Whitehorse will host the Skookum World Curling Tour for the the fourth year in a row this weekend, a bonspiel that will welcome some of the top Canadian curlers.

The big names will begin arriving in Whitehorse this afternoon and tomorrow for practices, with the tournament beginning Thursday and running until Sunday.

Olympic silver medalist and current Brier champion Kevin Martin and his team will begin practices Thursday morning at the Whitehorse Curling Club ahead of the tournament.

"It's been awhile since the club has hosted a national event,” said Jon Solberg, business manager for the Whitehorse Curling Club.

Martin and fellow Albertan Kevin Koe and their teams have already qualified for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Koe is originally from Yellowknife. He skipped the Yukon/Northwest Territories team to the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in 1994 before moving to Grande Prairie. He now curls out of Edmonton.

"The ice is world class here,” said Solberg.

Whitehorse Curling Club president Trevor Sellars agrees.

"It's an incredible event. We're excited about hosting this year's World Curling Tour with the caliber of curling we're expecting to see and the opportunity to once again showcase our facility and Whitehorse hospitality,” he said.

Making the ice for the event is Doug Gee, the club's Level 4 ice technician.

"His team of club volunteers have been working hard to deliver the best ice possible for the Skookum Cash Spiel,” said Solberg. "We've added some new ice equipment that will keep the ice keen and the conditions at their best, and of course we'll make sure that visiting and local curlers alike have plenty to do when they're off the ice.”

This is the fourth year the Whitehorse Curling Club has hosted the event, and the third year it has been sponsored by Skookum Ashphalt.

"This year we have more teams from out of town participating,” said Solberg.

Nine Yukon teams and 15 out of territory teams will participate.

The teams are; team Martin, team Shille, team MacDonald, team Folk, team Cowan, team Bilesky, team Peachey, team Saturnino, team Geall, team Scoffin, team Waatainen, team Koe, team Paslawski, team Petryk, team Chartrand, team, Grant, team Jantzen, team Koltun, team Zealand, team Sieg, team Baldwin, team Mikkelsen, team Balsam and team Smallwood.

"It's going to be terrific action,” said Solberg. "One of the best events to come to Whitehorse for curling.”

Solberg says there were three Alaskan teams that participated in the past, but will not be attending this year. Also noticeably missing from the roster is a team from Yellowknife.

"Because of the cost of travel between Yellowknife and Whitehorse it just wasn't affordable this year,” said Solberg.

More B.C. and Alberta teams will more than make up for those that are missing this year.

"With teams coming from as far away as San Fransisco, Inuvik and Alberta, it's no wonder this event has again captured the interest of Canada's high-calibre competitive curlers,” said Sellars.

This year the cash bonspiel will net the winner $15,000. Second place will get $9,000, third and fourth get $6,000 and fifth place to eighth get $3,500.

The bonspiel will be played in a round robin style with eight teams heading into the finals starting Saturday, and continuing Sunday at 9 a.m.

While here, team Martin, Koe and Folk will help the Whitehorse Curling Club by touring local schools to promote the sport.

"It's a great opportunity to engage the kids in curling,” said Solberg.

Spectators are more than welcome to attend the four day tournament. Day passes are $10 and a full weekend pass is $25. Curling club members get in for free. Tickets are available at the door.

"We're expecting to have a large number of spectators for this event,” said Solberg.

There will be a banquet held Saturday night for the teams, guests and delegates. Solberg says there are a few tickets left for $30. Contact the Whitehorse Curling Club for more information on ticket sales.