Morrison rink wins RR Open bonspiel

By Ken Johnston
Editor

For a time it looked like Dale Morrison’s rink was going to have an easy time defeating the Tim Nordin rink in the “A” event final at the Rainy River Open bonspiel Sunday.
Nordin notched the first point in the first end, but then it was Morrison’s rink who scored for the next four ends. He made a take out for one with the hammer in the 2nd to tie the game. Nordin then tried to draw to the button in the third but was heavy allowing Morrison to steal one. Morrison then stole two more in the fourth when Nordin missed a double take out. Nordin was then inside the broom with the hammer in the 5th and wicked a front guard letting Morrison steal another point.
Leading 5-1 it looked like Morrsion had the championship in the bag. But a determined Nordin foursome whittled their way back. Scoring one in the 6th, stealing one in the 7th and then two more in the 8th to tie the game and force an extra end.
In the 9th both teams had most of their rocks in play, forcing Nordin to have to make a take out. But he was narrow and left Morrsion counting one to win it all 6-5.
In the “B” event it looked like the game would go scoreless forever when skip Howie Crowe hit and rolled out three times with the hammer to blank the first three ends. In the fourth he had a chance to draw for two but came up short with the hammer scoring only one.
In the fifth his opponent Aaron Armstrong drew in for two to lead 2-1. But Crowe picked up a four ender in the 6th to go up 5-2.
Keeping it close Armstrong scored one in the 7th and stole one in the 8th but lost 5-4.
In the “C” event final it was Bryan Bonot’s rink that came out on top over Adam Bolen’s team. After blanking the first end Bolen scored one in the second. Bonot answered with three in the third.
Again Bolen picked up one in the fourth and again Bonot answered with two in the fifth and one in the sixth. Bolen ran out of rocks in the eighth and lost 6-4.
This was the first time the Rainy River curling club hosted an open bonspiel instead of a mixed. The move helped attract more teams. Twelve rinks in all competed and some of them were comprised of three males and one female or three females and one male.
This move may very well be the wave of the future as the recent RR Men’s bonspiel was cancelled due to lack of entries after a stoic 50+ year history.