The new owners of the Grand Slam of Curling are hoping this province will be a key player in their goal of growing the sport.
The Curling Group recently purchased the Grand Slam of Curling from Rogers Sportsnet, though the network will continue to hold the broadcasting rights.
CEO Nic Sulsky says the popularity of curling has taken off in recent years and they plan to continue that growth with St. John’s at the forefront.
“If it was up to me, we would have curling events in St. John’s as often as we could,” he says. The group’s goal is to create tournaments beyond the Grand Slam events and he believes St. John’s has the right market to capitalize on that growth.
The capital city is already set to host the KIOTI National Grand Slam of Curling at the Mary Brown’s Centre in November.
Sulsky says they’ve seen the passion and energy for curling from Newfoundlanders and Labradorians before, and they want that in full force during the slam.
“Everybody wants the energy, everybody wants the party, everybody wants the noise. These are professional athletes who thrive under that.”