Largest-ever stick curling nationals held at club in Nanaimo

72 teams from across Canada drawn to Nanaimo for Canadian Stick Curling Championship

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Alina Abbott, of Nanaimo Curling Club, steadies Martin Purvis, from Alberta, as he makes a throw against Nanaimo’s Ferdie Hobson and Jim Beechroft during play Thursday morning, March 30. (Chris Bush/ News Bulletin)

Curling teams stickhandled their way to Canadian championships at the Nanaimo Curling Centre.

The club on Wall Street hosted the Canadian Stick Curling Championships from March 30-April 2, with the largest-ever field of national competitors descending on Nanaimo for full days of draws.

In the open competition, two Nova Scotia teams ended up facing one another for the championship and it was Keith Bennett and Paul Landry who emerged victorious, defeating Dave MacDougal and Chuck Dyke by an 8-4 final score. Alberta’s Martin Purvis and Jack Smart took bronze after defeating Ontario’s Glenn and Nancy Herrell by a 5-4 score.

In women’s action, Kerrylyn Richard and and Marion Radcliffe of Kelowna, who won the B.C. championship this winter, followed up by winning the Canadian championship, as well. Richard and Radcliffe defeated Doreen Badinsky and Elaine Meyer of Alberta by a 7-1 score in Sunday’s final. Gwen Smith and Lynne Rehbein defeated Lorna Marr and Val Kolsun 5-1 in an all-Manitoba bronze-medal game.

Also over the weekend, Brad Childe and Wendy Frazier received sportsmanship awards.

Seventy-two teams competed across the two divisions.