It was a busy scene at the curling rink in the Gallagher Center on Mar. 24. Rocks slid towards their targets, passing their stone-faced brethren heading in the opposite direction. Brooms slapped and swept the ice with rhythmic efficiency. Skips’ shouts and commands joined in unison, filling the room with loud orders.
It was the final day of the Yorkton 2018 Ladies and Men’s Bonspiel.
“It went well,” said Neil Weinmaster, office manager for the Yorkton curling club. “The numbers were good.”
The bonspiel kicked off on Mar. 22. 12 male teams competed in three divisions while eight female teams duked it out in two divisions.
Originally, the women were to have their own bonspiel in early March, but it was canceled due to low participation numbers. The curling club still wanted the female teams to compete, so they were added to the men’s tournament for an extra-large bonspiel.
“[It was the] first time we had men and ladies together,” Weinmaster said.
Weinmaster said the combination worked well, as the bonspiel attracted a sizable crowd. While the club is uncertain if they’ll put on another combined bonspiel again, they’re happy with this year’s results.
“The ladies make it more interesting,” Weinmaster said.
The bonspiel signaled the end of the regular curling season, which officially wraps up this week. It will return in October.
In the men’s “A” event, Rob Inglis’ team captured first place. Reese Kinaschuk’s group seized the top spot in the “B” event while Lorne Fruin’s team went all the way in the “C” event.
On the ladies’ side, Mavis Lutz’s team scored the number one position in the “A” event while Patrice Kuspira’s squad launched themselves to victory in the “B” event.
A full bracket of the bonspiel can be found at the curling rink in the Gallagher Center.
