Manitoba curling talent was on full display earlier this month as three local rinks lined up against world-class opposition at the KIOTI Grand Slam of Curling’s Tour Challenge in Lake Tahoe, Nev., from Nov. 4 to 9.
Gimli’s Team Kerri Einarson finished with a 2–2 record and narrowly missed a playoff berth, falling in a tiebreaker after a strong showing in round-robin play. Winnipeg Beach’s Elias Huminicki and Team McDonald closed out the event at 1–3.
On the men’s side, Team Dunstone — featuring Gimli product Colton Lott — went undefeated at 4–0 through the preliminary round to secure a spot in the playoffs. The rink advanced all the way to the championship game before being edged by Scotland’s Team Mouat in the final.
The Tour Challenge drew 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams representing 10 countries, including Canada, Sweden, Scotland, Switzerland, China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the United States and Italy. Each team played four round-robin games, with top finishers advancing to the playoff round.
With the Grand Slam stop now behind them, all three Manitoba rinks will shift their focus to the upcoming Olympic Curling Trials in Halifax, running Nov. 22–30. The Trials will determine Canada’s men’s and women’s representatives for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.
