The Comox Valley Curling Club was once again the hub of the action this past weekend (JAN. 27-29) as the Hangover League hosted their annual Eric Chayco Memorial Bonspiel.
“We are fortunate to have a dedicated following for this event that Eric put into place long ago,” said an event spokesperson. “Our job is made easier by the legacy he left; we just keep the wheels turning.” And dedicated they are, many of the same people have bringing teams to this weekend for over 20 years, coming from Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, North Island and even Calgary, not to mention the local teams that come out to support this bonspiel.
Of the 48 rinks that entered this spiel, only 16 would be at the prize table on Sunday. “We thank everyone that came to play, and hope at the end of the day all can say they had a great time,” the spokesperson said. “It’s what this weekend is all about.”
The On The Level Custom Finishing ‘A’ event saw two local favourites square off in the final. The Mike Imrie rink with imported sharpshooter Kevin Maffioli, Mike Meeres and Paul Otto where in good shape coming home, up one without the hammer against Ron Schmidt’s squad, but things started looking bad when Imrie was faced with a sea of opposition stones. All Imrie could do was make a nice tap back to lay shot and hope for the best. Schmidt’s last shot to remove it for a bunch over curled, giving up the steal for the game. Local teams John Bill and Kirk Kirkoski claimed third and fourth in the event.
The ‘B’ event, sponsored by RST for Fishing, came down to a pair of Hangover teams. Another great game through six ends but the Marty Duda rink put some serious pressure on in the seventh. If the Wayne Harris squad doesn’t pull off a great shot with their last rock, Velcro was bound to rip.
Harris, with Stew Larson, Fred Pugh and Don Nickason, put it close enough as Duda’s last shot missed the mark, giving up the steal and a three-point margin playing the eighth. The Harris foursome won the event, leaving Port Hardy’s Doug McQuorkindale at third and local Rick Cowles at fourth.
Welcoming new ‘C’ event sponsor, The Joint Physiotherapy and Sport Injury Centre, the visiting Albertans under Ned Mazur proved too much for the local Richard Tanguay squad and flew home with the hardware. Victoria’s Ron Bilodeau and local supporter of the Hangover league Mike Simmons claimed third and fourth, respectively.
The Barry Edgett Memorial ‘D’ event traditional pickle dish trophies were awarded to Campbell River’s Tom Veary, Ron Reynolds, Kevin John and Ross Campbell after defeating Bob McCusker and sons in another close match. Paul Daskeywich and the Gossen rink picked third and fourth.
The prestigious Spirit of the Spiel award, another tradition inspired by Chayco “to recognize the curler who most displays the true spirit of the Hangover Bonspiel” was awarded to Tom Veary of Campbell River. “Tom is a fabulous advocate for the sport of curling at all levels and has been at the forefront of curling in Campbell River for a long time,” the bonspiel spokesperson said.
“The Hangover League thanks all those that helped to make this a great event. Our event sponsors mentioned above as well as Crown Isle Golf Resort, Glacier Greens, Sunnydale Golf, Thrifty Foods and Rick and Buff at Visual Sound Store. Thanks also to the staff at the Comox Valley Curling Club for allowing us to do what we do and catering to our needs. We look forward to next year!”
– Hangover League
