SASKATOON - The youngest curling team competing at the upcoming Grand Slam of Curling in Saskatoon Dec. 12-17 are offering house swap in Scotland for accommodations in Saskatoon.
A dilemma also faced by Canadian curlers, Team Craik fits in curling around full time jobs, as well as two members of the team involved in university studies.
Skip James Craik says, “At the start of our season we get allotted a budget based on world ranking, our performances etc. and we have to try and stretch it as far as we can.”
Team Craik took to social media for a unique opportunity to exchange accommodations while they are in Saskatoon in exchange for accommodations next to a prime hole of the golf course near their home in Scotland. As of Nov. 28, they had not yet secured accommodations, needing a place for competitive curlers numbering four along to have ample room for rest and space to relax between matches, stating as long as they were four beds and at least one bathroom they could make it work.
Scottish curlers have become prominent in the house in Canada and at curling events. Team Craik seeks to be another one of those rising stars in curling circle as they prepare to showcase their talent in Saskatoon for the Grand Slam of Curling event. Their road to Saskatoon’s GSOC came with an invite just four weeks ago.
James Craik, skip, Mark Watt, Angus Bryce and Blair Haswell all range in age from 21-24 and are coming fresh off winning World University Games in 2023 and World Junior curling championships in 2022.
Craik himself is a three-time Scottish national champion and three-time World Junior medallist, along with the 2023 gold medal he led his team to at World University Games in Lake Placid.
His first title was won throwing second for Ross Whyte, who will also skip a team at Saskatoon’s Grand Slam event.
The team flies out from Scotland Dec. 9 and hopes are high that their accommodation offer will be successful for arrival.
Craik describes his team’s history as complex as they were first formed in 2019, while he and his second, Angus Bryce, have curled together since they were 13 years old, with only two years apart over 10 years. Team mates Blair Haswell and Mark Watt joined the duo in 2019 and have curled together ever since.
Saskatoon is not the first overseas competition Team Craik has been part of. In fact, Craik says this is their eighth trip this season and travel has always been part of their season. Since August the team has been in Canada for several events at Guelph, Kitchener Waterloo, Cornwall, Niagara Falls as well as Halifax.
“Our first slams event was the last competition we were at, the Kioti National,” says Craik. Team Craik will join three other Scottish teams in Saskatoon as Team Mouat, Whye and Bryce will also be competing. Interestingly enough, Team Craik’s second, Angus Bryce’s older brother, is part of Team Bryce.
Managing expenses for Team Craik, which includes extensive travel, involves trying to bring on as many sponsors as they can. They are part of the British curling program and receive funding from Sport Scotland and National UK Sporting organization. “We get offered so much support in British Curling, nutrition, physio, strength and conditioning, mental health, phycology, and we lucky to have such a strong set up for Great Britain,” adds Craik.
The unique accommodation swap offers garnered more than four dozen offers when they team travelled to Halifax for an event. From what they have heard about Saskatchewan, they are optimistic for a similar success story.
While the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy might be a lofty goal knowing there are two fantastic Scottish teams in the running now, Craik says they are certainly gunning for an Olympics berth, although it may be the next Olympic Games in 2030.
Curling camaraderie is everywhere. Craik has the third from Team Whyte as a roommate and though fierce competitors on the ice, they are close enough friends that they can put curling behind their friendship.
When asked what Craik knew about Saskatoon, he recalled, “I know one of the best games of curling I saw was the Brier final, which was held in Saskatoon, where Mark Dacey’s team upset favourites Randy Ferby to win. I also know Saskatoon is known as the Bridge City.”
Craik said he and his team mates have had the benefit of other experienced Scottish curlers help with coaching such as Micheal Goodfellow and Greg Drummond. Scotland’s curlers are split into two different tiers with Team Whyte and Team Mouat in a different program.
Team Craik is coached by Ian Watt, third Mark Watt’s father, who has been coaching the team since 2019.
“He is brilliant but he has to buy holidays because we have run him out of vacation time this year.”
Craik also notes they are not deemed professional athletes as they all work and two of them are enrolled in university so their commitment to curling is one of perseverance and dedication to the sport, they love in hopes of one day representing their country at the Olympics. In the meantime, they are aiming to have Team Craik amongst top teams talked about in competitive curling events.
You can follow the team on both Facebook and Instagram. You can cheer for them live at Saskatoon’s Grand Slam event upcoming Dec. 12-17 at Merlis Belcher Place.
