World Class Curling Hits Portage -- Two Weeks In A Row

There's exciting news for Portage la Prairie's World Curling Tour fans. 

Canad Inns CEO Paul Robson announced yesterday the Canad Inns Men's Classic takes place at the Portage Curling Club on October 17-20, to be followed by the new Canad Inns Women's Classic the next weekend. 

Robson describes the events.

"All in all, you've got the top curlers from around the world--certainly the top Canadian curlers--but from Japan, Sweden.  This is really an international event that we're able to host in Portage la Prairie. And we're just delighted and proud along with all of our sponsors to be able to do this."

He talks about the benefits of the venue.

"The Portage curling Club is a great facility.  And it's attached to our hotel.  So it makes it easy for the curlers.  They can go back to their room and get a nap--they've got something to eat.  And, it's really good from that point of view--from the curlers' point of view."

Two olympic gold medal champions and several international teams are vying for high stakes.

Robson, says, "They're competing for $120,000 in prize money--$60,000 for the men and $60,000 for the women.  So, this is a serious piece of business they're about."

Meanwhile, gold medalist Jill Officer was at the news conference, and adds she remembers playing in Portage through the years.  

"It's been a really long time since I've played at the Curling Club.  But we had our Provincials in Portage a few years ago, so we did stay at Canad Inns.  So, we're really looking forward to going back there.  And just having everything connected together there is really awesome.  And it's great that Canad Inns has stepped up to have a women's event in Manitoba."

Officer notes the schedules between the Canad Inns Men's Classic and Canad Inns Women's Classic really helped this year.

"There's a lot of different schedules between the men and the women's side of the tour.  So, it seems to fit in well with a lot of the men's teams.  And it's fitting well with a lot of the women's teams, because our Grand Slam here in Selkirk is just shortly thereafter.  So, I think that brought in some of the teams like Sigfridsson, and Jaggi from Switzerland, that would come and play in that, and then continue on to play in Selkirk."

Officer describes the tour schedule in Portage.

"On the tour we kind of get familiar with a lot of the teams.  This will be a good opportunity for us to play against some of the Manitoba teams that we don't always see on the tour, but that we will be competing against in Provincials.  So, it'll be really good in that regard.  And it's always just nice to play home and to be close to home, because our famlilies can come and watch and support us."

Three-time curling Grand Slam winner Mike McEwen is in the mix as well. McEwen says the timing of the two events is wonderful. 

"I think it's a perfect way to start a curling season in Manitoba leading into the Grand Slam in Selkirk.  I think it's just an excellent way of people to follow along those three weekends in a row of non-stop amazing curling action.  I think it's a great way to connect everything.  "You know, it's not going to happen every year."

McEwen recounts fond memories of curling in Portage.

"I can remember playing in Portage as a Junior.  It wouldn't have been this spiel, per se, but in Junior events in Portage when I was a kid.  It's kind of cool how the building's gone through upgrades and they've made an amazing facility.  But the memories from Juniors all the way through Men's... I still get excited for it in the same kind of way."

McEwen remarks about the international flavour.

"It's interesting because you get all of that international feel, and you get some of the best teams in Canada coming.  And then you get your provincial rivals, depending where you are in the draw could match it up.  I don't think that there's any game that you go out there not getting excited to play."

Jill Officer

Paul Robson

The Canad Inns Men's Classic takes place on October 17-20.

The Canad Inns Women's Classic is on October 24-27.

The men's bonspiel includes Team Mike McEwen, Team Stoughton, Team Koe, Team Howard, Team Epping, Team Edin from Sweden, Team Morozumi from Japan, Team Smith from Scotland, Team China, Team Shuster from the USA, as well as other top teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

The women's bonspiel features Team Ogasawara from Japan, Team Sigfridsson from Sweden, Team Jaggi from Switzerland, Team EunJung from Korea, Team Koana from Japan, two teams from the USA, Team Sweeting, Team Carey, along with other top teams from Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.  Limited spots are still available on the women's side.