Out of a total of 27 teams, including 10 from outside the Cowichan Valley, competing in the 63rd annual men’s bonspiel at the Glen Harper Curling Rink last weekend, Gerald Poleman’s rink carried off the Duncan Ironworks A event.
The final saw Poleman and Randy Thiessen (third), Graham Smith (second) and Jim Machel (lead) square off against a Jim Bangle rink that included Kevin Lamont (third) Steve Neil (second) and Rick Manifold (lead).
According to spiel chair Sandy Rai, it was a well-fought encounter.
"Poleman started strong with one in the first end and four more in the second, Bangle got one in the third, two more in the fourth end making it 5-3. Game on again. Poleman came back with one more in the fifth and six ends to make it 7-3. They now played the seventh end where Poleman got another, won the event and the two rinks shook hands," he said.
Finishing third was the Doug Muir rink from Esquimalt with fourth going to the Brian Aaberg rink.
The Creative Woodcrafting B event final pitted Larry Mattin rink of Lou Oud (third), Dean Hallet (second) and Steve Rumold (lead) against Port Alberni’s Glen Cheetham rink that included Bruce Kendall (third), Rob Bandon (second) and Frank Rawcliffe (lead).
"It was a great game to watch going into an extra end," Rai said. "Mattin went ahead with one in both the first and second ends. Cheetham came back with one in the third and two in the fourth and then Mattin came back with three in the fifth taking the lead by two.
Cheetham got two in the sixth end, tying it at 5-5. "Then, Mattin got one in the seventh and then Cheetham came back with one in the eighth end, making it a tie game and forcing an extra end. Cheetham got one buried and guarded it well. Mattin couldn’t do better and Cheetham won."
Third in the B division was Tim Cullen’s rink from Nanaimo and in fourth was the Reynold Hert rink.
In the Leon Signs C Event final, the watching crowd saw another close game with Doug Gamble’s rink of Jim Odo (third), Rich Odo (second) and Randy Wise (lead) going against Tanner McQuarrie rink of Dave Court (third), Jamie Erickson (second) and Ryan Kline (lead).
"Gamble got one in the first end but McQuarrie came back with one in each of the second and third ends and three more in the fourth end, taking the lead 5-1. Gamble came back with three in the fifth end, leaving him only one back. McQuarrie got one more in the sixth, moving ahead by two.
"But Gamble poured it on, with three in the seventh end, taking the lead and then sealing it by stealing one in the eighth," according to Rai.
Third place went to the Bart Sawyer rink and fourth went to the Keith Ainslie rink.
The Ingram Pharmacy D final saw Duaine Hardie’s rink with Bob Court (skip), Dave Cassidy (third) Hardie (second) and Garrett Elliot (lead) going against Mickey Gagnon rink with Steve Whynott (third), Sandy Rai (second) and Doug Riehl (lead).
Hardie had hard luck in this game.
"Gagnon got one in the first end, four in the second, one in the third and two more in the fourth, making it time to shake hands," Rai said.
Third place was the Mike Moroz rink and fourth went to the Jason Montgomery rink.
Rai said that the event went "really well" this year.
"These days it’s hard getting a lot of teams at times but we managed to get 27 and that’s not bad. It’s hard getting younger people to stay steady with everything else they have to do these days," he said.
Next up at the curling club is the Ladies Bonspiel, scheduled for Jan. 23-25.
