The Osoyoos mixed seniors curling team that is skipped by Lorne Schwindt scored an extremely rare eight ender last week at the Osoyoos International Curling Club. Members of the team (from left) are Schwindt, third Jan Carlson, second Neil Bousquet and lead Cathie Patton. (Contributed photo)
Most curlers can play the game they love for decades and never witness or be part of an “eight ender.”
But that all changed recently for Lorne Schwindt’s mixed doubles team competing in the Osoyoos Mixed Seniors Curling League at the Osoyoos International Curling Club.
Schwindt and his team, that includes third Jan Carlson, second Neil Bousquet and lead Cathie Patton, combined to score an incredibly rare eight-ender the morning of Monday, Jan. 22.
For the uninitiated, an eight-ender results when each and every stone from one team remains in the scoring rings closer to the button than any of the eight rocks thrown by the opposition team.
Schwindt, who has been curling “for longer than I can remember”, said he has never been part of a team to record an eight ender in all his decades of curling.
“I’ve been curling for a very long time and I’ve never been part of an eight-ender,” said Schwindt. “I’ve also played golf for a very long time and never scored a hole-in-one. I guess luck was on my side this time around.’
In the local mixed doubles seniors league, organizers switch up the teams over the Christmas holiday season.
Schwindt, Carlson and Bousquet had played a couple of games together in early January, but Patton was sick and couldn’t make it to those matches.
“So this was actually the first time we had curled together as a full team,” he said.
Ironically, his team scored eight points in the very first end of their morning match.
“After third rocks, I did notice that we had six rocks in the rings and our opponents didn’t have any, but I didn’t think too much about it,” he said. “We were fortunate to get a couple of more misses and that left me with the final stone to draw into the rings for an eight.”
When he managed to draw his final stone into the rings to score eight, Schwindt said his entire team and all of the other curlers on the ice gave out a loud cheer.
“Eight enders happen so rarely, that it’s always a pretty big deal,” he said. “Everybody was pretty pumped up and we all gave each other a big hug and that was about it.
“Some of the other players on the ice also started applauding and cheering us on, so it was kind of nice.’
The opposing team “was very gracious” and also applauded the rare sports feat, he said.
Incredibly, a team skipped by Jerry Chamberlain also scored an eight-ender at the Osoyoos curling club five years ago.
When asked if his team managed to win the game after being staked to an eight-point lead, Schwindt burst out laughing and affirmed their lead remained safe.
“It would be kind of embarrassing to lose after getting a big lead like that, but we managed to hang on for the win,” he said.
Schwindt said he and his teammates will receive a special certificate and eight-ender pin from the B.C. Curling Association.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
