Kevin Koe, Selena Sturmay capture Alberta's curling crowns

The been-there-done-thats did it again at the Alberta curling championships.

Kevin Koe, the no-doubt veteran of the field in Okotoks, was one of those winners, as the skip earned his 10th provincial crown by winning the 2026 RME New Holland Alberta Men’s Summit of Champions, presented by Best Western Hotel and Resorts.

And Selena Sturmay, the only other rink competing at the Okotoks Curling Club to have previously won the province, was the victor of the 2026 RME New Holland Alberta Women’s Summit of Champions, presented by Sentinel Storage.

“No … it never gets old,” said Calgary’s Koe, who trails only Edmonton’s Kevin Martin — and his 12 — in collecting Alberta men’s crowns. “You know … you wonder when it’ll end. Obviously, I’m the old guy out here, so it feels great get number 10, and who knows when it’ll be my last Brier. This might be it.

“So excited to go … and very, very fortunate and very happy.”

Indeed, with Sunday’s triumphs in the championship draws, Koe and Sturmay score respective spots representing Alberta in the 2026 Montana’s Brier and the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

“Honestly, I wasn’t really thinking big picture at all that game, which is weird for me — I definitely am always six steps ahead of myself,” said Edmonton’s Sturmay of securing her second provincial title. “But … yeah … it’s always nice to go back to the Scotties and get that experience and be on that big stage.

“Just super proud of my team and how we did (Sunday).”

What they did was knock off the top-ranked team in the women’s bracket — that being the fellow Saville Community Sports Centre squad skipped by Serena Gray-Withers — in a 9-5 finale.

Deuces in ends three, five, seven and nine spelled the difference for the consistent Sturmay side before running Gray-Withers out of rocks in the 10th.

The timely take-down was an act of vengeance for skip Sturmay, third Danielle Schmiemann, second Dezaray Hawes and lead Paige Papley after losing twice earlier in the week to their same-city rivals — the only two times Team Sturmay dropped games during the six-day event.

It was the only loss of the spiel in five games for Gray-Withers and her gritty foursome of third Catherine Clifford, second Lindsey Burgess, lead Zoe Cinnamon and alternate Atina Ford Johnston.

“You know … coming into this, we knew that we had a tough grind ahead of us,” said 27-year-old Sturmay, whose crew wrapped up their provincials with a 6-2 record, which included a 9-2 semifinal win over Amanda Sluchinski, of Edmonton’s Crestwood Curling Club, to earn a third shot at Gray-Withers.

“Our ranking probably didn’t necessarily give us the credit of the season that we’ve had. So I’m just really proud of the girls for putting up a good fight and playing the way that they did and being able to win this event.”

Their reward for doing so is a berth in the Scotties, which comes quickly for the now two-time provincial champs — Sturmay & Co. won in 2024, as well — with the national event slated to wow curling fans from Jan. 23-Feb. 1 in Mississauga, Ont.

“We keep on rolling, doing what we’re doing …” said a confident Sturmay. “All the girls put in an incredible amount of hours, and I think we just continue to do what we do to get ready for the Scotties.”

Koe, meanwhile has more than a month before he has to concern himself with yet another Brier in his illustrious career.

Next month’s Olympic Games are pushing back the national championship, which will mark his 14th visit to the gala event when it cracks the hack Feb. 27-March 8 in St. John’s, N.L.

“The passion’s still there … you know,” said Koe, who celebrated his 51st birthday Sunday. “I think I’m still playing at a pretty high level, which helps. If I wasn’t, I don’t think I’d be out here.

“But … yeah … I enjoy the competition, playing in big games like this and big events. That’s what drives me at this stage of my career. So it’s great we got another one this year, and I think we’ll be able to have a chance there at the Brier.”

With Koe’s unrivalled experience and the deep resumés of his Glencoe Club rinkmates — third Tyler Tardi, second Aaron Sluchinski, lead Karrick Martin and alternate Mike Libbus — the provincials in Okotoks were certainly theirs to lose.

And Edmonton’s Johnston Tao gave them good push early in what turned out to be a 9-7 finale.

But Koe counted points in six of the 10 ends, including a game-turning three in the seventh, to cap off what was a perfect 5-0 run to hoist the championship cup.

Koe & Co. won the A-event qualifier after with three straight victories, which advanced them to the playoff round. There, they beat Ryan Parent, of the Calgary Curling Club, in the Page playoff qualifier to earn the bye directly to the championship draw.

Meanwhile, Tao and his Saville squad of third Kenan Wipf, second Ben Morin and lead Andrew Nowell went 6-3, qualifying for the playoffs through the C event before upending both Saville’s Evan Van Amsterdam and Parent in respective Page playoff qualifier and semifinal action.

“They didn’t have any huge mistakes — maybe one whole miss and a couple half-misses,” said Koe, of Team Tao. “And we kind of made them pay for that. And then after that, we played pretty good.

“I remember my first provincial final a couple decades ago,” added Koe. “You know … you get to the seventh end, and you’re starting to think, ‘Hey, we’re winning — we got a chance to win this.’ But maybe some nerves come in.

“They’re a great young team — they’ll win this one year, for sure.”

AT THE PLAYERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday also marked the final day of the season for the Grand Slam of Curling, with the Crown Royal Players’ Championship crowning its kings and queens in Steinbach, Man.

On the women’s side, Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni captured her third straight Players’ Championship with a 6-5 edge of Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson.

“My dream never went that far, so this is unbelievable achievements,” Tirinzoni told Sportsnet’s Devin Heroux, moments after the match that also gave her a seventh career and second-straight slam title. “So, so proud of my team.

“It’s very possible it’s my last slam.”

Before that decision is made, Tirinzoni’s next assignment is representing her country along with rinkmates Alina Pätz, Selina Witschonke and Carole Howald in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

“I have all the confidence in the world in my team,” said Tirinzoni of looking forward to the Olympics in Cortina, Italy. “Having said so, I know there are nine other teams that are going to be very well prepared. So it’s going to be one heck of a tournament, and I can’t wait for it to start.”

Earlier Sunday on the men’s side, a win in the all-Scottish men’s final gave Ross Whyte his second career slam honour.

Team Whyte, with third Robin Brydone, second Duncan McFadzen and lead Euan Kyle, topped Kyle Waddell 6-3.

“It’s special,” added Whyte. “These chances don’t come along very often. So when you manage to grab them, it feels unbelievable, to be honest.

“We just try to win every time, and thankfully, it was this time.”

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

http://www.x.com/ToddSaelhof