KEVIN ROTHBAUER
COWICHAN VALLEY CITIZEN
With the exception of one end, hometown favourite Wes Craig dominated play as Duncan’s Glen Harper Curling Centre played host to the B.C. Senior Men’s Curling Championships last weekend.
Craig’s rink, which includes Gerald Poelman, Tony Anslow and Victor Gamble, went 8-1 in round-robin play to advance straight to the final. Craig was leading 5-2 after six ends in the title game, but the combination Cloverdale/Langley/Penticton/Vancouver rink skipped by Craig Lepine scored four in the seventh and one more in the eighth to win 7-5.
“We had one bad end in the final, and it cost us the game,” Craig said. “That happens in curling. You’ve got to play all eight. I’ve been in a bunch of B.C. finals, won a bunch and lost a bunch.”
Craig has won the B.C. seniors title three times and lost twice in the final. Last year the team of Craig, Poelman, Anslow and Gamble won provincial bronze in their first season together.
Having curled throughout the province and across the country, Craig was happy to be able to compete at home.
“It was nice to see good crowd support,” he said. “You usually don’t see that when you’re on the road so much.”
Duncan was asked by Curl BC to host the 50+ championships, and did an excellent job, in Craig’s view.
“Everything went flawless, as far as I could tell,” he said. “The ice was good, everything was good.”
Duncan was asked by Curl BC to host the 50+ championships, and did an excellent job, in Craig’s view.
“Everything went flawless, as far as I could tell,” he said. “The ice was good, everything was good.”
Next up is the Island mixed championships at Kerry Park this weekend, where Craig and his son Miles will team with two of Nanaimo’s Van Osch sisters, who won the B.C. Scotties and competed at the Tournament of Hearts in early February.
“There will be lots of young people, which is good to see,” Craig said. “Even though my son is 33, we figured out he will be the second oldest in the whole event.”