The Comox Valley Curling Club was once again the hub of the action this past weekend as the local Hangover League hosted their annual Eric Chayco Memorial Bonspiel.
“We are fortunate to have a dedicated following for this event that Eric put into place long ago,” said an event spokesperson. “Our job is made easier by the legacy he left, we just keep the wheels turning.” And dedicated they are, many of the same people have bringing teams to this weekend for over 20 years, coming from Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and the North Island, not to mention the local teams that come out to support this bonspiel.
Of the 48 rinks that entered this ‘spiel, only 16 would be at the prize table on Sunday. “We thank everyone that came to play, and hope at the end of the day all can say they had a great time,” the spokesman said. “It’s what this weekend is all about.”
The Lana Ferguson of Vista Bay Mortgages “A” event saw two local favourites (Richard Tanguay with Andy Quant, Alan deJersey and son Eric Tanguay against the Ron Schmidt rink of Harvey Jenkins, John Davies and Buck Briggs) coming through the draw to square off in the final. Tanguay’s squad took the early lead and executed well to prevent any comeback by Schmidt, leading to a handshake after seven ends. Rick Aiello finished third and Craig Bernes was fourth.
The “B” event sponsored by RST for Fishing, Kevin Sparkes, came down to Nanaimo’s Keith Clark skipped by Rob Williams with Randy Brahniuk and Ray “Guns” Speiss defeating local Tracy Branch. Two Hangover teams, Rod May and James Buick, earned their trip to the prize table as third and fourth, respectively.
It was over quickly for the local Perry Walker rink as they were handed a spanking by the Doug Forbes-King, Les Herauf, John Robertson and Jason Andrews crew in the On the Level Custom Finishing, Rick Cowles “C” event. “We were thirsty,” said a member of the Walker team. Claiming third was Peter Olsen and fourth was Marty Duda.
The Barry Edgett Memorial “D” event traditional pickle dish trophies were awarded to Campbell River’s Dean Thulin with teammates Ken Dawson, Brad Sullivan and Graeme Boyd after their win over the On the Level local Hangover squad. Earning third and fourth in this marathon event were locals Terry Kirkoski and Tony Pisto.
The prestigious Spirit of the Spiel award, another tradition inspired by Chayco “to recognize the curler who most displays the true spirit of the Hangover Bonspiel,” went to local Rick Cowles. “Rick has been a member of this league since the ‘80s and has inspired many people to enjoy the game of curling. He has been a long-term “C” event sponsor and he and his teammates participate in this bonspiel in true Hangover fashion every year,” the event chairperson noted.
“The Hangover League thanks all those that helped to make this a great event - our event sponsors mentioned above as well as Crown Isle Golf Resort, Glacier Greens, Sunnydale Golf, Thrifty Foods and Rick and Buff at Visual Sound Store. Thanks also to the staff at the Comox Valley Curling Club.”