$50,000 cash spiel set to get underway at curling club

Photo by Vince Fedoroff

After months of planning and hard work from the organizational end, the third annual Skookum World
Curling Tour Yukon Cash Spiel will get underway tonight at the Whitehorse Curling Club.

Thanks to last week’s addition of two more local teams, this year’s cash spiel will feature a total of 24 curling squads. Among the 24 curling rinks, 14 teams are from out of town, which Jon Solberg, business manager of the Whitehorse Curling Club, said was very encouraging.

“It’s gone better than we expected for sure,” he said. “We did have some concerns of filling up a few weeks ago and obviously those concerns are no longer, so we are really excited. It’s going to be a busy four days here at the curling club both on and off the ice.”

With the total cash purse set at $50,000, the number of competing teams isn’t the only increase to the cash spiel. The spiel is awarding $20,000 more than it did last year, which is thanks to a couple of new supporters, including Air North and the Best Western Gold Rush Inn. 

The Skookum cash spiel has increased its total purse every year since its inaugural competition in 2006. The first year the cash spiel awarded $20,000, while in 2007 that total went up to $30,000.

The 24 team format made it easier on the draw, which will include a four pool round robin format. The top eight teams will be subject to a single elimination format in the playoff round on Sunday.

The first draw tonight will be at 5:15 p.m. and another draw is scheduled for 9 p.m.

Friday and Saturday will be the busiest days in the cash spiel and will each include four draw times that will start at 9 a.m. The afternoon and evening draws will be at 12:45 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday will also include a banquet from 5p.m. to 8 p.m., which will feature a buffet style meal and live music entertainment following the meal. Individual tickets can be purchased at the Whitehorse Curling Club for $30.

The playoff round will be held on Sunday with the quarter-finals taking place at 9 a.m., the semi-finals occurring at 12:45 p.m. and the finals should begin around 4 p.m.

The $50,000 will be divided up among the top eight teams, which will include $15,000 being awarded to the winner, while second place will be given $9,000. The third and fourth place rinks will be given $6,000, while the fifth to eight spots will each be given $3,500.

The 10 Whitehorse rinks curling in the cash spiel include Team Tuton, Team S. Koltun, Team T. Scoffin, Team Grant, Team Cowan, Team Balsam, Team Diakow, Team Hilderman, Team Andison and Team Gee.

The remaining Canadian teams include Team Windsor, competing out of Kamloops, B.C.; Team Schille, Calgary Alta; Team Waatenain; Nanaimo, B.C.; Team Gessner, Vancouver; Team Peachey, Vancouver; Team Galusha, Yellowknife, Team Saturnino, Inuvik, N.W.T.; Team Koe, Yellowknife.

The other curling teams are from the United States and include three from Alaska and three from Seattle.

The Seattle squads are Team Clark, Team Johnson and Team Larway, while Team Rich and Team K. Persinger are curling out of Fairbanks. Team G. Persinger is out of Anchorage. 

Some of the teams to look out for include Team Windsor, skipped by former B.C. Tim Hortons Brier representative Brian Windsor. Steve Waatenain, who is set to defend his title and Team Schille, which includes skip Charley Thomas, a former world junior champion.

One of the local teams that has to be among the favourites includes Team Cowan, which finished 2-9 at the 2008 Brier.

Members of the Whitehorse Curling Club can take in the cash spiel for no fee, while non members have the option of purchasing a $10 day pass or a $20 pass that would cover them for the entire four-days of competition.

“This is a perfect opportunity for some of our new members and some of those folks who really want to go from recreation curlers to semi-competitive curlers to come out and see the strategy and shot making (at the cash spiel).” said Solberg. “We have some really accomplished curlers here in Whitehorse and we are quite proud of what they have done and we do have a high belief in our locals being able to get to that level as well. So I think there’s a definite advantage to our members coming in and watching and enjoying the show that we and the curlers are putting on.”