Tour Challenge Explained

Tour Challenge
Established:2015
Current Host City:Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Current Arena:Bell Aliant Centre
Purse:CAD$175,000
Current Men's Champion: Bruce Mouat
Current Women's Champion: Kerri Einarson
Current:2024 Tour Challenge

The Tour Challenge, known as the HearingLife Tour Challenge for sponsorship reasons, is a bonspiel, or curling tournament, which is one of the Grand Slam of Curling events. It was introduced into the Grand Slam lineup starting in the 2015–16 curling season.[1]

The event features a men's and women's draw, and is split into two tiers of 16 teams each, Tier 1 and Tier 2.[2]

From 2022 to 2023, the format consisted of four pools, where each team played all four of their games against the four teams of another pool. The top 8 teams overall made the playoffs. In 2023, tiebreakers were dropped.[2] In 2024, the event became a triple knockout event[3] for the first time.

The top 16 teams on the World Curling Federation team ranking qualify for the Tier 1 event, while the next top 16 teams qualify for the Tier 2 event. The winning team at the Tier 2 event qualifies for another Grand Slam, the Canadian Open.[2]

Past champions

Men

Tier 1

YearWinning teamRunner-up teamLocationPurse
$100,000
$100,000
Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Brett Gallant, Geoff Walker$100,000
$100,000
$120,000
2020Cancelled
2021Cancelled
$120,000
$175,000
$175,000

Tier 2

YearWinning teamRunner-up teamPurse
2015 $50,000
2016 $50,000
2017 $50,000
2018 $50,000
2019 $50,000
2020Cancelled
2021Cancelled
$50,000
$60,000
$60,000

Women

Tier 1

YearWinning teamRunner-up teamLocationPurse
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$120,000
2020Cancelled
2021Cancelled
$120,000
$175,000
$175,000

Tier 2

YearWinning teamRunner-up teamPurse
2015 $50,000
2016 $50,000
2017 $50,000
2018 $50,000
2019 $50,000
2020Cancelled
2021Cancelled
$50,000
$60,000
$60,000

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About the Tour Challenge. grandslamofcurling.com. 7 August 2015.
  2. Web site: HearingLife Tour Challenge Format and Qualification. grandslamofcurling.com. 20 October 2023.
  3. News: Eight Ends: All you need to know for the 2024 HearingLife Tour Challenge. Sportsnet. September 30, 2024.