The jokes were flying but the competition was serious at the Canora Men’s Bonspiel, held from March 3 to 5 at the Sylvia Fedoruk Centre.
A total of eleven teams were entered for this year’s event, which was held in a Skins Game format, with the order of finish determined by money earned.
Games were eight ends, with $10 awarded for the winning team in each of the first six ends, and then $20 per end in the final two ends for a total of $100 available per game. The team with last rock had to score two or more points in the end to take the money, while the team without last rock had to steal to win the end. A blank end or a score of one with last rock resulted in a carryover of the money to the next end, and the team with last rock had to throw first the next end. If there was a carryover after the final end, a draw to the button would decide which team would get the money.
In the end, first place at the bonspiel was decided by the final game between the rink skipped by Terry Dennis and the Bob Kolodziejski foursome, both local teams.
Kolodziejski took all the money in the first three ends, and things were looking a little dicey for Dennis and his teammates. But in the fourth end, Dennis made a delicate hit and roll to the button. Even though it only resulted in a score of one point and a carryover, it seemed to indicate the tide was turning. Dennis and his teammates then stole the money in the fifth end. After a carryover in six and seven, $50 was on the line in the final end. Dennis made a precise angel raise with his last rock to steal a point and finish as the top money winners in the bonspiel with $220.
In addition to Dennis, the winning team members were: Kevin Palchewich, third; Kelly McTavish, second, and Brad Tokaruk, lead. The Cayne Worobetz rink of Hazel Dell and Yorkton was the runner up with $170.
The remainder of the field for the bonspiel included: Laird Gervais of Crystal Lake and local teams Bob Kolodziejski, Terry Wilson, Darcy Zielinski, Don Probe, Zeno Gulka, Vern Schick, Len Bazarski and Aaron Herriges.
