Curling action will be returning to Regina next week, but in a new format being developed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Saskatchewan Men’s Super Series will be played at the Highland Curling Club from October 16th to the 18th. Five of Saskatchewan’s best teams, including the 2020 provincial champion Matt Dunstone rink, will be in attendance and competing against one another over the three days of competition.
Dunstone’s Third Braeden Moskowy joined 620 CKRM’s the Sportscage Tuesday, and says it’s been seven months since teams have been on the ice.
“For all four of us on our team, that’s 15-20 years (since) the last time we would have been off the ice for seven months, the season’s pretty long now,” Moskowy said. “Usually we finish around mid-May, and we’re back on the ice in mid-to-early August, so it’s basically June and July off.
“It’s definitely odd, we’re well into October now and we just hit the ice for the first time last week.”
Other teams competing include the newly-formed Colton Flasch rink out of Saskatoon, one of the top teams to come out of Saskatchewan’s junior ranks in recent memory in the Rylan Kleiter rink out of Saskatoon, perennial Tankard contender Kody Hartung, and Shaun Meachem, who represented Saskatchewan at the Tim Horton’s Brier back in 2017 as a member of the Adam Casey rink.
: Five Teams. One Bonspiel. One Weekend. In Regina. One Champion. Who will it be?
We are pumped to announce the inaugural @VaderstadCanada Saskatchewan Men’s Super Series pres. by @CalidonLeasing !!
Check out the details below
https://t.co/0km7hohC4O#curling #sask pic.twitter.com/ER5xASiOpB
— Team Dunstone (@TeamMDunstone) October 5, 2020
Moskowy says the idea came after talking with other teams from across the country to see what they are doing.
“I’m sure any athlete doesn’t want to take anymore time off than they need to, especially when we’re kind of getting into the nitty-gritty of the Olympic trials that are just around the corner next December,” Moskowy said. “No one wants to take a bunch of time off, and we’re just trying to find ways to stay sharp and do that obviously within the COVID guidelines laid out and a little less travel is looking like the easiest way to do that.”
Moskowy says a similar event has already been played in Ontario, and it shows this format can work.
“It’s a little different, and it takes some time, but everyone’s more than willing to do whatever we got to do to stay within the protocols and make sure we’re doing this safe because we just want to get out there and do what we love.”
Streaming details are still being finalized, and the CurlSask “Return to Curling Guidelines” will be followed.