Twenty-four rinks are competing for a winner’s payout of $850 at the annual St. Albert OK Tire Men’s Bonspiel, starting 7 p.m. Thursday at the St. Albert Curling Club.
Sunday’s finals rock the ice at noon.
More than $4,000 is up for grabs during the four-day spiel.
Last year in the A final a touring South Korean rink preparing for the 2013 Winter Universiade Games defeated Mike Hutchings, winner of the last four St. Albert men’s cash spiels, 9-8 in an extra end.
The Koreans pocketed $600 in the win over the Morinville-based rink and $1,300 overall while going 5-0 in the 30-team spiel.
This year’s spiel was capped at 24 rinks so it would end in time for the 2:30 p.m. western semifinal between the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders at Commonwealth Stadium.
Hutchings is back for another shot at the final and lineup for the Bellerose Composite High School teacher features Brian McPherson, Derek Skarban and newcomer Steve Hutchings.
The spiel will also mark the 65th birthday celebration for longtime St. Albert curler Brian Pfeifer, the second-youngest member on the Hootie and Old Fish rink – winners of 10 President’s Cup playoff championships in the team’s 22-year history at the St. Albert Curling Club and three Edmonton and area Tournament of Champions titles.
Team Pfeifer, which includes Brian’s sons Scott, Jason and Mark, is expected to challenge Hutchings for first place at the spiel.
The St. Albert Skyhawks and Sturgeon Spirits have home-floor advantage this weekend at the 3A Edmonton zone women’s volleyball provincial qualifying tournament.
The Skyhawks host the Strathcona Christian Eagles, St. Peter the Apostle Spartans and Edmonton Christian Lions in pool A and the Spirits have matches scheduled against the Ardrossan Bisons, Leduc Tigers and Louis St. Laurent Barons in pool B.
The tournament starts Friday at 2 p.m. with the Skyhawks playing the Lions and the Spirits are up against the Barons.
The Skyhawks will also host Saturday’s playoff round featuring the top three teams in pools A and B.
The winners of the 12:15 and 1:15 p.m. semifinals will represent the metro Edmonton league at the Nov. 20 to 22 provincials in Cochrane.
The 3 p.m. final determines the first and second zone seeds at provincials.
The Skyhawks, last year’s 3A provincial silver medallists, finished 7-5 overall in division one and the Spirits were 8-2 in division two.
