The Campbell River Curling Club will be hosting the 48th Annual Ralph Boyd Men’s Open Feb. 2-5.
There will be 36 teams competing from all over Vancouver Island. Teams will be guaranteed four games, a banquet Saturday night, and a chance to win some wonderful prizes. There are 19 teams from the Campbell River area while 17 squads will be travelling here from out of town.
Last year’s winner, Rick Dunn’s foursome from Parksville, will be returning to defend his title. The bonspiel’s theme is Casino Royale, relating to a very popular James Bond movie. There will be a casino night for the curlers on Friday, and entertainment will also follow the banquet on Saturday.
There will be four draws Thursday, seven draws on Friday and Saturday and four draws on Sunday. The major sponsors for the bonspiel are Tyee Chevrolet Buick GMC and Thrifty Foods.
All 144 curlers will have a chance to win a brand new car, retail value of $26,000 from the Tyee Chev dealership, which happens to be a 2011 Cruze LTZ. After their first games, all curlers will throw a draw to the button, and the eight curlers whose rocks end up closest to the button, will advance to the finals and throw for the car, following the Saturday banquet. The eight finalists will receive a curling club jacket, and the first one who completely covers the button during the Draw to the Button finals will win the car.
Also, all 144 curlers will have their names in a reverse draw, with the last three remaining in the draw winning a total of $3,000 in prize value. The prize table, for the 16 teams who make the prizes, will have a value of $15,000 in total. The finals will begin at 3:15 on Sunday with four event finals taking place.
Drop in to the club any time starting tomorrowy to check out some great curling. There is excellent viewing both upstairs and down. The concession downstairs will be open, and the lounge will be open for refreshments as well upstairs.