Grand Slam Of Curling 2008 – 2009 Season Preview

14/11/2008 04:19

Last chance for Canadian skips to reach for the rings

There's always a lot on the line in the Grand Slam of Curling, but this season the stakes may be higher than ever.

With the trials for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver just over a year away, time is running out for Canada's top rinks to position themselves for a run at the gold medal. The final dash begins this week at the Masters of Curling, the first leg of the World Curling Tour's invitation-only Grand Slam series.

Along with the usual $100,000 purse up for grabs, the Canadian teams competing in Waterloo, Ont., will resume their three-year-long quest for valuable points toward one of the eight spots at the Olympic trials in Edmonton in December 2009.

Including results from this season and the prior two, the top four skips after the season-ending Players' Championship in April receive a direct ticket to Edmonton, while the next 12 will have to battle it out for the four remaining berths at a qualifying spiel.

Based on their stellar performances over the last two seasons, the rinks of Glenn Howard and Kevin Martin have already guaranteed their place in the trials. Randy Ferbey, Kevin Koe, Pat Simmons, Jeff Stoughton, Kerry Burtnyk and Wayne Middaugh are assured of at least a spot in the qualifier, which is slated for Prince George, B.C., next November.

That leaves quite a bit up for grabs at the four Grand Slam tournaments. Following the Masters, there's the National (Dec. 3-7, Quebec City), the Canadian Open (Jan. 21-25, Winnipeg) and the Players' Championship (April 14-19, Grande Prairie, Alta.).

Already big dates on the pro curling calendar, those events are now looming even larger, according to Howard.

"The main focus is the Olympic trials right now, and the Brier is probably a secondary focus," the Coldwater, Ont., skip told CBCSports.ca.

CBC Sports brings you live coverage of the playoff rounds of the four Slam events, beginning with the Masters quarter-finals on Nov. 15 (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 3 p.m. ET). The championship final is set for Nov. 16 (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 1 p.m. ET).

To preview the action in Waterloo and beyond, CBCSports.ca spoke with CBC curling analyst Mike Harris about the big questions heading into the new season.

Skips to watch.

SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:

For more from CBC curling analyst Mike Harris, click here.