From the Hack
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Free Curling all through February! That’s correct, the Tillsonburg Curling Club is offering free curling to the public every Sunday night from 7-9 p.m. Here’s an opportunity to try that game that you’ll be seeing featured for the next two weeks from Sochi as our Canadian teams try to bring home a medal. You know you’re sitting there saying to yourself ‘I’d like to try that. It doesn’t look that hard to do’ and you all enjoy watching it!
Bring clean shoes (sneakers), wear comfortable, warm clothing, and that’s all you need the rest is at the club. Learn or practice some basic skills, then enjoy a short game and finish the two hours off with some social time with teams afterwards. Don’t pass up this chance to get out on the ice and don’t put it off till next year. The club has its own Olympic fever going, so join the curlers and catch that enthusiasm for the game. Curling is fun!!
Some of our curlers have been having a lot of fun and success on the bonspiel trail. Betty Tull and her team of vice Linda Newman, second Yonna DiLella and lead Dorell Clark took the Highland G.C.C. Ladies two-day spiel overall trophy winning all of their four games. The team defeated St. Thomas, two London Curling Club teams, and a tough Highland team in their final game to take the trophy. My sources tell me the team played really well with everyone contributing to their wins. This was Betty’s first spiel using the stick delivery, so she must be getting pretty accurate with it. The ladies were excited with the fanfare of being piped on to the ice and then being the center of attention for the final tense end of their game. Congrats ladies!
Wendy Young and her team of Shirley Ireland, Marian Muth and Isabel Brown played in the Highland Spiel as well coming away with the consolation prize in the 2nd event. The same team went to the Sarnia Ladies two-day spiel where this time they were winners of the second event trophy defeating two Sarnia teams, a Highland team and a team from Ilderton. Though they won all of their games their points weren’t high enough to earn the A flight, but they did come home with bragging rights in the 2nd event.
Another team also travelled to Sarnia. This was a team of Tina VanderWallen-Howey, Diane Burgess, Sandy Buchner and Fern Taggart of Aylmer who skipped the rink. These ladies won the right games to bring home the trophy in the 3rd event Sounds like the teams had their usual great time in the border city – it’s kinda like Vegas- what happens in Sarnia stays in Sarnia!
On the home front the Thursday Men’s league has completed their 3rd draw of the season with Ken Patterson’s rink edging out the Kleer and DeClercq teams to win the draw. Ken’s team consisted of Win Cull, Kevin Arnel and Terry Chute. The 4th draw continues this month with club championships coming in March.
The Monday night Mixed third draw winners were Frank VandeSlyke, Yonna DiLella, Ashton Nembard and Lisa Gilvesy, with Bill and Wendy Young and Larry and Tracy Beattie finishing in second on points.
February is another busy month for bonspiels in the club which means lots of volunteers are needed in the kitchen so do your bit and sign in for a shift during one of the spiels.
Rec League is gearing up again for their postponed bonspiel with the Olympic theme which will take place on the 22nd. The Ladies Bronze Broom happens on the 24th and 25th.
The Community Service Bonspiel as usual happens right after the Bronze Broom on February 26th and as usual there is $2,000 up for grabs for your service club’s special project or charity. It would be a great idea for some of the community teams who have people who only curl once a year to take advantage of the free February curling on Sunday nights and have your team ready to go for this bonspiel. Bonspiel convener Chris Appleton can be contacted through bonspiel sponsor Good Redden Klosler at 519-842-4246. Get your team entered as soon as possible in this fun community oriented event.
The Compton Home Building Centre Men’s Open Bonspiel will be held Saturday, March 1st. Convener Walt Kleer is accepting entries for this one day three-game bonspiel.
OLYMPICS
As I write this our Olympic teams are just beginning their first games so I can’t comment on how we’re doing, but I have been keeping up with the curling blogs and news and it seems both Jacobs and Jones are very focused and determined as they begin their Olympic journey. Good luck to both teams and know that we’re all rooting for you!! And by the way, wait until you see what those crazy Norwegian men are wearing! Loudmouth knickers and kneesocks!? Oh Thomas!
I guess Homan steamrolled through the Scotties. I was unable to catch any of the games so I do hope her attitude has improved and she will represent us well at the World’s. It must have been an interesting week at the Tournament of Hearts with so many new and young curlers making their first appearance there. Looks like the same will be true of the Brier – I'm going to miss cheering for Howard and his team, not sure I can get on the Bice bandwagon! Tried to stay up to date on the other provinces but didn’t catch the winners out of Manitoba and Alberta so will have to get up to date when I return home. I’ve been in a curling vacuum for three weeks – no TV coverage access and limited Internet access, but hope to be home by the time you are reading this. See you on the ice!