The month of November has been a busy one down at the Nanaimo Curling Centre on Wall Street, with bonspiel competition happening on the ice during recent weekends.
Earlier this month, Nanaimo hosted a junior bonspiel for young curlers from around the Island. Then this past weekend featured one of the most popular bonspiels of the entire season. That was the Nanaimo Men’s Hangover Bonspiel, organized by the curlers of the Sunday Morning Men’s League, better known as the Hangover League.
Sleeman came on board as a major sponsor this year and Sunday curling league members such as Ferdy Hobson, Brendan Neff, Chuck Passmore and Randy Brahniuk worked hard to once again make this year’s event a definite success. My thanks to the organizing committee for passing along results following the close of play on Sunday afternoon.
The bonspiel this year attracted a strong field of 36 teams, including 10 out-of-town entries. Teams competed over three days, gradually finding placement in one of four separate events. Midland Tools was the sponsor of the A event. In the championship final, the only two previously undefeated teams went head to head. Emerging victorious was the Nanaimo team of Bart Sawyer, Steve Waatainen, Keith Clarke and Craig Burton. The game was close until the seventh end, when Sawyer struck for three points and came away with a 9-5 win over the Mill Bay team of Gerald Poelman, Victor Gamble, Dwayne Perry and Richard Oddo.
Third place in A event to the local foursome of Bob Chlan, Harold Levesque, Dan Danylchuk and Bob Franklin.
Visiting teams from Courtenay claimed first and second places in the bonspiel B event, sponsored by Marks’s Import Auto. The Mike Imrie squad took the trophy, dominating the Steve Whynott team 11-3 in the final. In third place was Nanaimo skip Jim Forrester and his team of Steve McColl, Chuck Passmore and Darren Wright.
Sponsor for C event in the bonspiel was Christensen Collision. An exciting final pitted Glen Cheetham’s Port Alberni foursome against a Nanaimo team skipped by Craig MacRae. The game was tied 6-6 after seven ends, but Cheetham used last rock in the final end to score one and claim a 7-6 victory. Others on the winning team were Dan Cheetham, Anthony Schut and Ian Robertson. Backing MacRae were teammates Louie Cavezza, Bob Cavezza and Paul Merkel.
Earning third place in C event was the Gord Buick team from Vancouver.
A visiting team was victorious in the final of D event, sponsored by G-Spot Welding and Fabrication. The Port Alberni crew of Lindsay Cheetham, Brandon Sawyer, Tyler Somerville and Tyler Olsen posted a 7-1 win over Nanaimo’s Mike Kenefick, Dean Mousseau, Bob Palynchuk and Bill Millward. Third place went to the local entry of Keith Balcke, Ian Cook, Mike MacQuarrie and Tom Henderson.
Bonpiel action continues at the local club this week, with the Masters Open Bonspiel featuring games during today and tomorrow. Spectators are welcome.
Whatever your sport, a reminder in closing to play your hardest, play fair, and show good sportsmanship.