The second edition of the Pan Continental Curling Championships will take place at the Kelowna Curling Club from October 29 to November 4, 2023. The city of Kelowna has great experience holding World Curling events, having hosted three world championships – the World Women’s in 1986, the World Juniors in 2002, and the World Mixed in 2018.
“Our entire region is excited by this opportunity to bring the world's best curling athletes to Kelowna and showcase for them, their fans, and their families everything that the Okanagan Valley has to offer,” says Lisanne Ballantyne, President and CEO of Tourism Kelowna. “We work collaboratively to attract these types of major sports events during months where we have increased capacity to host. As well as bringing in new spending, events of this scale leave a community legacy of increased volunteerism and ignited interest in the sport.”
“We are very happy to take the second edition of the Pan Continental Championships to Kelowna in beautiful British Columbia," said World Curling Federation Head of Competitions, Eeva Roethlisberger. "The excellent 12-sheet facility of the Kelowna Curling Club has successfully hosted our events in the past and would have been a great venue for our mixed doubles and seniors had they not been cancelled due to the pandemic. We are very much looking forward to being back in Kelowna and experiencing the great hospitality of the local organizers.”
“The Kelowna Curling Club has had the privilege of hosting many great World and Canadian Championships, and we are over-the-top excited to show our city to the world. Kelowna most recently hosted the World Mixed Championship in 2018 and was scheduled to host the 2020 World Mixed Doubles and Seniors Championships when COVID-19 hit. So, our amazing team of volunteers is fully prepped and ready to welcome the world to the second-ever Pan Continental Championships," Kelowna Curling Club General Manager Jock Tyre said. "It’s always exciting to have the top countries in the world in Kelowna, but the true excitement will be the countries from Asia, Africa, and South America that are new to curling and welcoming them to the curling family.”
Action in Kelowna during the Winn Rentals World Mixed Curling Championship 2018 © WCF / Jeffrey Au
Member Associations of the World Curling Federation voted in September 2021 that two zones—the Americas and Pacific-Asia zone— will merge as one qualifying championship to ensure equal opportunities for all associations. The first edition of the Pan Continental Curling Championships took place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and saw Japan's women and Canada's men winning the inaugural titles. These championships will qualify five teams for the World Women’s and Men’s Championships in 2024.
Like the first edition, this year’s competition will feature an A- and B-division, providing teams with a direct route to the World Championships, similar to the European Curling Championships format.
- The women’s teams competing in this year’s A-Division will be: Australia, Canada, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, and the United States.
- The men’s teams competing in this year’s A-Division will be: Australia, Canada, Guyana, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, and the United States.
The B-Division championships will occur in the same venue and are open for any other Member Association from the Americas and Pacific-Asia zonal regions to enter.
To learn more about the Pan Continental Curling Championships, click here.
Engage with the World Curling Federation in the lead-up to the Pan Continental Curling Championships 2023 on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Weibo and by searching the hashtags #curling #PCCC2023.
