World event beckons for curling official

Former New Zealand curling representative Darren Carson will return to the international arena but will stay off the ice.

Maniototo-based Carson has been called up as an official at the inaugural Pan Continental Curling Championships, to be held in Canada next month.

He is no stranger to leading international events – Carson officiated at the 2018 Olympics in Korea and the Curling World Cup in Beijing, as well as the Pacific-Asia Curling Championships in Naseby – but due to closed borders it has been a while between to travel.

“I’ve been asked to go to various events over the past three years and I just haven’t been able to with Covid restrictions – you don’t know if you can go back into the country or not. It will be great to be able to do it again,” he said.

Chief umpire at many of the New Zealand tournaments, Carson said international events were a bit of a step forward.

”It’s a big change, but here [in New Zealand] you know everyone, you get along and you work together to get the right result for the tournament… It doesn’t mean that when you go to a world event everyone doesn’t work together, but you don’t know everyone .’ ‘

“When you get TV and media of different formats, and all the different things trying to come together, it’s very difficult. But we’re doing it and it’s really nice that you were part of it in the end.”

Carson, a former New Zealand curling representative, became a referee to give back to the sport.

“When you’re a player it’s very selfish, it’s all take, take, take. The reason I went this way is to give back to the sport and it has opened a lot of doors for me. It’s great to have that opportunity. I just love the sport, it’s great.”

The Pan Continental Championships will be held from October 30 to November 5 and will replace the Pacific-Asia Curling Championships, following the merger of the World Curling Federation America’s and Pacific-Asia Zones, giving teams a direct route to the World Championships. .

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