Cameron, Skrlik, Mouat all winners on Tour this weekend
Published
Curling started to wake up from its summer slumber this past weekend with events in Canada, Scotland and Japan.
The calendar hasn't even flipped to September yet, but the ice is already in at some clubs across the country as teams attempt to get a leg up on their competition for the 2023-24 curling campaign.
Here's a closer look at what happened on the pebbled ice this weekend.
Kate Cameron wins first event with new team
Event: Icebreaker Challenge in Morris, Man.
Purse: $7,200 (W)
For the first time in a decade, 31-year-old Kate Cameron is skipping her own rink, joining forces with third Meghan Walter, 21, second Taylor McDonald, 30, and lead Mackenzie Elias, 22, this summer.
Walter, with Elias playing lead, skipped a Wild Card team in her Scotties Tournament of Hearts debut last year, posting a 3-5 record.
In their first event of the new season, the Winnipeg foursome posted a perfect 5-0 record at the Icebreaker Challenge in Morris, Man., capping it off with an 8-6 win over Team Delaney Strouse of the United States.
After playing last season in Alberta with Lethbridge's Casey Scheidegger, Cameron is back in Manitoba for the first time since 2019, giving the province another elite-level team to contend with.
Kayla Skrlik, Aaron Sluchinski win Alberta Curling Tour opener
Event: Curling Stadium Alberta Tour Kickoff in Leduc, Alta.
Purse: $10,000 (M), $10,000 (W)
Kayla Skrlik and Aaron Sluchinski will both be skipping teams at the 2023 PointsBet Invitational at the end of September in Oakville, Ont., and both got their season off on the right foot with victories on the Alberta Curling Tour.
On the women's side, the 25-year-old Skrlik and her Calgary rink of third Brittany Tran, second Geri-Lynn Ramsay and lead Ashton Skrlik won all five of their games over the weekend, highlighted by a 5-3 win over Team Kerry Galusha in the semifinal and a 6-4 victory over Team Nancy Martin in Sunday's championship game.
In the final, Skrlik scored deuces in the second, fourth and fifth ends.
Skrlik posted a 4-4 record in her Scotties debut last season in Kamloops.
On the men's side, Airdrie's Team Sluchinski defeated an American rink led by Daniel Casper in the final, 6-1.
Sluchinski's rink featuring third Jeremy Harty, second Kerr Drummond and lead Dylan Webster went 4-1 in Leduc and defeated Team Karsten Sturmay, who represented Wild Card 3 at the Tim Hortons Brier last winter, in the semis, 6-2.
Danielle Inglis, Owen Purcell capture Summer Series title
Event: Summer Series in Saint-Félicien, Que.
Purse: $16,000 (M), $16,000 (W)
Danielle Inglis scored a single in the eighth end as her Ottawa side outlasted two-time defending Nova Scotia champion Christina Black, 5-4, in the final of the Summer Series bonspiel in Quebec.
Inglis and her rink of third Kira Brunton, second Calissa Daly and lead Cassandra de Groot went 6-0, also beating Team Black in the round robin.
Quebec champion Laurie St-Georges, alongside her new third in Jamie Sinclair, lost to Black in the semis, 7-3.
Inglis, 35, had a solid 2022-23 season, making it to the semifinal of the Ontario Scotties and will be competing at next month's PointsBet Invitational in Oakville.
On the men's side, it was 23-year-old Owen Purcell and his Halifax rink defeating Saguenay's Team Yannick Martel in the final, 8-5.
Purcell, who was a win away from representing the Bluenosers at the Brier in 2023, is playing with a new team this year, featuring third Ryan Abraham, second Scott Saccary and lead Adam McEachren.
Team Purcell went 6-1 overall at the Summer Series, also beating Team John Epping in the quarterfinal and Team Sam Mooibroek in the semis.
World champs start strong
Event: Euro Super Series in Stirling, Scotland
Purse: $20,000
Bruce Mouat and the world men's curling champions from Scotland started off their 2023-24 season with a convincing win at the Euro Super Series this weekend in their hometown of Stirling.
Mouat, who turned 29 on Sunday, and his rink of third Grant Hardie, second Bobby Lammie and lead Hammy McMillan Jr., posted a 6-1 record with wins over fellow Scots, in Team James Craik in the quarters, Team Cameron Bryce in the semis and Team Ross Whyte in the championship game.
Mouat and company won their first World Men's Curing Championship in Ottawa last spring, beating Canada's Team Brad Gushue in the final, 9-3.
Satsuki Fujisawa, Shinya Abe win in Japan
Event: ADVICS Cup in Kitami, Japan
A selection of curling events have been taking place over the summer months in Japan, highlighted by the recent ADVICS Cup in Kitami.
Already playing in their fourth event of the season, Team Shinya Abe of Sapporo won the men's side after defeating Team Hayato Sato in the final, 10-2.
In the women's event, Team Satsuki Fujisawa of Kitami won all four of their games, including an 8-3 victory over Team Ikue Kitazawa in the final.
Mixed Doubles Winners
Event: St. Vital Mixed Doubles NISO Classic in Winnipeg
Purse: $20,000
The mixed doubles season is underway with many top names competing over the weekend in Winnipeg at the St. Vital Mixed Doubles NISO Classic.
By Sunday evening it was Kelowna's Jennifer Armstrong and Tyrel Griffith standing atop the podium after beating Dawn and Mike McEwen in the final, 12-9.
Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing, who finished fourth at the 2023 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, won their first five games before falling to the McEwen duo in the semifinal.
Laura Walker and Connor Njegovan went 2-2, but weren't able to make the playoffs.