CurlSask moves forward with ‘bubble environment’ at 2022 Viterra Scotties

Assiniboia was to open the Viterra Scotties on Wednesday, the third time the community has hosted the annual event.

But in 2022, things look drastically different from the last time the town of around 2,400 welcomed the best in Saskatchewan women’s curling. That was in 2015.

Instead of handshakes, autograph sessions and the normal event seen in the past, a bubble environment will be used to crown Saskatchewan’s representative at the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

That’s according to Steve Turner, CurlSask’s event manager.

“It has been a challenge, absolutely,” he said Wednesday.

“We came into this (and) we’re all aware what’s going on in our back yard and the world around us (with COVID-19) … We knew we were going to have to do things differently to make sure that we can proceed with this (tournament).”

Turner said the plan received the “stamp of approval” from local health experts. It will be open to fans in the lounge area, alongside the sheets, and in a separate viewing area.

When it comes to protecting the athletes, Turner described the plan as “multi-layered.”

“We’ve been able to create a bubble environment for all of our coaches and athletes,” he explained.

Turner continued to describe that curlers and coaches are given a separate space to come into the rink and move into the playing area, separate of all fan interaction.

With fan interaction being a major part of the curling experience, Turner said events such as the opening ceremonies and the luncheon will be moved to a virtual delivery.

Team meetings have also moved to virtual to minimize points of contact.

Athletes, staff and coaches have been asked to use daily rapid tests and to answer screening questions.

If an athlete tests positive, she would then have to retest, according to Turner.

“If they are unable to continue, then the team would move forward with a spare (while) the other player isolated,” he said.

“Our hope is that if we end up with a positive test on one of our teams that it would be isolated, and that we could keep playing the games.”

By Curling Canada rules, Turner said a team must ice at least two of its rostered players to be able to play in a sanctioned match.

Regardless of the hoops CurlSask jumped through to organize and continue the event, Turner is excited to see the action come together.

“The joy this brings … to see our athletes here, our goal is that we want to declare our champions and we want it done by playing a game on the ice,” he said.

“We feel like we’ve gone above and beyond so that we can do anything in our power to make sure that that happens (in Assiniboia).”

The action is to begin Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., at the Assiniboia Curling Club with four games set. The top four rinks in Saskatchewan were given a bye Wednesday, with their matchups beginning Thursday at 9 a.m.