OPENING CEREMONIES FOR THE WINTER OLYMPICS. AND NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE GRAND SLAM OF CURLING IS MOVING OUT OF CANADA AND HEADED TO LAKE TAHOE. SO THAT MEANS IT’S A CHANCE TO SEE INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES COMPETING IN THE UPCOMING GAMES FOR YOURSELF IN PERSON. LET’S GO TO KCRA 3’S. MIKE TESELLE JOINS US LIVE FROM STATELINE TO HIGHLIGHT HOW YOU CAN CATCH THE ACTION ALL WEEK LONG. GOOD MORNING MIKE. YEAH. GOOD MORNING. IF YOU’RE SITTING AT HOME GOING IT’S CURLING. NO NO NO. THINK AGAIN. WE’RE STANDING RIGHT OUTSIDE THE TAHOE BLUE EVENT CENTER. THIS IS WHERE STARTING TOMORROW MORNING AND RUNNING THROUGH SATURDAY, THE GRAND SLAM OF CURLING GOING TO BE MAKING ITS DEBUT FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN THE UNITED STATES. AND IT’S HERE IN TAHOE. NOW, IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO THIS EVENT CENTER, IT’S KNOWN BY LOCALS FOR HAVING PRETTY HIGH ENERGY AND EVEN RAUCOUS FANS FOR SOME MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY GAMES. BUT STARTING TOMORROW, THE TWO YEAR OLD EVENT CENTER GOING TO HOST INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN A GRAND SLAM OF CURLING EVENT. FOR SOME PERSPECTIVE, THAT’S LIKE THE MASTERS IN GOLF OR THE US OPEN IN TENNIS. AND ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING. ORGANIZERS SAY THIS EVENT IS GOING TO GENERATE AT LEAST 1500 HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS AND POTENTIALLY SET UP TAHOE TO ATTRACT OTHER BIG INDOOR EVENTS IN THE FUTURE. BUT MORE IMMEDIATELY, IT GIVES FANS OF THE OLYMPICS A CHANCE TO COME SEE NEXT YEAR’S OLYMPIANS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. IT IS REALLY EXCITING AND THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS. I MEAN, IT’S AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT, SO WE HAVE CURLERS FROM ALL OVER COMING HERE TO TAHOE TO COMPETE, AND THESE ARE CURLERS THAT EVERYONE IS GOING TO SEE IN THE OLYMPICS IN A FEW MONTHS. SO IT’S REALLY EXCITING TO HAVE THIS EVENT HERE. YEAH. AND I HAD TO ASK THE CURLING GROUP, WHICH IS BRINGING THE TOP 16 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TEAMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD HERE TO TAHOE. WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE LAKE TAHOE AS THE FIRST EVER SPOT TO HOLD A GRAND SLAM OF CURLING EVENT OUTSIDE OF CANADA? AND QUITE SIMPLY, THEY SAID, QUOTE, TAHOE CHECKS ALL THE BOXES. THEY ADDED THAT THEY WERE, QUOTE, INCREDIBLY LUCKY TO HAVE THE VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE THAT’S UP HERE, BECAUSE IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE AMERICAN CENTURY GOLF CLASSIC THAT HAPPENS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM HERE EVERY SUMMER, YOU KNOW JUST HOW STRONG THE VOLUNTEER TURNOUT CAN BE TO HOLD A BIG EVENT UP HERE IN LAKE TAHOE IN STATELINE, NEVADA, RIGHT OUTSIDE THE TAHOE BLUE EVENT CENTER. MIKE TESELLE KCRA THREE NEWS. MIKE, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT. AND COMPETITION DOES BEGIN TOMORROW MORNING WITH THE FINALS ON SATURDAY. TICKETS C