Skip to content

Curling greats on their way

While local swimming phenomenon Alexandra Gabor returns from Europe where she competed against the best in the world, a handful of local curling teams are preparing to face world-class competition on home turf.

While local swimming phenomenon Alexandra Gabor returns from Europe where she competed against the best in the world, a handful of local curling teams are preparing to face world-class competition on home turf.

This weekend, the Whitehorse Curling Club will be the centre of the curling universe as it hosts the third annual Skookum World Curling Tour $50,000 Cash Spiel, in which some of the biggest names in curling will be playing for their share of the prize.

Included in the big names are provincial, Brier, world and Olympic champions, such as Kevin Martin, Chris Schille, Kevin Koe, Steve Waatainen and Rick Folk, who have all held one or more of those titles.

However, the Yukon will also be represented with Teams Scoffin, Zealand, Koltun, Cowan, Grant, Paslawski, Baldwin, Mikkelsen, and Balsam preparing to throw granite in the event.

“We’ve had world champions and Canadian champions come before, but this is the largest southern field we have coming and probably the largest field of this calibre,” said Whitehorse Curling Club president, Trevor Sellars. “It’s a great field with a lot of great talent - it’s going to be a pretty amazing weekend, really.”

Aside from the on-ice action starting Thursday and wrapping up Sunday, the club will be hosting a banquet Saturday evening with a $30 admission price tag.

“This really gives us an opportunity to showcase the facility we have up here,” said Whitehorse Curling Club business manager Jon Solberg. “All 24 curling teams will be involved in the banquet as well as local delegates and corporate sponsors.

“It’s an opportunity to meet and greet some of the curlers.”

Weekend passes to the four-day Cash Spiel are also available at the club for $25.

“We’re going to have bleachers up here so there’s going to be plenty of space for people to come and watch, in the upstairs lounge area as well as the lower level,” added Solberg.

Contact Tom Patrick at

tomp@yukon-news.com