Curling season is in full swing in Saskatchewan and in one week, 18 of the province’s most talented rinks will be put to the test.
Kindersley is set to play host to teams from across Saskatchewan, all hoping to punch their tickets to the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and 2025 Brier.
“The excitement has been building and building,” CURLSASK executive director Steve Turner said. “We just cannot wait to get there and just be right in person to see it first-hand.”
It’s a landmark year for both the SaskTel Tankard and the Viterra Prairie Pinnacle tournaments, as Saskatchewan curling royalty will be crowned on the same day and in the same community for the first time. The West Central Events Centre in Kindersley will be lit up with games on both the men’s and women’s sides.
Nine rinks have qualified for each of the men’s and women’s tournaments, with the SaskTel Tankard featuring familiar past provincial champions such as Team Knapp and Team Laycock, while Team Kleiter, Team Kalthoff, Team Jacobson, Team Ede, Team Moser, Team Thomas and Team Derksen round out the field.
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Saskatchewan’s top current men’s team won’t be competing in Kindersley, however, as Mike McEwen’s rink has already qualified for its spot at the 2025 Brier per the 2023-24 Canadian Team Ranking Standings.
Saskatchewan will also see a brand new skip represent the province at the 2025 Scotties, following Team Ackerman’s 4-4 finish at its first-ever national championship last year.
Following the curling season, skip Skylar Ackerman announced she would be stepping away from the sport to focus on her education. Her teammates Ashley Thevenot, Taylor Stremick and Kaylin Skinner have added Brittany Tran to their roster and have rebranded as Team Thevenot for the Prairie Pinnacle.
“Skylar is taking some time off and the rest of the team is still there,” Turner said. “The women’s division has proven to be a very competitive one, so it’s going to be anyone’s game here when we get to playing.”
Provincial champions such as Team Englot, Team Barker and Team Holland will be aiming to return to the Scotties, and will take on Team Martin, Team Selzer, Team Campbell, Team McCartney and Team Stevenson.
Turner added they’ve been able to put into place all their volunteers for the six days of curling, something the organizing team is taking pride in given the number of games on the way.
“By having the men’s and women’s (events) both at the same time it’s not quite doubled, but it has definitely put a strain on the volunteers,” Turner said. “But Kindersley has been phenomenal to work with. When we first talked to them about this it was on an evening, the next morning by 9 a.m. they were like, ‘Where can we sign?’”
Opening matches for the 2025 SaskTel Tankard and 2025 Viterra Prairie Pinnacle will be held on Jan. 21 running until the final day of competition on Jan. 26, with the women’s final being held at 3 p.m. and the men’s final at 7 p.m.