The Kevin Geistlinger team from the Vernon area won the A Event at the Osoyoos Summer Bonspiel last weekend held at the Osoyoos International Curling Club. From left are Chelan Geistlinger, Elijah Meixner, Kevin Geistlinger and Quinn Meixner. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

For seven-time B.C. champion Jim Cotter, the road to curling all started at the Osoyoos Mixed Summer Bonspiel.

“I came here every year with my parents,” Cotter reminisced on Sunday during the finals held at the Osoyoos International Curling Club.

Cotter, from Vernon, was playing with his daughter Jaelyn. Both are B.C. mixed doubles champions and also play together nationally.

Jim said the summer bonspiel in Osoyoos means a lot to his family.

“With our family history, it feels like home here,” he pointed out.

Jim expressed many kudos to organizers Pat and Herb Wycherley and Betty Steinbart for making the event so successful with 40 teams this year.

Steinbart said the highlight for her was seeing a lot of family members come together for a fun weekend. She noted the tournament is organized in such a way that it gives the participants a chance to be tourists in Osoyoos.

Pat said the bonspiel has been a fixture in Osoyoos for nearly 40 years, bringing teams from all over B.C., Canada, and even the United States.

She said it was nice to see two families here, including six junior curlers, and some world-class curlers including Jim Cotter, Christine Jurgenson and Pat Sanders.

Although you definitely see the competitive spirit here, the bonspiel is more of a family fun event, Pat stated.

“We’ve worked hard the last four years to make it a real fun event . . . there’s a lot of time to go golfing and go to the beach.”

Pat said the highlight for her was seeing about 10 teams taking care of the bonspiel’s pancake breakfast.

“One girl writes a song and performs it Saturday night at the banquet,” Pat said, noting this year’s theme was “Elvis.”

Some people dressed as albums, while others dressed as Elvis security, she pointed out.

A total of $4,700 in cash prizes was handed out on Sunday.

The A Event winner was the Kevin Geistlinger team from Vernon/Salmon Arm.

It was his first time playing in the summer bonspiel in Osoyoos.

“It was second to none . . . there’s not many times you get to curl with family. It was great!”

Geistlinger said the hospitality at the bonspiel was fantastic, tipping his hat to the organizers.

He attributed his team’s win to curling back-to-back games that gave them a better feel for the ice.

The Chantale Lee team from Coquitlam won the B Event.

“The best thing I liked was you had one draw a day, so you could go sightseeing, go to the beach . . . we got to see Osoyoos.”

Lee said she normally has a competitive drive, but this bonspiel was more fun.

“We won (our event) because we were relaxed, not tense. There was a spirit of fellowship.”

Jan Dewar from Osoyoos led her team to win the C Event. She has taken part in the bonspiel for the past eight years.

“It’s always a blast . . . it just adds to the summer, bringing people here from all over.”

Dewar attributed the win to a good team effort by teammates Bob Kozuback, Deb Ellis and Gary Stene.

LYONEL DOHERTY

Special to the Times

The Osoyoos Summer Bonspiel last weekend attracted 40 teams, including curlers from Saskatchewan and Alberta. Shown here sweeping a rock delivered by Jared St. John from Summerland are Chris Haichert and Melissa St. John. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

Jan Dewar, right, led the team winning the C Event at last weekend’s Osoyoos Summer Bonspiel at the Osoyoos International Curling Club. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

 

Several youth competed in last weekend’s summer bonspiel in Osoyoos. Here, Justin Geistlinger from Vernon prepares to deliver his rock. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

TeeJay Haichert from Saskatchewan shows intense focus as she delivers a rock during the Osoyoos Summer Bonspiel last weekend. (Lyonel Doherty photo