Another success for Salmon Arm curlers.
Salmon Arm’s Dave Belway rink, representing B.C. in the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Curling Championships held in Dauphin, Manitoba from March 15 to 20, brought home the national trophy.
While the team got off to a bit of a rough start in its first game, falling 7-2 to Saskatchewan, it was a string of victories from there on in.
“It was just getting used to the ice,” explained skip Belway on his return to Salmon Arm. “It was really straight, it wasn’t what we were used to. We missed a couple of key shots and that was the difference.”
His team, made up of lead Wayne Shepherd, second Darin Gerow and third Barry Meyer, took on Manitoba – who they would meet in the final – in their second game, defeating them handily, 9-4.
The next three contests saw B.C. defeat Nova Scotia 8-4, P.E.I. 8-5 and Quebec 8-5.
“We weren’t sure what kind of competition was going to be there; it turned out it was pretty good competition and we managed to pull it out,” Belway said.
The final was no cake walk, however.
In a tie-breaker, B.C. prevailed over Manitoba 6-5 in an extra end.
“It was pretty good…, it was a well-curled game. We had to draw the four-foot for the win in the extra end,” he explained.
The team members have the benefit of experience playing together.
Belway says he and Shepherd have done Monday night curling together for about 20 years.
Belway has curled with Gerow for three years, and with Meyer, just this year. Meyer, who moved to Vancouver from Salmon Arm, was an RCMP officer here for about 10 years, Belway says, but still comes back regularly and maintains his membership in the legion.
Belway says the whole team played well.
“Everyone was pretty excited for the win. We’ll try and go again next year and repeat.”