Easter weekend was a good time for around 100 people from across southern BC and Alberta to throw rocks at houses in Grand Forks.
Houses on the ice in the Grand Forks Curling Club, that is.
For the first time in two years the club opened its doors for the Rocker Reynolds Bonspiel, with 24 mixed teams hitting the sheets to see which teams had the best aim, technique and for a few, the best and funniest costumes. Twelve teams were from Grand Forks and the rest from communities as close as Rossland, to as far as Penticton, and one player coming from Calgary.
This was a traditional mixed bonspiel, with each team comprising of two men and two women, explained bonspiel coordinator Lynn McCoy. All teams were divided into A, B or C divisions and were guaranteed three games, but the more teams won the better their chances of moving up in the standings towards the finals on Sunday.
There was also a draw to the button competition, where teams threw rocks to see who could get the closest to the button (center) of the house (target) without going over. There was also a Calcutta (player pool auction for cash prizes) all teams participated in, a raffle for prizes and a “loonie broom” draw.
The club was steadily busy on Friday, with the bulk of play on Saturday and finalists making up the crowd on Sunday, McCoy said. The club was pretty much at capacity for most of the weekend between games and after-play activities like dinner and a dance on Saturday night.
However, she said it was great to see the club full of players having a great time after so long.
“Our last Rocker Reynolds bonspiel was in 2022, then we had to shut it down for two years because of ongoing COVID restrictions and problems with our ice plant,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, but its been great seeing everyone having fun and some excellent curling.”
The first shutdown was at the beginning of 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions forced the closure of most organized sports and clubs.
It was also a chance for many to reunite on the sheets. Before pandemic restrictions it wasn’t unusual to see teams of people that played together for years getting back together for this one bonspiel, McCoy said. While everyone was in the game to win, the social aspect was equally important. Some bonspiels are very formal and serious, but the Grand Forks Curling Club was focusing on fun, McCoy said, to get people in the door and for everyone to just relax and enjoy the games.
The drive to play was on full display by the Sunday finals for the A, B and C divisions, with close games and careful strategies being plotted.
“You want to see close games in the finals,” McCoy said. “It shows how good the teams are by the end.”
Beyond getting teams to come to Grand Forks, the aim of the bonspiel is to show the curling club is a community hub and invite the public to come in, she said.
COVID across the country and technical problems at home have taken a bite out of membership, with many dropping out over age and lost interest.
“Having a bonspiel brings the public in to watch and eventually, learn about what’s on offer at the club, from team spaces to community events,” she said. “We are having another bonspiel next year. I can’t say it will be bigger, but we will make it more fun and inviting.”
The final for the “B” division between Team Hiram, skipped by Teresa Hiram, and Team Chambers, skipped by Lawrence Chambers, ended in a tie and came down to the skips of each team drawing to the button. After a quick, and as Team Hiram member Graeme Carlson jokingly called “anemic” attempt to throw stones by both teams, Hiram was declared the winner.
Both teams were still chuckling over their attempts to get their stones to the button after the game, which neither got close to, with Team Chambers never making it past the Hog Line (limit of a stone being thrown down the sheet, or passing over going to the House) and Team Hiram barely making it to the edge of the House.
However, getting to the tie was an epic battle.
“By the last (8th) end, we had to score three to get a tie,” Carlson said. “I thought we played a very good last end. We were pretty slow for the first half of the final, then woke up by the last two ends and got our second wind.”
The team had played six games in total all weekend, he said, so everyone was tired, adding the usual number of games is around two per week.
The C division final was a fast affair, with Team Beauchamp, skipped by Russ Beauchamp beating Team Gagne, skipped by Dalton Gagne. It was also a friendly one, with Beauchamp Jokingly adding he was surprised he beat Gagne due to it being such a tight game.
“He looked so good out there when we beat him,” he said. “I just want to say I appreciate Dalton letting us win. When we come back next year, I hope we play against Dalton again because he is such a great guy.”
The trophy went to the A division winners Team Maffioli, skipped by Kevin Maffioli, who beat Team Cody Bartlett. The final came down to one “amazing” shot that landed almost right on the button, Maffioli said, praising Team Bartlett for a competitive game.
He added it was also great to play with his children, Payton and Sam.
“I enjoyed having them on the team because you have to take it while you can get it and they are still in town, so it was nice being with them,” he said. “It’s great to see the fans out watching, it was a great weekend all around. It was just nice being open again.”