By Jim Anderson
If you happen to be, or would like to be, a curling aficionado then you are in the right place at the right time.
Of course everyone knows that Canada has the best curlers (and hockey players) on the planet – right? Au contraire mon frere! (Yes, I am completely bilingual).
Let us not forget that the current world titles are held by Sweden’s Niklas Edin and Scotland’s Eve Muirhead. Actually it is a surprising and somewhat mortifying fact that the Canadian women haven’t won the Worlds since Jennifer Jones in 2008.
It would appear, therefore, that unlike the “World Series” or the NFL “World Championship”, if you actually play against other countries you might not win. The same theory holds true if you are holding a curling bonspiel with a world-class field.
Fortunately the Masters Grand Slam of Curling will be following this formula at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3. The elite field will feature 30 rinks vying for $200,000 in prize money.
In addition to last year’s world champions, teams from China, Denmark, the U.S., Korea, Germany, Switzerland and Norway will be in attendance.
Canada will counter with names like Martin, Stoughton and Howard on the men’s side with Homan, Jones, Nedohin, et al for the women.
Hopefully this event, if well attended, will lead to future world-class events.
Jim Anderson is the Abbotsford News curling columnist