Left: A-event runners-up Todd and Andrew Smith standing next to A-event winners Phil Henning and Dan McPeak of St. Paul. Above: B-event winners Katy and Rory Smith. Photos courtesy of Joanne Smith
The Cook County Curling Club hosted its third Two Person Champagne Open Bonspiel this past weekend with eight out-of-town teams participating in a pool of 16 teams who played a round robin format.
Taking first place in the A-event was the St. Paul rink of Phil Henning and Dan McPeak. The father and son team of Todd and Andrew Smith placed second.
The B-event winners were the husband and wife team of Rory and Katy Smith. Kakabeka Falls, Ontario curlers Mike Harding and Amanda Donolovitch were runners-up in the B-event.
Brian Smith and Bruce “Baggers” Johnson won the C-event with Carroll Peterson and Jim King taking second.
Don Fehr and Tom Fredeen won the D-event with Zac and Amy Jones of the Chaska Curling Club taking second.
The goal for the Cook County Curling Club is that all skill levels are welcome to have a fun bonspiel experience. For a few participants this was their first experience curling in a bonspiel. All had a fun time. After all, curling in a bonspiel is not just about winning; it’s the social interaction that everyone really enjoys.
The two-person game is a pared down version of the regular four-person game. All standard rules and etiquette of curling apply, but there is no sweeping between hog lines – only from hog line to back line. All other sweeping rules apply.
Team members stay at each end and do not cross center ice, except during time-outs or an extra end. Six stones per end are thrown and there are six ends per match. The two delivering curlers alternate stones.
This new game of curling has become popular in the Cook County Curling Club and was introduced by Chuck Futterer Jr. and Bill Parish five years ago. They participated in a few such bonspiels in Thunder Bay and thought it would be a good way to introduce a different way to play the game, with less sweeping, to the Cook County Curling Club members.
The Two Person Open League is played on Wednesday evenings starting at 6:30 p.m. If you’re curious about curling, we offer free instruction for the first couple of sessions for prospective members after league play is done at 7:30 p.m. on that evening. Plus, on Wednesday afternoon starting at 1 p.m. All you need is a clean pair of shoes.
The club will be hosting the Charles J. Futterer Open Memorial Bonspiel on March 8, 9 and 10. That bonspiel will be the last one the club will host for the 2018- 2019 curling season. Please check out our website- www.cookcountycurlingclub.com for more information.
Leave a Reply