The Nanaimo Curling Centre was home to some entertaining games this past weekend, as the local club hosted the annual Ladies’ Open Bonspiel.
A total of 28 local and visiting teams took part, with the theme of this year’s competition being Rumble in the Jungle. Patty McRory was the bonspiel chair, assisted by Karen Hungar, Ellis Richer, Cheryl Toole, Nicole Backe, Brian McRory and others. The committee earned top marks from competing teams for the efforts in staging a top-notch event. In addition to competition on the ice, the bonspiel featured fun activites and special events along with imaginative decorations upstairs in the club.
As for the curling itself, finals in each of the bonspiel’s four events were played on Sunday afternoon. Bastion Trophies was once again this year sponsor for the championship A event, where the final featured undefeated teams skipped by Denise Wood and Nicole Backe.
Backe broke open a close game with three points in the sixth end to emerge with a 7-4 victory. The Nanaimo skip was backed on the winning team by out-of-town players Renee Fisher, Rhonda Stoner and Heather Osachoff. Teammates on Wood’s local runner-up team were Linda Torgerson, Kellie Rice and Shelley Tull. Earning third place in A event was the Kim Jonsson squad from Courtenay.
The bonspiel’s B event was sponsored by Jim Pattison Hyundai Nanaimo and was won by the local team of Heather Lindsay, Diana Baker, Erin Turner and Donna Turner. In the final, Lindsay’s team posted a 6-4 over the local foursome of Angela Price, Helene Delisle, Shelley Roy and Lisa Porteous-Wong. Ladysmith skip Kelly Meikle and her team of Christine Patterson, Susan Lobregt and Vicky Suddaby claimed third.
Damsels Fashion Collections was the sponsor for the bonspiel’s C event. In the final featuring two local teams, Leslie Shearer, Susan Chepil, Sherry Squire and Tina Vanderveen were 6-4 winners over skip Anita Chambers and her teammates Laurie Grobowski, Andrea Trepanier and Marg Blackley. Third place in C went to the Nanaimo rink of Brenda Ridgway, Mary Lou Haines, Jessica Stephens and Tami Barnard.
Sponsor for D event was Harbour Chandler and the final game between Nanaimo’s Ruth Thorpe and the North Vancouver rink skipped by Jeanne Douglas ended early. Thorpe hit for five points in the third end, then stole three more for an 11-3 win in four ends. Others on the winning team were Carol Ramey, Pat Wardrop and Patty Rosacker. Third in D went to Nanaimo’s Margie Carter, Anthea Simick, Tanis Wilson and Sue Haslam.
More bonspiel action at the Nanaimo Curling Centre will happen in a couple of weeks. The Nanaimo Senior Ladies’ Bonspiel is scheduled for Feb. 24-26. Teams can still register, with information available by contacting the club at 250-753-3474.
Whatever your sport, a reminder in closing to play your hardest, play fair, and show good sportsmanship.
Ian Thorpe writes about sports Thursdays.