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From the Hack

As we roll into the new year and the second ‘half’ of the curling season all is going well at the curling club, but we find ourselves looking for more members to fill the spots vacated by our snowbirds.

This is a good time to come out and join in as all leagues will be starting new draws and we will also look at running a Learn to Curl Clinic for any newcomers. We will also offer a session for curlers on curling strategy at the same time… this would be useful to Rec League teams who want to learn more about how to read curling ice and call the game. Stay tuned, that could happen as soon as Sunday, January 13.

Just before the Christmas break the Senior Men held their second in-club Championship Bonspiel with Jim Allen reporting all the results. The two-game format spiel produced some high winners in the first game setting great expectations for the six-end final. The championship game came down to a tight affair between the Tom-Toms and the Rock-its, who broke the game open in the 5th end scoring a four-pointer. The Rock-its must have felt assured of the win, but Tom-Toms replied with five in the 6th end snatching the victory from the stunned opposition. Members of the winning team, with bragging rights for the year, were Tom Cairns, Tom Eakins, Cliff Kulikowsky, Tony Desmond, and Jim McElhone.

Last year’s champs, the Corn Cribs, bravely defended their title but came up short.

Convener Jim Allen wanted to thank caterer Ashley Haines for a great meal and with special thanks to all the ladies who volunteered in the kitchen who helped to add to the successful day.

Also happening before the Christmas break was the Ladies Annual Yuletide Bonspiel. The spiel was great fun featuring lots of Christmas cheer. On the ice there were changes to scoring rules each end, including swapping scores with the opposition. In the end the team who was left with the highest score was Linda Newman’s team of Tracy Beattie, Madeleine Aucoin and Ruby Withington.

A tasty lunch followed the fun on the ice thanks to conveners Annie Versteegh, Trudy Trepanier and Ann Sangster. It was a great way to cap off the first part of the season for the Ladies.

With the new year we get into our major bonspiel season. The first will be the 59th Annual Men’s Tobacco Belt Bonspiel. Bonspiel convener Les Peter has 16 confirmed teams, 4 from in-town and 12 out-of-town teams with at least four of those teams having Tillsonburg connections. Curlers are coming in from as far away as Tarrytown, NY and Ottawa as well as many local clubs. Curling starts Friday, January 18 with a 7 p.m. draw and continues all weekend to finals on Sunday at 12 p.m. This is usually pretty good curling and spectators are welcome to come in and watch the games and cheer on your local teams.

The Recreational League Bonspiel happens the next weekend Saturday, January 26. Conveners Daryl and Lorna are looking for 16 teams to fill two draws in this fun spiel. The theme this year is ‘Gone Redneck’ and curlers will be growing their mullets and are ‘gonna have themselves some fun.’ Teams are asked to get signed-in on the poster at the club on the Rec Bulletin board. The bonspiel will have two draws, two games plus lunch, dinner and prizes… and oh yeah - a whole lotta fun!! Don’t miss it!

Speaking of Rec League the new schedules are available if your captain hasn’t sent one to you make sure you get a copy.

Stats show that Mixed Bags are holding on to first place as we enter 2013. Grumpy Old Men have made up all their games and launched themselves from 20th to 6th place. Moving in the opposite direction Team Wipe-out has had a big drop from 3rd to 15th spot. Housebroken, Rolling Stones and Sweep This have also hit a downward trend while Odds and Ends, T-Liners, and Chuggernauts are hitting the winning side of the scoreboard to move up the standings.

A couple of notes: bonspiels mean that we need people to volunteer in the kitchen, so fill in a slot on the bulletin board and do your bit to make the bonspiels successful. An important date that was missed in the club calendar is the Community Service Bonspiel date of Wednesday, February  27. Good Redden Klosler will be sponsoring this spiel again and info should be out to past participants shortly.

Last on my list is to let you know when you can start getting your TV curling fix again as curling comes back to TV with the Continental Cup (Europe/ Pacific vs North America) coverage beginning Jan. 10 on TSN at 11:30 a.m. through to Sunday at 1 p.m. The following week TSN carries the All-Star Skins games beginning with the draw for teams on the 17th – this is new this year to get fans more involved.

For 2013 why not get up, get out and go curling!

Distroscale

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