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Some great curling action on display in Sarnia this weekend

Troy Shantz The annual Oil Heritage Classic is back and it’s bringing some top names in Canadian and U.S. curling to Sarnia.
Curling
Mark Bice of the host Sarnia Golf & Curling Club will be competing at the Oil Heritage Classic. Submitted Photo

Troy Shantz

The annual Oil Heritage Classic is back and it’s bringing some top names in Canadian and U.S. curling to Sarnia.

“Our facility is amazing and we have the best unknown icemaker in the province, possibly the country,” said Ian Parker of the host Sarnia Golf & Curling Club.

“So we’ve got to have a tour here.”

The field includes multiple Brier and Grand Slam winner Glenn Howard as well as U.S.A. Olympic hopeful Heath McCormick and 2014 Brier participant Mark Bice, both of the host Sarnia club.

The bonspiel begins Thursday and concludes on Sunday, Oct. 29. It features 22 confirmed teams, has a purse of $20,000 and is an official stop on the World Curling Tour.

Local club curlers will also be participating in the four-day Men’s event.

“Because of the Olympics (in February) the purse isn’t the most important thing, it’s the strength of field,” said Parker, noting some participants are vying for points required to earn spots on their respective Olympic teams.

Parker, who is competing as well, organized the first Classic in 2012 in less than two months. It attracted 16 teams. The goal of hosting a major curling event was to showcase Sarnia’s outstanding ice sheets, he said.

“Long term, the goal is to continue to attract the top teams in the world and get the purse up.”

Matches are scheduled throughout the day and spectators are welcome.

“If you show up any time of the day on Friday, Saturday - there’s curling going on,” he said.

For complete details and a schedule of the Huron Reprographics Oil Heritage Classic visit www.worldcurl.com.


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