California will host its first major international curling competition as “Curling Night in America” is scheduled to film at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, California on August 24-27, 2021.  

“Orange County Sports Commission is proud to bring the first major international sporting event to the destination since the onset of the pandemic,” said Tim Ryan, Orange County Sports Commission Chairman. “Fans, athletes and locals alike will be able to see how diverse and accommodating Great Park ICE, the four-rink 280,000-square-foot Anaheim Ducks practice venue and public facility, is for all ice sports, including curling, a sport not typically associated with Southern California.”

The event, a result of a partnership between USA Curling, NBC Sports Network, the World Curling Federation, and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, will film for the return of the seventh season of the made-for-TV event.

The format of “Curling Night in America” welcomes one men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles team from competing nations to play in a round-robin tournament, utilizing a points system to name a winner of each division and to crown an overall champion.

The duo of Vicky Persinger and Chris Plys, 2021 U.S. Mixed Doubles National Champions, will compete in the mixed doubles contest.

Team Peterson (Tabitha Peterson, Nina Roth, Tara Peterson, Becca Hamilton, and Aileen Geving), 2021 World Women’s Curling Championship bronze medalists and 2018 Olympians, will represent the United States in this season’s filming of “Curling Night in America”.

In the men’s division, 2018 Olympic gold medalists, Team Shuster (John Shuster, Chris Plys, Matt Hamilton, and John Landsteiner), will be representing the United States following their top six finish at the 2021 World Men’s Curling Championship that qualified the United States for a spot in the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

With the participation of the top curlers in the country, bringing “Curling Night in America” to Southern California will continue to build the positive momentum around curling in the region that has led to the recent establishment of the Southern California Curling Center, the biggest dedicated curling facility west of Fargo, North Dakota.

“Curling has been around Southern California since the 60s, but between these big USA Curling events and the opening of the Southern California Curling Center, the region’s first ice facility dedicated to curling, the sport is poised to really take off here this year,” said Matt Gamboa, Co-Founder of Southern California Curling Center. “Bringing such high-profile events just as we’re opening will help jumpstart the facility and continue to spread the grassroots of curling in Southern California.”

Sharing in the excitement of bringing a high-profile event to the area is the Orange County Curling Club.

“The Orange County Curling Club is thrilled to be part of the committee bringing America's favorite curling competition to Great Park Ice in August 2021, “said Mike Cassidy, President of Orange County Curling Club. “This is the biggest curling broadcast event to ever come to Southern California and we are excited for the local exposure this will bring to our sport!”

The support of area clubs, coupled with the excitement and collaboration of Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena and the Orange County Sports Commission makes Irvine the perfect location.

“We look forward to hosting some of the top curling countries in the world as they compete in an event that has proven to boost engagement and promote grassroots growth within our sport,” said USA Curling CEO Jeff Plush. “The exposure and accessibility of curling will always be a top priority of the organization, and consequently, we’re thrilled to deliver the sport into homes across the country through the NBC Sports Network.”

ABOUT GREAT PARK ICE AND FIVEPOINT ARENA  

An affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena is one of the nation’s largest public ice facilities, located at the Orange County Great Park. The facility is a part of a public-private partnership with the Irvine Ice Foundation. The $100 million, 280,000-square-foot facility has four sheets of ice and serves sports-related activities that include youth and adult hockey programs, regional and national tournaments, figure skating, and public skating hours. FivePoint Arena has space to seat 2,500 spectators. The complex includes administrative offices, dressing rooms, training facilities, retail space, and concession space. Great Park Ice is an official practice facility of the Anaheim Ducks. 

USA Curling is sponsored by Toyota, Goldline, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), and Sitrin, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., 12th End Sports Network, Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People, and United Airlines.