Prince Edward Island’s first-ever Mixed Doubles Curling Trials go this weekend (Dec. 12-14) at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. Events were scheduled the past two seasons, but no entries were received for this relatively-new, two-person variant of the sport. This time there are four teams entered, including two from the Under 21 (Junior) ranks (unlike other events, there are no age restrictions on Mixed Doubles). The winning team from this event will advance to the national Mixed Doubles Trials at the  Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, March 11 to 15, 2015.  The national winner advances to the World Mixed Doubles in Sochi Russia, April 18-25, 2015.  Rebecca Jean MacDonald and Robert Campbell, not in this year’s event, competed at the World Mixed Doubles in 2011, gaining that berth by virtue of their team winning the Canadian Mixed title.

Mixed Doubles is a relatively new format, but may soon be an Olympic medal sport, as efforts are ongoing by the World Curling Federation to have the discipline included, as early as the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Team Rosters

Both junior teams in the provincial competition have previous Mixed Doubles experience at the national level, as the sport was included as a “mini tournament” at the 2013 and 2014 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Curling Championships. Tyler Smith competed in 2013, with Kyle Holland playing in 2014. Katie Fullerton and Chloé McCloskey competed in it both years, with McCloskey, teamed up with Evan Kearley from Newfoundland and Labrador, along with her regular coach, Bill Hope, winning the silver medal in 2014, losing the gold medal game by a single point.

2014 Canadian Juniors Mixed doubles tournament silver-medalists, from left, Evan Kearley, Chloé McCloskey and coach Bill Hope. (Photo, CCA/Michael Burns Photography/Mark O’Neill)

The four teams in the provincials will play a modified triple knockout format, advancing teams to a two game championship round, unless one team wins all three triple knockout sections, in which case the champion will be declared without playing the two final games. Opening draw is Friday at 4:30 pm, with a second draw at 7:30. Saturday and Sunday games are scheduled for 10 am and 1 and 4 pm.

Opening draw:

Friday, December 12 at 4:30 pm:

Ice 1: Tyler Smith/Chloé McCloskey (Crapaud/Cornwall) vs Daniel MacFadyen/Nancy MacFadyen (Crapaud)
Ice 2: Dario Zannier/Vivian Holm (Crapaud) vs Kyle Holland/Katie Fullerton (Charlottetown and Cornwall)

There are three possible outcomes from the Modified Triple Knockout Round:

1. One team wins all three qualifiers: Championship Round is not required.
2. One team wins two qualifiers. They play in X and Z (and win the event if they win either game), the other winner plays in Y (and has to win both games).
3. Three separate winners: the team that played in the most qualifying games (3, 6, 9) plays in Z and the other winners play off in X and Y. If there is a tie in number of qualifying games played, then the team that qualified earliest goes to Z and the other two teams play off in X and Y.

Event Website: peicurling.com/mixeddoubles

Live results are available at: curlatlantic.com/scoreboard/competitions/1338-mixed-doubles-curling-trials-pei/scoreboard/

Basic rules of Mixed Doubles (visit peicurling.com/mixeddoubles for complete rules):

– Teams are made up of two players; one male, one female. No alternates are permitted.

– Six rocks are used per team per end (one is placed at one of two designated positions on the ice at the beginning of each end, five are thrown)

– One player throws first and last stone per end, the other player throws the three in between. The player delivering the first stone can change from end to end. Games are eight ends.