Curling Canada opens applications for 2024 Under-25 NextGen Classic

Curling Canada is now accepting applications for the highly anticipated 2024 U-25 NextGen Classic, which will take place at the Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton.

Scheduled from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, the NextGen Classic is an annual event that showcases the talent of young curlers and provides them with a platform to compete at a high level in Under-25 men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles events.

“The U-25 NextGen Classic is a crucial event that invests in developing our U-25 curlers. The event showcases their incredible talent and skills and serves as a stepping stone in their journey towards becoming Olympians and world champions of tomorrow,” said Helen Radford, Curling Canada’s Manager of Youth Curling and NextGen. “Curling Canada is committed to supporting the growth of these athletes as they carry the torch forward and continue driving the game’s growth.”

The men’s and women’s events run from Aug. 27-30 and feature 12 teams competing in two pools of six. All teams will be guaranteed five games within their pool, with four teams advancing into a single-elimination playoff. 

The champions in the men’s and women’s events will earn coveted spots in Curling Canada’s National NextGen Program for the 2024-25 season, which includes $6,000 in program funding and access to Curling Canada’s National Coaches, among other benefits. Additionally, the teams will receive an invitation to compete at the 2024 PointsBet Invitational in Calgary from Sept. 25-29.

The runner-up teams will receive a $4,000 prize, and the semifinalists each earn $2,500.

The men’s and women’s events will consist of 12 teams each: 10 teams from the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS), the 2024 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Champions (Team Kenan Wipf of Calgary and Team Ally MacNutt of Halifax) and one team selected by a Curling Canada selection panel.

To be eligible, teams must have a combined age of 100 or less as of June 30, 2024. Additionally, participating teams must commit to competing in a minimum of five tour events, plus men’s or women’s provincial/territorial playdowns, during the 2024-25 season.

Next, the U-25 Mixed Doubles event will run from Aug. 30-Sept. 2, featuring 20 teams vying for the championship. Teams will compete in four pools of five and play four games within their pool and one cross-over game against a team from another pool. Eight teams will advance to the single-elimination playoffs.

Like the men’s and women’s winners, the mixed doubles champion will receive a berth into Curling Canada’s NextGen Program for the upcoming season, with $3,000 in program funding and access to Curling Canada’s National Coaches, among other benefits. 

The second-place team receives $2,000, the semifinalists earn $1,250, and the quarterfinalists take home $750.

Sixteen teams will be selected from the Canadian Mixed Doubles Rankings (CMDR), and a Curling Canada selection panel will choose four teams. 

Mixed doubles teams must have a combined age of 50 or under as of June 30, 2024. They must also commit to competing in at least two tour events, plus their mixed doubles provincial/territorial championship OR an additional tour event during the upcoming season.

All games at the men’s/women’s and mixed doubles events will be eight ends and streamed live on Curling Stadium. 

Applications are now being accepted, with a deadline of 11:59PM ET on June 7th. Successful teams will be notified by June 10th, 2024, and must submit the event entry fee ($800 for men’s/women’s, $400 for mixed doubles) to Curling Canada by June 20th, 2024.

For more information, please get in touch with Helen Radford, Manager of Curling Canada’s NextGen Program at [email protected].

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