The World Curling Federation (WCF) and the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) today announced that Regina, Saskatchewan will stage the 2011 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship.
The event will be held April 2-10, 2011 at the newly-named Evraz Place, formerly the Agridome, which has hosted such major curling championships in the last 12 years as the 2001 Canadian Curling Trials, the inaugural Continental Cup in 2002, the 2006 Tim Hortons Brier and the 1998 and 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The city has also held the world men’s curling championship twice before - in 1973, when won by Sweden’s Kjell Oscarius and in 1983, when taken by Canada’s Ed Werenich.
“The World Curling Federation is extremely pleased to have the 2011 Ford World Men's Curling Championship return to Regina where it has had great previous success,” said Les Harrison, President of the World Curling Federation. “Saskatchewan curlers and fans have been exceptional in their support for high level competitions in the past and as this will be the first qualification process for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, we expect this event to be an unqualified success. We look forward to working with our partners, the CCA and the local organizing committee, led by Chairman Derek Boe.”
“Regina continues to be such a wonderful host to our events. Over the last few months, the Canadian Curling Association and the City of Regina have worked hard to see the 2011 Ford Men's World Championship come to fruition in this great curling city,” said Greg Stremlaw, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Curling Association. “Regina has been highly successful on so many fronts with large curling events in past that it is no surprise to award the men's world championship to this community.”
“On a personal note, I would also like to commend Ford of Canada for their wonderful partnership with the CCA and the WCF and their involvement once again with the World Championship. Ford has been nothing but first class to deal with and it is nice to have partners who are so committed to what we do and clearly see value in what we are able to provide to them.”
“Regina is excited to be hosting the 2011 Ford World Men's Curling Championship,” said Host Committee chairman Derek Boe, who is also the current President of Curl Regina. “We figured since the (Saskatchewan) ‘Riders hosted the (Canadian Football League) Western final for the first time in 33 years (last Sunday), that 28 years was long enough between world championships for us!”
Ford of Canada has sponsored the world men’s and women’s championships since 1995, when the first Ford Worlds was held in Brandon, Manitoba. When the men’s and women’s championships were separated, beginning in 2005, and alternately held in Canada, Ford continued to be the title sponsor.
The 2005 Ford world men’s was staged in Victoria, British Columbia, the 2007 renewal in Edmonton and the 2009 edition in Moncton.
The 2006 Ford world women’s was in Grande Prairie, Alberta, followed by the 2008 version in Vernon, British Columbia, while the 2010 renewal will take place in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, March 20-28.
Tickets are expected to go on sale in March of 2010. Canada’s team for the 2011 Ford world men’s will be determined at the 2011 Tim Hortons Brier in London, Ontario, March 5-13.
Canada has won 31 men’s titles since 1959, followed by Scotland and Sweden with five wins apiece. Regina’s Ernie Richardson is the only four-time winning skip, having won in 1959, 1960, 1962 and 1963.
At the 2007 Ford world men’s in Edmonton, an attendance record for a men’s only event of 184,970 was established.
The 2011 Ford world men’s will also be the first championship (followed by the 2012 and 2013 world men’s) for countries to earn Olympic qualifying points. The top ten countries will then qualify for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
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