20 Most Important Curling Tournaments

Curling, a winter sport played on ice, has gained global popularity with numerous prestigious championships and events.

This article presents an overview of the most important curling tournaments across the world.

Most Important Curling Tournaments:

World Championships
Olympic Winter Games
Tim Hortons Brier
Scotties Tournament of Hearts
European Championships
Pacific-Asia Championships
World Senior Championships
Canadian Junior Championships
World Mixed Doubles Championship
World Wheelchair Championship
United States Men’s Curling Championship
United States Women’s Curling Championship
Grand Slam of Curling
Canada Cup
Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship
Continental Cup of Curling
World Junior-B Curling Championships
Canadian Curling Pre-Trials / Road to the Roar
College Curling National Championship (United States)
Canadian Curling Association (CCA) National Championships

Table of Contents

#1 World Championships

📍 Location: Varies globally
📅 Established: 1959
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: National teams

The World Curling Championships, organized by the World Curling Federation, showcase the top nations in curling.

With separate events for men and women, Canada dominates both championships, followed by Sweden and Switzerland. The championships have evolved over time, with the current format including round-robin, playoffs, and medal games.

#2 Olympic Winter Games

📍 Location: Varies globally
📅 Established: 1924
🔄 Held: Every 4 years
👥 Teams: National teams

Curling became a part of the Olympic Winter Games in 1998, raising its international profile.

Governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Curling Federation, mixed doubles was added to the program in 2018. Canada has been the most successful nation, accumulating multiple gold medals.

#3 Tim Hortons Brier

📍 Location: Canada
📅 Established: 1927
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: 16 men’s teams

The Tim Hortons Brier is the Canadian Men’s Curling Championship, and one of the nation’s most prestigious curling events.

Its unique Purple Heart Trophy and Tankard symbolize national curling supremacy. Several Brier winning teams have later become World Champions, showcasing the strength of Canadian curling.

#4 Scotties Tournament of Hearts

📍 Location: Canada
📅 Established: 1961
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: 16 women’s teams

The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is the Canadian Women’s Curling Championship, determining the nation’s representatives at the World Championships.

The championship features intense competition between the provinces and territories. Its coveted trophy, the Scotty, represents the pinnacle of women’s curling in Canada.

#5 European Championships

📍 Location: Varies across Europe
📅 Established: 1975
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: National teams

The European Curling Championships determine the top curling nations in Europe. Sweden, Scotland, and Switzerland have historically excelled in the championships.

With separate events for men, women, and mixed doubles, the competition also serves as a qualification tournament for the World Championships.

#6 Pacific-Asia Championships

📍 Location: Varies across the Asia-Pacific region
📅 Established: 1991
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: National teams

The Pacific-Asia Curling Championships are a regional event for Asian and Pacific nations, giving them the opportunity to qualify for the World Championships.

China, Japan, and South Korea have dominated the competition and have emerged as strong international contenders in recent years.

#7 World Senior Championships

📍 Location: Varies globally
📅 Established: 2002
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: Senior national teams

The World Senior Curling Championships are designed for curlers aged 50 and older, promoting lifelong participation in the sport.

With separate events for men and women, the championship fosters international competition for senior curlers, while showcasing their skills and dedication to the game. Canada and the United States have been dominant forces in recent years.

#8 Canadian Junior Championships

📍 Location: Canada
📅 Established: 1950 (Men), 1971 (Women)
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: Junior men’s and women’s teams

The Canadian Junior Curling Championships showcase the nation’s young talent. Split into men’s and women’s competitions, the winners represent Canada at the World Junior Curling Championships.

The tournament has been a stepping stone for athletes who later become world and Olympic champions, highlighting the strong development pipeline in Canadian curling.

#9 World Mixed Doubles Championship

📍 Location: Varies globally
📅 Established: 2008
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: National mixed doubles teams

The World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship presents a unique format where one male and one female athlete join forces to compete. Swiss teams have been particularly successful, capturing multiple titles.

The championship also serves as a qualification event for the Olympic Winter Games mixed doubles competition, which began in 2018.

#10 World Wheelchair Championship

📍 Location: Varies globally
📅 Established: 2002
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: National wheelchair teams

The World Wheelchair Curling Championship promotes inclusivity in the sport and provides a platform for adaptive athletes to compete globally.

Its origins trace back to the 2000 Paralympic Winter Games, when wheelchair curling was first demonstrated. Canada has been a dominant force, but other nations such as Norway, Scotland, and Russia have also had success.

#11 United States Men’s Curling Championship

📍 Location: United States
📅 Established: 1957
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: Men’s club teams

The United States Men’s Curling Championship brings together the top teams from across the country to determine the national champion and U.S. representative at the World Championships.

The competition has driven the growth of curling in the United States and has produced talented teams capable of international success.

#12 United States Women’s Curling Championship

📍 Location: United States
📅 Established: 1977
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: Women’s club teams

The United States Women’s Curling Championship selects the nation’s top team to represent the United States at the World Championships.

The event has facilitated strong American women’s teams to compete at the highest level and plays a crucial role in the development of women’s curling in the country.

#13 Grand Slam of Curling

📍 Location: Canada
📅 Established: 2001
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: Club teams

The Grand Slam of Curling is a series of high-profile bonspiels featuring the world’s best curling teams.

Comprising men’s, women’s, and mixed events, it attracts top international competitors and offers significant prize money. The strength of competition elevates curling’s entertainment value and pushes the sport to new performance levels.

#14 Canada Cup

📍 Location: Canada
📅 Established: 2003
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: Club teams

The Canada Cup of Curling features elite Canadian club teams battling in a round-robin format for the prestigious cup.

Many Canada Cup winners have gone on to represent Canada internationally, showcasing the depth of talent in the nation’s curling scene. The event attracts large audiences, promoting the curling culture in Canada.

#15 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship

📍 Location: Canada
📅 Established: 2013
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: Mixed doubles club teams

The Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship showcases the best of mixed doubles curling in the country. The winning team represents Canada at the World Mixed Doubles Championship and the Olympic Winter Games.

The competition has helped raise the profile of mixed doubles curling and its distinctive format, which requires strong teamwork and unique strategies.

#16 Continental Cup of Curling

📍 Location: North America
📅 Established: 2002
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: National and club teams

The Continental Cup of Curling is a team-based competition between North America (Canada and United States) and World teams, consisting of top players from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

The event features men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles matchups, showcasing a diverse mix of curling talent, strategies, and playing styles, while fostering international camaraderie.

#17 World Junior-B Curling Championships

📍 Location: Varies globally
📅 Established: 2012
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: National junior teams

The World Junior-B Curling Championships are held to provide junior curlers from nations not directly qualified for the main World Junior Curling Championships a chance to compete and earn promotion.

The winners secure spots in the main event, further expanding the reach of the sport and fostering the development of young curlers globally.

#18 Canadian Curling Pre-Trials / Road to the Roar

📍 Location: Canada
📅 Established: 2009
🔄 Held: Every 4 years (before Olympic Winter Games)
👥 Teams: Club teams

The Canadian Curling Pre-Trials, also known as the “Road to the Roar,” is a qualifying event for the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.

It offers a last-chance opportunity for aspiring Canadian teams to earn their spot in the Trials, which determines the national representatives for the Olympic Winter Games. The event showcases the depth of talent within Canada’s curling circuit.

#19 College Curling National Championship (United States)

📍 Location: United States
📅 Established: 2002
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: College teams

The College Curling National Championship is an annual event in the United States that brings together the best college curling teams from across the nation.

It promotes the growth of curling at the collegiate level and helps identify young talent that could represent the United States in future international competitions. The event encourages the expansion of curling among younger generations.

#20 Canadian Curling Association (CCA) National Championships

📍 Location: Canada
📅 Established: 1966
🔄 Held: Annually
👥 Teams: Club teams

The CCA National Championships provide a platform for various club curling categories within Canada to compete for national honors.

With separate events organized for different age groups and skill levels, the championships cultivate curling communities and strengthen the sport’s grassroots. The event further emphasizes Canada’s dedication to promoting and nurturing curling talents.

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