John Katerenchuk spoke at the Osoyoos International Curling Club’s 60th anniversary celebration last year. The club is hosting a men’s bonspiel this weekend. (Richard McGuire file photo)
Curlers from across the province are gathering at the Osoyoos International Curling Club this weekend for the annual Osoyoos Men’s Curling Bonspiel.
A total of 24 teams have registered for the annual event, said organizer John Katerenchuk, who will be a member of the local foursome skipped by Dale Abrey – a team that captured the tournament just two years ago.
There will be eight local teams competing in the 2015 bonspiel as well as another four from Oliver. There will also be two teams from Princeton, three from Vernon, one from Kamloops, two from Kelowna and one each from Chiliwack, Abbotsford and Vancouver.
The action gets underway late Friday afternoon. There will be three draws on Friday evening and the action resumes early Saturday morning and continues all day and into the early evening.
Playoffs begin Sunday morning with quarter-final action. The semi-finals will take place around 11 a.m. with the finals in the A, B and C draw set to begin at 2 p.m.
Being able to attract 24 teams to a bonspiel at a small club like the one in Osoyoos brings great pride to the local membership and ensures the quality of curling will be solid, said Katerenchuk.
“We always have a really competitive bonspiel and we always attract some top competitive teams,” he said. “There will also be a few intermediate teams and a few that are strictly recreational.
“The bottom line is you try and win every time you enter a bonspiel and it won’t be any different at our bonspiel on the weekend.’
Members of the public are more than welcome to head down to the curling club to catch the action all weekend, he said.
“Anyone who enjoys watching some good competitive curling is invited to come down and join us,” he said.
There will be a banquet and dinner on Saturday evening.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
