Curling in the Solo Liquor Stores Mixed Bonspiel left a lasting impression on Greg Pasichnuk.
His rink of third Karen Stephen, second Evan Asmussen and lead Kristina Hadden pocketed $745 after finishing 5-0 in the 28-rink draw.
“It’s my first time curling in St. Albert and it won’t be my last,” said the Manning curler after winning the A-1 Heating A event final Sunday.
The bonspiel was also a mini-family reunion as Pasichnuk made the trek to St. Albert to throw rocks with his sister, Stephen, and nephew, Asmussen.
“I think it was only the second time I’ve curled with my sister. I’ve curled with Evan before and it was my first time curling with Kristina,” Pasichnuk said. “Because it was so much fun we curled well and I think that’s what made it successful.”
The third Boston Pizza Cup men’s provincials for Pasichnuk was last year’s 0-3 result at Lacombe throwing lead rocks but calling the game for Asmussen, who threw skip rocks, Rob Maksymetz and Sean Morris of the Manning Curling Club.
Pasichnuk had played second and third at previous provincials.
Asmussen also curled at the 2013 provincials in Leduc with the Matt Blandford rink of the Inglewood Curling Club of Calgary.
Hadden, who is Asmussen’s girlfriend, curls for the Kristie Moore rink on the World Curling Tour and is a former provincial junior finalist.
Stephen is a longtime St. Albert curler in the ladies and mixed divisions.
As a foursome they bonded together for victories over Bellamy, Gunderson, Waschuk and Donnelly before skunking the Forbes’ rink skipped by Emile Nickel of the Avonair 8-0 in four ends.
“Everything went pretty smooth,” Pasichnuk said. “In our second game, we came up with an early lead, 5-1 I think after four, and then we let it slip away and I had to make my last shot (in the eighth end) just to win by one. After that we never really looked back and never really trailed by that much ever.”
The final against Nickel, third Maureen Forbes, second Bob Forbes and lead Nicole Bellamy lasted about an hour before everybody shook hands.
Pasichnuk blanked the first end and in two he made a successful draw for four after Nickel’s last shot was light.
Nickel’s last shot in three was also light as Pasichnuk counted three.
In four Pasichnuk stole another point against Nickel, who slid past Williams, Jenkyns, Schultz and Rouault for a berth in the final for a payout of $510.
“Evan and Kristina curled really well. They always had the ends set up very well and they always got their rocks in the right spots so it made it really easy when Karen and I had to come down and make our shots,” said Pasichnuk.
He enjoys the mixed scene as much as the competitive men’s circuit.
“They’re not that much different. The strategy is pretty much the same but there is a lot more shot making in mixed and there seems to be a lot more rocks in play too.”
