Curling is as much a part of my childhood as agriculture. For various reasons, I stepped away from it for the last 6 years and finally stepped back on the ice this past fall. Getting to know the curling community around Lacombe has been a treat. There is no question that without joining the Lacombe Curling Club, I would not have known about this very neat event being hosted so close to me, in Sylvan Lake.

For those who may not know, curling originated in Scotland, with the 1st recorded game in the 16th century. The game has come a long way from when it was played on frozen lakes or lochs to now having specialized ice surfaces, sliders and even broom specifications. Being a fly on the wall for this set of games, between five teams from Scotland and five from the local area, which was part of a much larger tournament that spanned across Canada, was a great evening that I couldn’t have even anticipated. The only thing I wish could have happened differently that day was that I could have stayed and visited with the teams afterwards.

Capturing the camaraderie and the sportsmanship that obviously spans the globe in this great event will be a memory for this photographer’s memory books for years to come. It has been on my list for a while to 1 day be a tourist in Scotland – maybe I will have to try and plan it for when the Canadian teams head over there on the flipside of the competition in a few years. Thank you to the Scotland teams for the beautiful little keepsake as well.

If you’re curious about the competition and want to check out more about the Strathcona Cup, you can check out their Strathcona Cup website.

For photos from the event in Sylvan Lake, you can access the gallery through the button directly below. Any curlers who would like a digital copy of the large group photo (see a preview further down) can send me a message or email and I can send it to you directly to share with your team.