the World Curling Federation can bestow".

Prior to 2012, the WCF awarded the World Curling Freytag Award, named after the late Elmer Freytag of the United States Curling Association, who was also inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2018.