NWT Curling is hoping the upcoming Pepsi on the Rocks curling competition in Hay River will drum up interest in the sport across the region.

"This is a brand new event for NWT Curling, and it's basically an introduction to competition," said Janie Hobart, the association's director of competitions. "[The hope is that] the players can get a real feel for what it's like to go into a championship without the stress of 'oh, I've gotta win this game.'

"We want to show them that it's not as difficult or as demanding as people sometimes think championships are."

The competition will run from Nov. 1-3 at the Hay River Curling Club. Games will be organized into two categories: one for people with little or no experience, and another for people who are more serious about competition. 

Hobart and her team are hoping at least 20 teams will register for the event, and are delighted to see that seven have already signed up, despite the fact that the competition was only just announced.

"That's just with very simple advertising that we've had," she said. "This week we're going to kick up the advertising so that people are aware of it SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” particularly since it's a new event."

Hay River, home to a little more than 3,000 people, is known for its enthusiasm for sports and recreation, as evidenced by the fact that it was the national winner of this year's ParticipACTION contest. 

Hobart has little doubt the community's residents will participate in the tournament in large numbers, but said she has also gotten early indications "from Fort Smith and Yellowknife and Fort Simpson that they are going to be sending teams too."

The hope, she added, is that friendly competition between the communities will persist long after the November event concludes.

"We're putting Pepsi on the Rocks at the beginning of November because we're hoping people will come out, have fun, and whether they're from Hay River or whether they're from another club, they can go back and say, 'wow, I had a lot of fun, so I'd like to curl this year regularly. 

"I'm hoping it'll open up some inter-community challenges between Fort Smith and Hay River and between Hay River and Fort Simpson and Yellowknife. So, there's potential for some fun stuff afterwards too."

In addition to the curling games on the schedule, the weekend event will also feature a number of off-ice games and other activities to keep people entertained. 

"We'll get lots of fans coming out and watching, as well as having fun in some of our non ice activities," Hobart said. 

While there is still quite a bit of prep work to be done before the competition, the director is anticipating a great event for everyone involved.

"I've been working on this concept of having an introduction to competition for at least three years," she said. "So, am I excited? You bet."