Curling's exploding appeal is absolutely not confined to countries of a 'winter climate'.
Folks from plenty of sun-drenched lands are passionate about the sport, too, as is easily witnessed at the Pan Continental Curling Championships running through to Nov. 2 at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex and the Lacombe Curling Club.
The event is an annual competition for women’s and men’s teams from two of World Curling’s Zones – the Americas and Pacific-Asia. It features both A and B-Divisions, and provides a direct qualification route to the World Championships – similar to the European Curling Championships format.
And the list of participating countries in the city is stunning - there are athletes from Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and the U.S., to Taipei, New Zealand, Brazil, Hong Kong, Jamaica, India, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, among others.
Alan Frei of Team Philippines said although he calls Switzerland home, his Philippine roots run deep as his mom hails from that country.
He's thrilled to be in Lacombe, and also very excited with how his team has been performing in the competition's B Division.
"It's getting more and more popular in the Philippines," he said. "Filipinos aren't the tallest people in the world, and the problem we have is that our national sport is basketball! So, we aren't always winning there internationally," he added with a laugh.
Turns out curling, with it's innate sense of precision and demand for careful strategy, is a super fit.
"The sport is absolutely phenomenal. It's so interesting until the last stone. There are few sports like that. And that last stone is so important! Many games are nail-biters, especially here. We are sitting upstairs watching the games, and they are so close! It's just great excitement."
Frei is relatively new to curling, having started up a mere 1.5 years again.
"The thing is, I was quite overweight," he recalled. "And my goal was to go to the Olympics. I didn't know how, so I decided to try and figure out how to make it there."
First, he had his sights set on one day competing in cross-country.
Then he discovered there was a curling team looking for a new member. The team had already proven its mettle in a string of international championships, and, as luck would have it, they were looking for a fourth person.
"They heard of me, and asked if I wanted to curl! I said I had no talent in cross-country, so I tried this. I decided let's go all in with it. And so now, we have a great team, and it's great fun. And we are doing really well."
Besides the challenges of the sport, it's also just great fun, he noted.
"Especially here in the B (Division), everybody is really friendly. We are very comfortable with all the teams. We love the guys - they are really cool.
"Everybody is so nice here," he said, adding that while it's all very civil, there is unquestionably a sharp competitive edge to it all as well. "But it's cordial."
He also pointed out the amazing welcome his team has had on the local front.
"There are the nicest people here. The first day, we went to some great coffee shops downtown. They were talking with us, and they were really interested in the competitions here. We are super happy to be here," he said.
Laventer Oguta not only loves curling - she's the founder of curling in Kenya.
"We are really enjoying playing here, as we are playing against some really good teams," she said.
She laughed describing the initial establishing of the sport back home.
People would say, it's a winter sport, and there is no winter here, she recalled with a smile.
But despite the challenges, there was something about it that truly clicked with her, and she kept on exploring it and what it was all about.
She even at one point travelled to New Jersey to master curling's finer points. And when she returned home, word kept spreading and people were just naturally curious about it.
Today, they are an award-winning team growing tremendously in their skills as each season passes. And they are loving every minute of it.
"We are learning, and we are making friends."
For Lacombe City councillor Don Gullekson, seeing the event as a whole come to the community has been a joy.
"It's very exciting, and it's cool to watch. We have athletes here from all over - it's just amazing," he said, adding it's also a tremendous opportunity for Lacombe to showcase on a global level what it has to offer
"Before every game, when they are broadcast around the world. there will be a video for 30 seconds showing Lacombe," he said.
"They tell us there are 1.5 million viewers for every draw. And when Japan plays Canada, I guess it goes to abut 5 million," he added.
Gullekson is also an avid curler himself, heading to the local rink five times a week. "I love the game. There is the strategy, the reading of the ice - all of those things are involved,' he explained. "The social side of it is big, too."
To wrap up the championships on a high note, there will also be a wind-up banquet social event on Nov. 2 which follows the closing ceremonies.
To purchase tickets, head to www.lacombecurling.com.
