Three international quality events in close succession are set to bring thousands of competitors and visitors to Dumfries.
The triple events boost comes from World Championship Ice Hockey in December, a Challenger Curling series tournament which will take place at the Ice Bowl at the same time and the acclaimed Trophy d’Ecosse Synchronised Skating Championship in February.
Local people are being urged to beat the winter blues with a trip to the Ice Bowl to take in the events, and provide a warm Scottish welcome to the ice hockey players, curlers and skaters who will descend on Dumfries from Asia, North America and Europe. The support of local people for the Great Britain Ice Hockey team can encourage them in their attempt to win promotion in their forthcoming World Championship, and the international curling and synchronised skating competitions make compelling viewing.
Dumfries and Galloway Council is providing total funding of £48,000 to the three events, and today announce grants of £6456 to the Dumfries Ice Bowl Curling Association and £7000 to the Trophy d’Ecosse Committee.
Councillor Adam Wilson, the Council’s Events Champion said, “The Ice Bowl is a wonderful resource for Dumfries and Galloway and has become a renowned events hub. Council investment in the facility has enabled us as a Local Authority to host multiple international quality events. The Council grants we are announcing today will help fund local community organisations to deliver winter sports events that involves dozens of our own curlers and ice dancers and enables them to perform against elite world competition.”
A Dumfries Ice Bowl Curling Association spokesperson commented, “We are delighted to be welcoming back the Champions Curling Tour to Dumfries from 14 to 17 December 2017. Attracting the best teams from across Europe, the standard will be very high, and with the season already producing new Scottish and World Champions from Dumfries, the atmosphere will be great.
The event is FREE to attend for the whole weekend, so come along to the Ice Bowl and enjoy the food, drink and curling. If you can’t make it selected games will be streamed live via the Dumfries Curling YouTube Channel.”
Anne Marie Coxon of the Trophy d’Ecosse said, “The Organising Committee is extremely grateful to the Council for their ongoing support of our event and look forward to continuing to develop our partnership. Now in its 7th year, the event remains the only ice skating competition in the UK sanctioned by the world governing body, the International Skating Union, and as such is a huge honour. We feel this is in no small part down to the excellent facilities and warm welcome judges, officials and athletes receive when they come to Dumfries & Galloway. We look forward to once again welcoming over 1000 visitors to Dumfries for this event and would issue an open invitation to all to come and watch the elegance and skill on display from some of the world’s best teams in February.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council recently adopted a new four year Major Festivals and Events Strategy 2018-2021 which aims to make the region the best place in rural Scotland in which to plan, manage, deliver and visit major events. The Strategy is forecast to create a financial stimulus of more than £30m for the regional economy in the next four years.
Tickets for the World Championship Ice Hockey which takes place from 10-16 December are now on sale at Midsteeple Box Office and via the Ice Hockey UK website – www.icehockeyuk.co.uk. Great Britain play their five tournament fixtures at 8pm on the 10, 11, 13, 14 and 16 December, finishing with the potentially decisive fixture against second top seeds Japan.
