Kirkpatrick mixed

The national champion Max Kirkpatrick rink is back home after capturing the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship this weekend in North Bay, Ontario.

The team from the Swift Current Curling Club also includes third Jolene Campbell, second Chris Haichert, and his wife and lead Teejay Haichert.

"It was a lot of fun, the camaraderie and the friendship of these types of events, when you mix the men and the women, are excellent," Chris said. "You meet a lot of new lifelong friends and to be able to curl at a high level like this with my wife, just made the experience much more pleasurable."

He adds it also meant a lot to the team to help Kirkpatrick, a 40-year veteran in the local curling scene, win gold in his first time representing Saskatchewan at a national event.

"He's been a good ambassador for the sport of curling, and someone that has tried his whole life to be successful and be able to represent the city of Swift Current and the province," Chris said. "That meant a lot to us to be able to curl with him and help him accomplish those dreams of his."

The win at the mixed championship was the 10th gold medal for Saskatchewan in the history of the event, but possibly a first for a team based out of Swift Current in any national championship.

"I don't know a lot of the long-term history, but it doesn't sound like we've had a Canadian champion in curling in maybe forever," Chris said. "Swift Current is a community that Teejay and I moved to seven years ago. We've absolutely fallen in love with the people and the community, and extremely happy to bring back a provincial, and now a Canadian title, back to the city of Swift Current and our curling club."

The team will represent Canada at the inaugural World Mixed Curling Championships in Europe in September 2015.