Laughter and calls to sweep filled the curling club last weekend as local curlers gathered at the annual ice breaker.
Saturday, 16 teams vied for the chance to play in the finals. At the end of many epic battles, six teams lived to move on to the highest tier of non-competitive curling in Quesnel – the finals.
Dana Johnson and her band of cackling curlers, Wilma Thomson as Third, Ivan Harris as second and Elsie Gilbert on lead, scuttled the Sarabyn rink's plans for curling domination to the tune of 7-2 in the A event.
The Sarabyn Rink gave up three in the first and was forced to take one in the second. Johansen went on to take two more in the third for a 5-1 lead. The Johansen Rink kept the pressure on through the sixth until Sarabyn shook hands and called it a day.
In the B event, Gord Reid's rink saw their dreams of winning snatched away, 10-3 when all was said and done, by Brady Waffle, who was backed by Norm Redden in third, Donna Kilsby in second and Selena Gook as the lead.
Brady drew for three in the first, then stole two in the second and two in the third for a 7-0 lead. Reid got three in the fourth, but gave up three in the fifth, convincing him to shake hands and leave the field of battle.
Louise Scott, with Terri Matula as third, Lance Ketter as second and Judy Holbrook as lead, finished the Grant Wawryk rink 7-3, pulling out all the stops after being tied up in a struggle of titanic proportions through the early ends.
The battle was tied up after five ends, 3-3, but Scott scored two in the sixth and stole two more in the seventh for a 7-3 win.
Club manager Dave Plant was happy with the bonspiel, saying attendance was average, but that many of the curlers were new to the sport.
The fun nature of the tournament, combined with the nature of the teams allowed new players to experience a bonspiel without the stress it might otherwise entail.
Teams were chosen by lot, with players signing up by themselves and being assigned a team.
"It gives everyone in the club the chance to play with new people," Plant said.
After this jovial turn, the club will put on its straight face for the 34th Annual Grey Cup Cash Spiel Nov. 22 – 24.
The bonspiel should draw teams from all over the province seeking cash prizes and intense competition.