This Week in Curling: Champions, Qualifiers, and the Road to Glory (and Funny Shirts)

October 6, 2025

If curling were a movie, this week would be the part where the crowd’s on its feet, the skip squints dramatically, and someone yells “HARD!” in slow motion. The ice has been sizzling with action — from Team Homan and Team Dunstone crushing it at the PointsBet Invitational to Olympic dreams heating up in Aberdeen, and the next Grand Slam showdown at the CO-OP Tour Challenge just days away.

So grab your broom, your coffee (preferably in one of our curling mugs), and let’s sweep through the highlights — and maybe plan your next bonspiel outfit while we’re at it.

🏆 Team Homan and Team Dunstone: The Crowned Champions of Calgary

If there were a Hallmark movie called Love on the Ice: The PointsBet Story, it would star Rachel Homan and Matt Dunstone. Both skips led their teams to victory at the 2025 PointsBet Invitational in Calgary, showing off the kind of shot-making that makes curlers and armchair skips alike whisper “Wow, I could never do that.”

Homan’s squad — featuring Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew, and Sarah Wilkes — went undefeated, taking home the title and sending a clear message: they’re ready for the season’s big showdowns. On the men’s side, Dunstone finally broke his PointsBet curse, beating Brad Jacobs 6-4 in a match that had more twists than a double takeout attempt.

If you want to relive the drama, check out Curling Canada’s recap — or just wear your pride with a “Dun-Stone Cold” hoodie from our funny curling shirts collection. Because every hero deserves merch.

🧊 Bonus tip for your next league night:

Channel your inner Homan by practicing that focused stare. It won’t make your draw weight perfect, but it’ll make you look like you meant to hog that rock.

🌍 The Olympic Dream Begins: Pre-Olympic Qualification in Aberdeen

Across the pond in Aberdeen, Scotland, the stakes are higher than a skip’s temper after a missed peel. The Pre-Olympic Qualification Event (October 7–11) is curling’s global underdog story in motion — where countries that haven’t punched their ticket to the 2026 Winter Games battle for one last chance to keep their Olympic hopes alive.

You can follow all the action at Olympics.com’s event page, but here’s the gist:

  • 🥌 Teams from nations you didn’t even know curled are on the ice (and possibly sweeping for their lives).
  • 🌟 Expect emotional wins, heartbreaking misses, and a few accidental burns.
  • 🇮🇹 All roads lead to Milano Cortina 2026, so this is where curling legends — or memes — are born.

This event always gives us stories worth retelling at the club bar. Remember that time Latvia shocked everyone? Or when a rock picked in the 10th and changed Olympic history? That’s the curling magic — drama that only a true fan understands.

If you love this kind of international chaos, you’ll enjoy our post “Back-to-Sweeping: Why Early Season Means Curling Gear, Team Merch, and Meme-Level Swagger” — because somewhere in Aberdeen, we guarantee there’s a team named “Sweeping Beauty” or “The Sheet Disturbers.”

🔥 Coming Soon: The CO-OP Tour Challenge in Nisku, Alberta

Once the Olympic hopefuls wrap up, the pros roll into Nisku, Alberta for the CO-OP Tour Challenge (October 14–19). This Grand Slam stop is where Team Einarson and Team Mouat will defend their 2024 titles, and 16 of the world’s top men’s and women’s teams will clash for ranking points, pride, and prize money.

If PointsBet was about proving who’s hot, the Tour Challenge is about endurance. Teams play multiple high-stakes games a day, often against squads who could easily headline any other tournament. It’s curling’s version of a music festival — but with more granite and fewer guitar solos.

Check out the full draw at The Grand Slam of Curling.

And if you’re planning your own curling binge, grab something cozy from our bonspiel gear collection — the “Hack to the Future” sweatshirt pairs perfectly with late-night draws and cold arena benches.

💬 Curling’s Cinematic Week: Drama, Underdogs, and a Whole Lot of Heart

Between Homan’s dominance, Dunstone’s breakthrough, and the Olympic qualifiers heating up, this week feels like a movie montage of curling greatness. It’s proof that:

  • Curling isn’t just about sweeping — it’s about storytelling.
  • Every end is a plot twist waiting to happen.
  • And every great shot deserves a standing ovation (and maybe a celebratory drink).

If you’re new to our blog, check out some of our most-read posts:

Each one dives deep into the quirky side of curling culture — from the chaos of travel bonspiels to the strange beauty of arena ice.

🧢 Final Sweep: Curling Is Fun (and Always Will Be)

So whether you’re watching the drama unfold from your couch, your local club, or the bar between draws, remember that curling is more than just a sport — it’s a community of goofy geniuses with grippy shoes.

Celebrate the wins, laugh off the misses, and wear your curling heart on your sleeve (literally).

👉 Check out our latest curling team merch — because somewhere, right now, a curler is yelling “HARD!” and it’s your duty to look good while doing it.

Until next time: keep your ice fast, your draw weight steady, and your humor sweeping.