THUNDER BAY – Six-time provincial women’s curling champion Krista McCarville is keeping her fingers crossed her squad will be in the top half of the Pinty's Grand Slam of Curling’s Tour Challenge when it arrives in Thunder Bay in November.
If not, she’s more than happy to duel it out on the Tier 2 side of the event.
In total, 60 of the top teams on the planet – 30 men’s and 30 women’s – will descend on the Tournament Centre later this year to compete in the event, the most prestigious of seven on the Grand Slam of Curling schedule.
McCarville, expected to get a sponsor’s exemption into the main field and compete for its $100,000 purse, said she’s thrilled to take part regardless of where she, lead Sarah Potts, second Ashley Sippala and third Kendra Lilly, are placed.
“We haven’t really officially heard anything yet, but we know we will in the Tier 2 for sure,” McCarville said.
“It’s always a really good thing to play against those top teams and see how you hold up against those teams, playing their strategy and the five-rock rule and everything like that, that they’re so good at. Definitely you’re going to learn from the event.
“And if we’re not in the Tier 1 event and are in Tier 2, there are some great teams in the Tier 2 event as well and hopefully we’ll bring some crowds in to the Tier 2 event.”
McCarville was the runner up in the Tier 2 event in 2016 in Cranbrook, B.C.
If she does get into the championship tier, the 35-year-old skip will be in tough, faced with the likes of Olympic champion Anna Hasselborg of Sweden and Canadian Olympian Rachel Homan of Ottawa. On the men’s side, American Olympic gold medalist John Shuster, Canadian Olympic skip Kevin Koe and Brier champion Brad Gushue are expected to be in the field.
McCarville can’t wait for the competition to begin.
“It’s exciting to be in Thunder Bay and playing in your hometown in such a great event,” said McCarville, who led her team into last year’s Olympic trials in Ottawa and then went on to lose the Northern Ontario championship to the now dissolved Tracy Fleury foursome in Sudbury.
“To have your family and friends and hopefully the school will be there cheering us on, is always exciting.”
Former two-time world champion Al Hackner, who will seek a Canadian senior men’s title later this month and coached the Americans in PyeongChang, said it’s a great way to boost the sport in Thunder Bay.
It’s great for the city too.
“It’s been a while since we’ve hosted a national or big event like this, so to put ourselves back on the map as a host or potential host for future event is big – especially this event here because it involves so many more teams.”
Organizers said they’re working to secure an exemption for Thunder Bay’s Dylan Johnston, adding they may host a local qualifier for another spot in the fall.
The Nov. 6 to Nov. 11 event, which will play out on the twin ice surfaces of the Tournament Centre to accommodate the number of teams, is expected to have an economic impact of $2 million for the city.
The event will also be broadcast on Sportsnet.
Only about 800 tickets will be sold and they will only be available on the Grand Slam of Curling website.
