Lacombe is playing host to a week of first-rate curling action as the Pan Continental Curling Championships run through to Nov. 2 at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex and the Lacombe Curling Club.
The event is an annual competition for women’s and men’s teams from two of World Curling’s Zones – the Americas and Pacific-Asia. It features both A and B-Divisions, and provides a direct qualification route to the World Championships – similar to the European Curling Championships format.
"It's been an amazing few days of seeing these facilities transform, and our volunteers and staff all coming together," said Chantelle Bowman, co-chair of the event along with Peter Villers.
"It's also amazing to see all the teams come out and play," she said, citing players hailing from Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the U.S., Taipei, New Zealand, Brazil, Hong Kong, Jamaica, India, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and Mongolia, among others.
"It's so cool to talk to these players from all over the world, hear where they get to curl, how they practice, where they get their gear - those kinds of things. It's also great to see all the behind-the-scenes things - everyone coming together, and all of the camaraderie," said Bowman, adding some 250 volunteers have signed on to help out through the week.
"They are from the surrounding communities, and we even have some who have come in from other provinces to help us," she said. "We are very grateful.
"It feels absolutely amazing," she said. "We've had an amazing team from all over the world helping us to make sure this is a truly elite curling event, and we are excited to bring it to Lacombe.
'We hope everyone will come out and see it," she said, adding draw passes are available at the door if fans are able to only come for a single game. A range of other packages are available at www.lacombecurling.com as well. "People can also find schedules there as well," said Bowman.
The idea to bid as host was brought to the Lacombe Curling Club by previous ice maker Darren Moulding, an award-winning curling champion in his own right.
Meanwhile, as mentioned, the A Division teams will vie for positions in the 2025 Women’s and Men’s World Championships.
Team Rachel Homan of Ottawa and Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s are representing Canada, and both teams earned their berths by winning the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and 2024 Montana’s Brier respectively.
Locally, things kicked off first thing Sunday on the A side with match-ups between men's teams from Australia and China; Canada and Korea, New Zealand the U.S. and Japan and Taipei.
In the B Division, the top two teams will ultimately earn the right to move up to A Division for the next Pan Continental while the bottom two A teams move down.
Alastair Fyfe, coach of the B Division Saudi team, said the organizing committee's welcome was, "Unbelievably good. They are so keen to help us - nothing is too much trouble."
Most folks may not readily connect curling with Saudi Arabia, but Fyfe, who is originally from Scotland, was key to launching the sport there after relocating for work back in 2016.
"I got there and I thought, okay, I miss curling! What can we do to get it started? I found a very small bit of ice in a shopping mall which was maybe 20 yards by 20 yards," he explained. "We got a set of stones out, and advertised on social media for people to come and give it a try. And it started from that.
"We then got approval from the World Curling Federation to become a member, and to train," he said. "We also went to our first international game in 2019.
"We've had a four-man team ever since 2021. it's taken off!"
Fyfe has long been an avid curler in his own right.
"It's a friendly sport of rules, and of etiquette which is important. Scotland brought two sports to the world - golf and curling. Both have got strong etiquette for honesty and friendship. The dynamics of the game - working out the angles, and the tactics - it's like playing chess on ice. And there is the friendliness, too."
To make the event even more accessible, fans are able to go back and forth easily between the 'A' side and the 'B' side to check things out.
The goal has also been to make it an interactive and fun event for everyone, whether they want to be 'in the warmth', or out in the action 'in the cool', added Bowman.
Lacombe Mayor Grant Creasey said seeing an international sporting event of such calibre take place in Lacombe is monumental.
"Being involved with it from the get-go, seeing it come to fruition and bring people from all over the world, and being able to showcase Lacombe in this way, is very exciting for me," he said.
"It's also so interesting to see teams here you wouldn't expect to have winter sports. It's a way of bringing people together through sport which is very, very positive," said Creasey, adding clips will also be shown on the streaming services carrying the event to fans around the world.
"You have to also hand it to the Lacombe Curling Club for their host of volunteers - the work they've done is pretty outstanding. I think that it's all going to showcase our city really well."
To wrap up the championships on a high note, there will also be a wind-up banquet social event on Nov. 2 which follows the closing ceremonies.
Again, to purchase tickets, head to www.lacombecurling.com.
More to come.
