Where to even start?
Two Saskatchewan Curling Tour tournaments. Three provincial championships. The regular leagues and bonspiels that take place every season.
And, of course, the big one: the Scotties Tournament of Hearts running Feb. 15 to 23 at Mosaic Place.
“It’s swamped this year, there’s so much going on, but it’ll be nice to see so many people out curling,” Wenarchuk said.
Ice is currently being installed in the rink, with the final touches taking place to prepare for the first events of the season – an open house on Saturday, Oct. 5 and a Youth Camp taking place the same weekend.
The camp will feature two age groups from five-to-10 and 11-to-20 and will feature local curlers and coaches passing on tips and instruction ranging from sweeping and sliding to angles, two-on-two play and even video analysis. The cost is $40 for the younger age group and $50 for the older players.
“It’s about half full right now, so we’re hoping a few more sign up once it gets closer,” Wenarchuk said. “It’s a good way to start the season and learn about curling at the same time.”
The Saskatchewan Curling Tour men’s tour will make their stop in Moose Jaw Oct. 25-27 followed by the Saskatchewan Women’s Curling Tour from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. Both season-long tours act as qualifiers for the Tankard and provincial Scotties – with the women’s provincial tournament taking on an extra level of interest with the national championship in Moose Jaw.
The always-popular CHAB Youthspiel takes place Dec. 7-8, the Sandra Schmirler Foundation Charity Funspiel Jan. 10-11 and 117th annual Men’s Bonspiel runs Jan 17-18.
That all leads into the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, with preparations already in high gear for what promises to be the premiere event of the winter in Moose Jaw. Curling Canada already has personnel in the city preparing for the tournament, with the current focus on volunteers.
“They still have about 115-120 spots to fill in various areas, and once they get that locked down in the next month, then the directors will start contacting people and get the ball going… it’s coming, it’s going to be busy and a lot of fun,” Wenarchuk said.
The first provincial championship will take place during the Feb. 28 weekend as the Lion’s Club will host their annual playoffs, followed by the first ever Stick Provincial Championship Mar. 13-15 and the season-ending Club Championship Mar. 27-30.
The regular league nights are also beginning to take shape – the Tuesday and Thursday Night leagues are currently full, with the Fab Friday six-end league still taking registration.
Also on tap is the Original 16 Cash League, which is set to begin on Wednesday, Oct. 2 and will feature between 16 and 18 teams.
For more information or to register for a league or event, check out www.moosejawcurling.com or contact the curling office 306-624-2040.
