The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season is set to begin with the all-new Tour Challenge event starting Tuesday night in Paradise, N.L.
For the Tier 1 group, the top 15 men’s and 15 women’s teams were invited based on the World Curling Tour’s order of merit rankings. In the event a team declined, the next ranked team was invited.
In Tier 2, invites were sent to the next 10 men’s and 10 women’s teams from the order of merit with five men’s and five women’s spots reserved for teams based on the region of the event. This provides an interesting mix of hometown heroes, rising stars and even a few world champions.
Programming Alert: Watch the Tour Challenge live on Sportsnet with coverage starting Thursday at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT
The Tier 2 serves as a stepping stone to the elite ranks as the winners of the divisions will receive invites to the next Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event, the Masters, running Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 in Truro, N.S.
Let’s take a closer look at the Tier 2 teams set to compete at the Tour Challenge.
TIER 2 MEN’S DIVISION
TEAM ADAMS
Lineup: Shawn Adams, Mark Dacey, Craig Savill, and Andrew Gibson
Hometown: Halifax
Adams formed a new team this season joining forces with Dacey, the 2004 Brier champion and world bronze medallist. New residency rules allow teams to have one player from outside of their home province and the team was able to add Ottawa native Savill, a two-time Brier and world champion as well as a 12-time Grand Slam winner.
TEAM BALSDON
Lineup: Greg Balsdon, Don Bowser, Jonathan Beuk, and Scott Chadwick
Hometown: Kingston, Ont.
Balsdon won the Ontario provincial title in 2014. He also played second on the Ontario mixed team in 2013 and won the Canadian championship. Bowser skipped his own team last season but moved over to third to bring aboard Balsdon, who parted ways with his old team.
TEAM BREWSTER
Lineup: Tom Brewster, Glen Muirhead, Ross Paterson, and Hammy McMillan Jr.
Hometown: Aberdeen, Scotland
Brewster captured an Olympic silver medal as the alternate for Team Scotland in 2014. He is also a two-time World Curling Championship silver medallist. Team Brewster opened this season finishing runner-up to Team Edin at the Baden Masters tournament in August.
TEAM COMEAU
Lineup: Rene Comeau, Andrew Burgess, Carter Small, and Ryan Freeze
Hometown: Fredericton, N.B.
Comeau skipped New Brunswick to the bronze medal at the 2015 Canadian Junior Championship. He also earned a silver medal at the Canadian Junior Championship in 2014.
TEAM COTTER
Lineup: Jim Cotter, Ryan Kuhn, Tyrel Griffith, and Rick Sawatsky
Hometown: Vernon, B.C.
Cotter is a five-time B.C. provincial champion. He finished runner-up at both the Canadian Olympic Trials and the Brier during the 2013-14 season. Team Cotter competed at two Pinty’s GSOC events this past season and qualified for the playoffs at the Canadian Open. Cotter’s rink wasn’t as active on tour during the past season and looks to bounce back into the elite group with a win at the Tour Challenge.
TEAM FANSET
Lineup: Travis Fanset, Wayne Tuck Jr., Josh Barry, and Chad Allen
Hometown: Brantford, Ont.
Fanset skipped Team Ontario to second place at the 2008 Canadian Junior Championship. He reached the semifinals at the Masters last season with Team Epping. Barry played at two Pinty’s GSOC events this past season with Team Casey.
TEAM GRATTAN
Lineup: James Grattan, Tommy Sullivan, Stephen Burgess, and Jamie Korab
Hometown: Oromocto, N.B.
Grattan is an 11-time New Brunswick provincial champion. Korab should be a familiar face to curling fans: he captured the Olympic gold medal with Brad Gushue’s Team Canada rink in 2006.
TEAM HEIDT
Lineup: Josh Heidt, Brock Montgomery, Matt Ryback, and Dustin Kidby
Hometown: Kerrobert, Sask.
Heidt won two World Curling Tour events in 2014. He skipped his team to the Red Deer Curling Classic and the Swift Current Spiel titles.
TEAM KEAN
Lineup: Mark Kean, Bowie Abbis-Mills, Spencer Nuttall, and Fraser Reid
Hometown: Stoney, Creek, Ont.
Kean is the reigning Ontario Tankard champion and represented the province for the first time in his career at the 2015 Brier. Kean has a completely different lineup in front of him this season though. Nuttall and Reid finished runner-up at the 2015 Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship while playing for the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks.
TEAM ROWSELL
Lineup: Rick Rowsell, David Noftall, Craig Dowden, and Ken Peddigrew
Hometown: St. John’s
Rowsell is a two-time provincial finalist. Peddigrew has won the Newfoundland and Labrador Tankard three times, most recently in 2006.
TEAM SMITH
Lineup: Greg Smith, Ryan McNeil Lamswood, Kyle Barron, and Craig Laing
Hometown: St. John’s
Team Smith is an up-and-coming rink on the curling tour. They are the reigning Newfoundland and Labrador junior champions, representing the province at the 2015 Canadian Junior Championship.
TEAM SMITH
Lineup: Kyle Smith, Thomas Muirhead, Kyle Waddell, and Cameron Smith
Hometown: Perth, Scotland
Smith has shined at the world junior stage. He captured the gold medal at the 2013 tournament and earned silver in 2014.
TEAM STEVENS
Lineup: Chad Stevens, Paul Flemming, Cameron MacKenzie, and Kelly Mittelstadt
Hometown: Halifax
Stevens is a two-time Curl Atlantic Championship winner. Flemming is a six-time Nova Scotia provincial champion and finished runner-up at the 2005 Brier.
TEAM SYMONDS
Lineup: Andrew Symonds, Mark Healy, Cory Ewart, and Keith Jewer
Hometown: St. John’s
Symonds served as the alternate for Team Gushue at the 2011 Brier and earned the bronze medal. He skipped his team to the St. John’s CC Super League championship in 2014.
TEAM THOMAS
Lineup: Colin Thomas, Cory Schuh, Chris Ford, and Spencer Wicks
Hometown: St. John’s
Thomas is a three-time Newfoundland and Labrador junior champion and two-time Tankard finalist. He also captured the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship in 2011 for Memorial University on home ice in St. John’s, N.L.
TIER 2 WOMEN’S TEAMS
TEAM ARSENAULT
Lineup: Mary-Anne Arsenault, Christina Black, Jane Snyder, and Jennifer Baxter
Hometown: Halifax
Arsenault won two world titles and five Scotties Tournament of Hearts championships playing second for Colleen Jones’s legendary rink. She has skipped her own team to three provincial titles.
TEAM BIRT
Lineup: Suzanne Birt, Robyn Green, Meaghan Hughes, and Marie Christianson
Hometown: Charlottetown
Birt is an eight-time P.E.I. provincial champion. She skipped Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2001 World Junior Championship.
TEAM CURTIS
Lineup: Stacie Curtis, Erin Porter, Julie Devereaux, and Carrie Vautour
Hometown: St. John’s
Curtis is a two-time Newfoundland & Labrador provincial champion. She skipped Team Canada to a silver medal at the 2007 World Junior Championship.
TEAM EBERLE
Lineup: Chantelle Eberle, Cindy Ricci, Larisa Murray, and Debbie Lozinski
Hometown: Regina
Eberle won the 2012 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship. Her team made their Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling debut at the Canadian Open last season.
TEAM EINARSON
Lineup: Kerri Einarson, Selena Kaatz, Liz Fyfe, and Kristin MacCuish
Hometown: Winnipeg
Team Einarson has finished runner-up at the past two Manitoba provincial tournaments. Einarson is also a two-time Manitoba mixed champion. Kaatz won the 2013 Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship with the University of Manitoba.
TEAM HASSELBORG
Lineup: Anna Hasselborg, Sara McManus, Agnes Knochenhauer, and Sofia Mabergs
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Hasselborg captured the gold medal for Sweden at the 2010 World Junior Championship. She made her Grand Slam of Curling debut at the 2011 Players’ Championship.
TEAM MONTFORD
Lineup: Michelle Montford, Lisa DeRivere, Sara Van Walleghem, and Sarah Neufeld
Hometown: Winnipeg
Team Montford captured a pair of titles in 2014. The team won the Sunova Spiel at East St. Paul and the MCT Championships.
TEAM OSTLUND
Lineup: Cissi Ostlund, Sabina Kraupp, Sara Carlsson, and Paulina Stein
Hometown: Karlstad, Sweden
Ostlund skipped Sweden to a silver medal at the 2008 World Junior Championship. She earned gold at the World Curling Championship playing third for Anette Norberg.
TEAM OVERTON-CLAPHAM
Lineup: Cathy Overton-Clapham, Briane Meilleur, Katherine Doerksen, and Krysten Karwacki
Hometown: Winnipeg
Overton-Clapham is a five-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion and winner of the 2008 world championship. She won the Masters title last season as a spare third for Team Sweeting. Karwacki won the 2013 Canadian Interuniversity Sport title for the University of Manitoba.
TEAM ROBICHAUD
Lineup: Sylvie Robichaud, Rebecca Atkinson, Marie Richard, and Jane Boyle
Hometown: Moncton, N.B.
Robichaud is a two-time New Brunswick provincial champion. Her team finished tied for eighth place at the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
TEAM ROTH
Lineup: Nina Roth, Aileen Sormunen, Monica Walker, and Vicky Persinger
Hometown: Blaine, Minn.
Roth is a two-time U.S. national champion and she finished fourth at the 2010 worlds while playing third for Erika Brown. She competed at the Canadian Open last season.
TEAM SINCLAIR
Lineup: Jamie Sinclair, Becca Hamilton, Tara Peterson, and Tabitha Peterson
Hometown: Blaine, Minn.
Sinclair is a dual American-Canadian citizen and earned the gold medal at the 2007 Canada Winter Games playing for Team Homan. She is also a two-time Ontario junior champion and won the 2014 Canadian Interuniversity Sport title for Carleton University.
TEAM SPENCER
Lineup: Barb Spencer, Katie Spencer, Holly Spencer, and Sydney Arnal
Hometown: Winnipeg
Spencer is a three-time Manitoba provincial champion. Her team reached the quarter-finals at the Autumn Gold Curling Classic last season.
TEAM STRONG
Lineup: Heather Strong, Stephanie Guzzwell, Sarah Paul, and Kathryn Cooper
Hometown: St. John’s
Strong is a 12-time Newfoundland & Labrador provincial champion. She qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2012 Masters through the Tier 2 group.
TEAM THURSTON
Lineup: Jill Thurston, Brette Richards, Kristen Foster, and Blaine DeJager
Hometown: Winnipeg
Thurston has finished third at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts twice. Foster won a bronze medal with Team Carey at the 2014 Scotties.
