Life in a bubble is becoming somewhat common for athletes as sport organizations try to offer a safe environment to continue play through the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
We have seen the National Hockey League, the Canadian Elite Basketball League and National Basketball Association go with bubbles successfully and now Curling Canada is going to follow the model.
The national organization recently unveiled its curling hub plans for Calgary. The federation initially announced intentions to hold the 2021 men's and women's national championships, the mixed doubles championship and the men's world curling championship in Calgary.
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts will likely kick things off in the bubble in late February. The Tim Horton's Brier is expected to be played in early March, followed by the mixed doubles competition.
Since the first announcement two more competitions have been added to the Calgary curling ‘bubble’.
The Grand Slam of Curling has announced plans to host The Players' Championship and Champions Cup at Winsport's Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.
Dates have yet to be finalized, but both bonspiels will likely be held in the spring.
Curling Canada plans to adopt a similar model to the one the NHL used. Spectators were not allowed in the hockey venues and that will be the case for curling as well.
Conditional on government approval, the proposed curling events will adhere to strict health guidelines to prioritize the safety of players, staff and all involved.
One curler definitely happy to learn of the ‘bubble’ is defending Saskatchewan men’s champ Matt Dunstone.
“It’s been a wild year,” began a recent telephone conversation with Dunstone who was in Yorkton in January competing in the the Meridian Canadian Open.
The wild year of course related to the impact COVID-19 on curling, and on everything else as well, he added.
So was Dunstone expecting life in the bubble to be an option?
“I sort of knew for a few months that bubble talks were taking place,” he said, adding that gave him reason for optimism, but as the weeks and months passed with no official word he was becoming concerned it would not happen.
“Now it looks like we have a plan for some curling.”
Dunstone said life in the bubble will not mean a lot of changes on the ice, but off ice the focus will be on health safety.
“There will be rapid testing which you absolutely have to have,” he said, adding “extra protocols will be in place (like the likelihood of wearing masks off ice).”
While meaning some changes, Dunstone noted, “it’s just part of the deal,” to get back to playing. “I can’t see anybody having an issue with it.”
That’s good news for Dunstone who has been on a general upward trajectory as a curler in recent years. He won the Canadian Junior Curling Championshipsin 2013,and represented Canada at the 2013 World Junior Curling Championships, where he won the bronze medal.
In 2018 Dunstone formed his own Saskatchewan-based team, with him as skip, Braeden Moskowyat third , Catlin Schneiderat second and Dustin Kidbyat lead.
The team was able to win the 2020 SaskTel Tankard.
After falling into the C Event, Team Dunstone won four -straight games including defeating Kirk Muyresin the final to win the provincial championship.
At the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier, they finished the round robin and championship pool with a 8–3 record which qualified them for the playoffs against Alberta's Brendan Bottcher. They lost the game 9–4 and then lost the semifinal to Newfoundland and Labrador's Gushue, settling for a bronze medal.
The question now for teams like the Dunstone quartet is how to prepare for Calgary.
“The million dollar question is where to find practice time,” he said, adding curling rinks in Saskatchewan and in Manitoba where he know resides are closed due to the pandemic. “... So practice time is very hard to come by at this time.”
Whether they can practice, or not, Dunstone said they are itching to get back on the trail to a Canadian title, a desire made keener by the strong Brier earlier this year that ended on a somewhat sour note.
“I just hope there’s provincial playdowns,” he said, adding even if those are a no-go CurlSask “will be sending somebody to the Brier and Scotties.”
Dunstone said clearly they want another shot at the Brier this time coming out “just two wins better” to earn a shot at the World Championships.
“That’s one of the things you get so close you can taste it.”
And of course an Olympic trials spot looms too.
“There’s all kind of motivation this season,” said Dunstone.
