The 2022 New Zealand mixed doubles qualifier started at the Naseby Indoor Curling Rink on Thursday with 16 teams from throughout the country competing.
Chief umpire Darren Carson said it was the most teams the tournament had ever had.
"Up until this point, we’d had 14 [teams] a few years ago and then it went down a bit, but it’s coming up again and it’s brilliant — it’s great to see."
"We’ve got the teams out there that everyone’s looking over their shoulder, it’s great to have that depth," Carson said.
The qualifier is the first step on the road to the World Mixed Doubles Championship.
The top six qualifying teams will compete at the New Zealand Mixed Doubles Championship in September, and one team will go on to represent New Zealand in Korea in April.
Competition throughout the tournament has been tight.
Early into a match between Ben Smith and Jess Smith, and Hunter Walker and Ruby Kinney yesterday afternoon, Carson was called in to give final call on an end after the distance was too close to determine.
After careful measuring the winning stone was confirmed — by quarter of a millimetre.
"It was extremely close, and it’s not very often we get it as close as that," he said.
The qualifier continues in Naseby today, and the playoffs are tomorrow afternoon.
