The Strathcona Cup Tour, with male curlers from Scotland taking on curlers from all 10 provinces, comes to PEI this weekend. The Tour, which first took place in 1902, is the oldest international curling event in the world. The Scots last won the tour in 2003, with the Canadians winning the last challenge, in 2009. At the moment, the Scots are leading this year’s Tour, with 787 points, while the Canadians have 681. The score in the Eastern Canada leg is 249 to 180 in favour of the Scottish contingent.
Hugh McCarrel
Hugh McCarrel, Canadian Chairman of the 2013 Strathcona Cup Tour reports that 60 Scottish curlers, split into three tours of 20, are competing.
Click for information on the Scottish curlers who are in Eastern Canada
Bill Duncan
Bill Duncan, President of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club (Scotland’s curling governing body), is touring with the Scots and is splitting his time equally among the tours.
Mr. Duncan says “The Strathcona Cup Tour 2013 promises to be one of the busiest and challenging of all tours, with curlers from all walks of life coming together to compete in the true spirit of curling. We will be heading off determined to bring the Strathcona Cup back home with us”
The Scots arrived in Canada on January 9th and attended opening banquets in Halifax, Ottawa, and Vancouver, representing the three tours – East, Central and West.
Photo: Arrival in Halifax
Scottish curlers entering the Bally Hally club in St. John’s under the traditional “Canopy of Brooms”. Photo courtesy Jamie Korab.
After Halifax, the Scots headed St. John’s, Newfoundland, for their first-ever visit, which included a “Screeching In” ceremony, and a welcoming speech by Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue. The “Tourists” as they are referred to, arrive in PEI on Friday.
“Screech In” ceremony at the Bally Hally Club in St. John’s. Photo courtesy Jamie Korab.
The Tour’s last visit to PEI was in 2003, while Roddie MacLean and Jim Farquharson from the Cornwall Curling Club went to Scotland for the event in January 2009. This time, the Scots will be curling at four PEI clubs:
The Charlottetown Curling Complex on Friday January 18 at 4 pm,
the Montague Curling Club on Saturday January 19 at 10 am,
the Cornwall Curling Club on Saturday January 19 at 3 pm, and
the Crapaud Community Curling Club on Sunday January 20 at 10 am.
Sixteen male curlers have been chosen at each club to compete against them. Everyone is welcome to come and watch the curlers in action.
Besides the curling, a number of off-ice activities are planned, including a dinner and entertainment at the Charlottetown Curling Complex beginning at 7 pm on the Friday, lunch following the curling at Montague on Saturday, a “Shuck In” ceremony, a Robbie Burns-themed dinner, followed by entertainment, which is open to the public beginning at 9 pm, at the Cornwall Curling Club on Saturday, and a light lunch following the Sunday curling at Crapaud, before the Scots depart for Moncton NB.
The 2013 tour wraps up with a closing banquet at the Burlington Golf and Country Club on January 31st.
The Strathcona Cup champion is determined based on the cumulative results of all the games played, in this case, 434 games in over 100 Clubs. McCarrel reports that over 1,700 Canadians will participate as opposition and hosts for the Scots.
Click to visit Tour website, which includes a diary of the Scots’ trip to Canada