The 2020 Ladies Curling Bonspiel was a “roaring” success

The 2020 Ladies Bonspiel took place this past weekend at the Whitecourt Curling Club. Curlers from Team Owens were in the driver’s seat this go around and put on a fun event for everyone. Each year a different team typically leads and helps bring things together through different committees to help fill needs for the league. In total there were 15 teams that took part in the three-day event including a group from Grande Cache and several teams from Mayerthorpe.

Team Owens skip, Kathy Owens, said there were also several teams from Whitecourt that are not part of the league. She said open events like these can help grow the leagues numbers. “We want to get as many people out and curling as we can, and we want to get as many people in our bonspiels, too!” The tournament allowed women to put together teams of all ages and abilities and just have fun.

“It’s a fun spiel. It’s meant to be fun. It’s not meant to be super competitive, but we also have cash prizes for the event winners and second placers in the events. It’s a great way to come out and try curling if you’re not sure that you want to commit to a full season for one night a week.” Owens said players were able to get four or five games in one weekend and get a crash course on the sport. “You can see your growth over that short timeline, and you can meet other people from young and old to in between.”

She said there was a wide range of curlers involved including brand new players. “We had some who played their first game ever on Friday, and women who have been curling their entire lives. It’s all about comradery, friendship, and fun.” The event kicked off on Friday evening with a draw to the button at 7 p.m. and another shortly after 9 p.m. On Saturday, the ladies started off the day at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast before hitting the ice to play. The full day of activities also included lunch, supper, a costume parade, and games in the lounge upstairs at the curling rink.

“It is so much fun. We have a theme every year. This year our theme was the Roaring ‘20s and you can take that in any direction that you want. There was a wide variety of activities on the theme. We encourage curlers to do a costume and our entertainment committee encouraged us to do a little skit on the theme, too,” said Owens.

She hopes more women will join the league. Currently, the women’s league has 36 curlers on nine teams. “If you come out and try curling, our members will be excited to see you, and many are willing to give you advice and help you with your slide. If you come out as a new curler or a returning curler, we will be more than happy to help you out.” Each fall, the club holds a “learn to curl” event. If you are interested in curling, you can contact the group on Facebook (Whitecourt Curling Club) or stop by the rink on club nights.