It was a long winter, but the curling action never cooled off in Boyle.
The Boyle Curling Club closed its season with the mixed bonspiel on the first weekend of April. Over 50 curlers hit the ice during the winter months in what proved to be a successful and busy season for the club.
“We had a good year. We ran our two league nights and held four bonspiels throughout the year, and all of them were equal or better than last year in terms of attendance,” said club president Les Botten. “There’s always room to grow, and we hope to do so next year.”
This year, the curling rink tied into the hockey rink’s new plant system. There were a few glitches along the way, but for the most part the change was a success.
Another success for the club was the after school youth curling club that exposed a new generation to the sport. Gym classes from Boyle School also made trips to the rink to throw some rocks.
“We started to see a little bit of interest in our bonspiels from some younger members of the community who will hopefully be around for a long time,” said Botten.
The long time curlers had their weekly leagues, but only one team could come out on top. The ladies league was won by the Lorraine Zayezierski rink, which also included second Audrey Shapka, third Charlotte Hill and lead Debbie Clark. In the men’s league, it was the Mark Kilar rink that came out on top. Other team members included second Dave Chamzuk, third Les Botten and lead Jim Willoughby.
There are trophies at the rink for the winners, but the main prize was bragging rights, according to Botten.
“They’re well used,” he said.
The final curling action of the year was a little unusual. After the mixed bonspiel was over, a few curlers took off their shoes and socks and threw some rocks with bare feet. It was a fun, if chilly, way to say goodbye to the season.
“You don’t stand around waiting too long to see how it turns out,” chuckled Botten.
“You throw it and get off the ice.”
