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Monday, October 31, 2011

Full Ahead for the Scottish Curling Tour

I wonder what those teams not involved at Perth this past weekend are thinking? Could we (should we) have been in the mix to represent Scotland in Moscow? However, the way the Scottish Championships continue to be structured, everyone has a chance of representing our country in the Worlds at Lethbridge or Basel. With competing in the Scottish in their plans, the teams to which I refer have probably already taken part in one of the Goldline Scottish Curling Tour competitions this season.

This series of open competitions has already visited Dumfries, Braehead and Forfar. Has the Tour been a success? I would say so. It's off to a great start in this first season.

Next weekend (November 4-6) it's the turn of Inverness for the long-standing Skins. Twenty-four teams are involved here, in four sections of six. Tom Pendreigh has been in touch to say that the draw is made, but there is the odd team that is struggling for a player, so if you are interested in a great weekend on, and off the ice, then drop Tom an email (address is here).

The weekend following will be the inaugural Stirling Invitational, November 11-13. The organisers have set the bar high for this one, with a big entry fee, and consequently a big prize pot! There are twenty-two teams in this first year including notably Oskar Eriksson's side from Sweden.

The Petrofac Aberdeen City Open may not be until February 3-5, 2012, but already that competition is full, with twenty-four teams, and there is a waiting list. I can understand why, as last year's competition was great fun.

On the organisational side of the Goldline Scottish Curling Tour, organiser Gavin Fleming tells me that there are plans for a revamped website which would have provision for a unified results service from each competition. Now that would be a good step forward. I wish the SCT every success and hope it goes from strength to strength. There's no doubt that it benefits Scottish curling.