Annually the Battlefords host two highly skilled, highly competitive and highly exciting dart tournaments and the first of 2011 and second of the dart season, was held the last Saturday in February.
A total of 35 men and 16 women from all over the province gathered in North Battleford for the Icicle Open.
In men's singles, the winner was John Brann of Regina, who edged out Gerry Rorick of Rosetown. Brann's first men's singles event win in four years was accompanied by a runner-up effort in the doubles event.
Winning the men's doubles was Jason Skinner of Battleford and Karsten Larsen of Saskatoon. Skinner extends his streak of winning at the Icicle Open to an unofficial five straight years. In 2010, he was half of the men's doubles championship team. In 2009, Skinner again won the men's doubles and was the men's singles champion.
In '08 and '07, under a different format, Skinner was on the championship mixed triples team.
Carol Shepherd of Moose Jaw, the leading player on the Saskatchewan Dart Association Women's Rankings, continued her impressive year, as she won the women's singles division.
Laurie Kitzul and Barb Schmidt of Saskatoon captured the women's doubles event.
The sponsors from the Battlefords were key to hosting a great event. The second tournament of 2011 in the Battlefords will take place in the fall.
The next SDA event takes place in Prince Albert March 11 and 12.
