Hacks, hogs, hits, hards and hurries will mark the 60th anniversary of curling in Powell River at a celebratory summer bonspiel from Thursday, July 21, through Sunday, July 24.
“We wanted to do a little something different,” said Don Mitchinson, one of the event’s volunteers and a participating curler, about the bonspiel’s late July timing.
Enough people have stepped up to make the event possible in 2016.
“They had one about three or four years ago, but it’s a lot of work and needs a lot of volunteers,” he said.
According to Mitchinson, approximately 12 people were on hand preparing the ice at Powell River Recreation Complex for the 20 rinks registered to participate.
“We were hoping for 32, but there were last-minute cancellations and it’s summertime,” said Mitchinson.
According to organizers, four teams are coming from Vancouver Island and one from Manitoba.
Entries are mixed with two women and two men on each rink. Each team plays a minimum of three games and prize money will be awarded.
Some fun aspects coincide with the competitive bonspiel, such as a skills competition.
Mitchinson will be alternating as skip on a team with Norm Siren. Other local rink members include Charlene Lockstead, director of bonspiels for the club, and Lisa Skinner.
“I like to sweep. I like both and, Norm, he likes to skip, too, so we’ll swap back and forth between skip and second,” said Mitchinson.
Because so many teams have been thrown together with different curlers in the area, Mitchinson said the island teams “will probably win because they come as full teams who play regularly together.”
Mitchinson was part of the volunteer crew working with head icemaker Chris Hearder to make sure the rink is ready for action.
Hearder said he has been making ice for 20 years and has been “paid for it for four.”
It is a skill that includes some tricks, he said.
“There’s a lot of measuring and precision,” said Hearder, “and even with all of the experience that comes with making ice, the curlers never seem satisfied. If they lose, it was the ice. If they win, the ice was maybe okay, but it’s never great.”
