Hidden behind the layer of confidence, there were doubts.
Swift Current had a brand new track. They were a bigger centre. They'd gone longer without hosting.
But they were all washed away on Monday, when the Saskatchewan Games Council told the Estevan bid committee that theirs was the most impressive bid for the 2016 Summer Games.
"My first thought was, 'holy (expletive), here we go,'" Estevan co-chair Brian Senchuk laughed.
The selection committee publicly announced Estevan as the winner during a news conference on Tuesday at Affinity Place.
It will be Estevan's first time hosting the Summer Games since 1980.
"My first reaction was I was obviously excited about it and really proud of all the work everybody had done on the committee and with all the support we got from local businesses and staff and students at the high school," said Estevan co-chair Brian Smith.
Estevan was up against Swift Current, Humboldt and Melfort for the right to host in 2016, and the general consensus was that it was a battle between the two southerly cities on that list.
The biggest perceived advantage for Swift Current was that the city recently built a new track, whereas Estevan has yet to get started on theirs. Humboldt and Melfort also had plans to build all-weather tracks.
Larry Lafrentz, the chair of the site selection committee, said the desire for each Games to leave a legacy played into Estevan's favour.
"Swift Current had a track that we saw, it was there, we could touch it, it's never been used yet, and that put them ahead in some regards," Lafrentz said. "(But) one of the big factors for the Games is leaving a legacy In this day and age, to keep clubs and keep kids involved in those sports, we have to have those facilities available. It'll be a wonderful legacy and that was part of our decision as well, because we know it'll serve not just Estevan, but it'll serve the surrounding community and schools."
Lafrentz added that the visit to Estevan was critical in the city's success.
"Estevan has wonderful facilities, and the energy that was shown to us as we came to this community, (those) were the things that really set it apart in the bid process."
One part of the visit that made a particular impression on the selection committee was the luncheon at the Saskatchewan Energy Training Institute. After the meal, four Estevan student-athletes - Abbie Reich, Hannah Whitman, Colton Gingras and William Chamney - spoke about their experiences at the 2012 Summer Games in Meadow Lake and their desire to see their clubs grow through hosting the Games.
"Let me say, those four student-athletes were very powerful in what they had to say, especially when you're talking to people that are in the business of sport and club development and community development," said Lafrentz.
Smith added he wouldn't be surprised if the raucous reception the Games Council received at ECS was "the best they've ever seen."
Provincial Games consultant Lorne Lasuita, a non-voting member of the selection committee, said the people involved with the bid and the support of the community at large was what stood out to him.
"When we evaluated all that, certainly the strength that Estevan displayed is that the community was engaged. They felt excited, they were passionate about what they were working towards, and they focused in on a lot of the young, developing athletes but also young leaders that will become future leaders of the community."
Senchuk said that it still hasn't truly sunk in for him that Estevan will play host to the rest of Saskatchewan in three years.
"I was kinda nervous. I was prepared to accept whatever decision they came up with. Hearing our name, I had to think about it for a little while to make it reality. I wasn't shocked, because I was confident in what we did I had every belief we did a good job that exceeded what we thought we could do. I knew it wasn't going to be because of what we did."
