Curlers better hurry hard if they want to be part of the 100 Mile Curling Club this season.
Only a few spots are left for the 2020-21 league play, with 69 people already registered ahead of the Oct. 4 deadline, said marketing director Maria Hamilton. League play is slated to start the week of Oct. 13 and Hamilton expects to have more players than last year.
“I think our league members are excited,” she said. “We’re almost full. If people are interested they can go on the website at www.100milecurlingclub.ca. It’s kind of late but we still have spots.”
B.C. has moved to Phase 3 for sport, which means four-person curling is allowed, but there will be COVID-19 protocols in place to discourage large gatherings before and after curling and ensure players maintain a two-metre distance. In 100 Mile, these include staggered start times to ensure no more than 14 people are in the lobby at any time, assigned chairs for specific ice sheets, no lockers and only one sweeper on the ice, to name a few.
Rocks and other equipment will also be sanitized in between draws and there will be changes to the bar area. All events and Christmas and birthday parties have been cancelled, while bonspiels are on hold at this time.
Although some clubs such as Kamloops have cancelled the curling season due to COVID-19 protocols and loss of money-making events and bonspiels, Hamilton said the 100 Mile Club decided to play on because of the significant interest in the South Cariboo. There’s a huge demand for doubles play this year, likely because of the restrictions, while mixed, men’s and ladies’ leagues are also filling up fast.
“It’s an awful lot of work for the board. There’s a lot of rules and procedures we have to do in writing and send off to officials,” Hamilton said but added: “We’re willing to put in the time.
“We have a real passion in our club for curling. If the interest wasn’t there and we couldn’t fill the leagues we wouldn’t do it.”
