It’s a busy time of the year for curlers – those who play locally and fans who enjoy watching televised action.
The Canadian Men’s Curling Championships are currently underway in Kelowna, with B.C. this year represented at the Brier by the Victoria team skipped by Cameron de Jong. Recently concluded was the national ladies’ competition held in Thunder Bay, Ont. There, the Corryn Brown rink from Kamloops did well as the B.C. representative. For the second consecutive year, however, the Rachel Homan team from Ontario went undefeated to claim the Scotties title.
Ladies’ teams were also in competitive action recently at the Nanaimo Curling Centre, taking part in the annual Nanaimo Ladies’ Bonspiel. Organizer Moira Ryan sends word that 16 teams took part, including six in a separate novice division. When final rocks had been thrown, the first-place team in the bonspiel’s A event was that of skip Debbie Erdos along with Lonnie Schopp, Shirley Wong and Glynis Davis. Runners-up in A were Rebecca Kucharyshen, Chantal Bell, Laura Saydak and Nancy Ross. In an entertaining A event consolation final, it took an extra end before the team of Heather Lindsay-Lecuyer, Carol Dorman, E.T. Mitton and Janice Ainsworth edged skip Ruth Thorpe and her teammates Patty Stapleton, Alina Abbott and Carol Ramey.
Tops in the B event was the Lynn Fedoruk entry from Victoria, with second place going to the local team of Mary Ellen Konyer, Teri Palynchuk, Lorna Black and Nancy Pryce.
In the novice division, where teams consisted to two new curlers paired with two experienced players, first place went to the foursome of Leona Keltie, Rhonda Jordan, Anita Nickel and Tammie O’Rouke. Susan Chepil, Joan Hall, Lynn Chipley and Erin Wilson claimed second spot.
Still with ladies’ curling, a pair of local teams did very well recently by winning events at the Parksville Women’s Curling Bonspiel. Claiming the E event title was the Nanaimo team of skip Anita Chambers, third Tanis Wilson, second Michelle Plamondon and lead Carol Tromans. And winning the bonspiel’s A event championship was the local foursome of skip Lorraine Jeffries, third Heather Lindsay-Lecuyer, second Shirley Wong and lead Ruth Thorpe.
Earlier in the season, our local club hosted the annual Nanaimo Masters’ Open Bonspiel, with Wine Works the title sponsor. The bonspiel’s A event playoffs, held in memory of longtime curler Bob Chlan, was won by the team of Mary Ellen Konyer, Teri Palynchuk, Paul Konyer and Bob Palynchuk. Runners-up were Mike Kennefick, Bob Franklin, Monique Saindon-Syring, Shawn Syring and Lorne Roulston. Ron Kaneen sponsored B event, which was won by skip Frank Voysey and his teammates Mike Leduc, Russ Pawliuk and Rob Brockley. Wayne Sutherland, Larry Oleskiw, George Anderson and Bill Millward were second.
Sponsor for C event was Concept Photography and the final saw Debbie Erdos, Verne Chang, Glynis Davies and Carol Dorman get past the Rick Dunn entry from Parksville. Champs in the Nanaimo Honda D event were Bob Larsen, Cliff King, Pat Meehan and Mary Meehan. Second place went to Terry Miller, Marlene Mounce, Ted Carter-Squire and Warren Paugh.
In other action, the Berwick on the Lake Stick Bonspiel involved 22 teams competing in a pairs format of two against two. In the A division, Lorna and Ron Schwartz from Qualicum edged Nanaimo’s Sharon Stonehouse and Bob Franklin in an exciting final. Ken Wilson and Gerry Adams of Nanaimo downed Susan Fulkerth and Dee Horie from Comox to claim the B event. A pair of Parksville teams were first and second in C event, but other finals were all-Nanaimo contests. In Dî Craig Turnbull and Bob Larsen got past Terry Miller and Steve Barnes, while in E it was Lois Powell and Brenda Chaplin over Rick Kerley and Linda Olsen.
Whatever your sport, a reminder in closing to pay your hardest, play fair, and show good sportsmanship.
