Barry Wright
Twenty-eight teams from Canada, the U.S., Switzerland and South Korea are at the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club this weekend as part of the World Curling Tour.
The 4th annual Huron RepoGraphics Oil Heritage Classic features 16 teams from Ontario, one from New Brunswick, and nine from the U.S. along with the Swiss and Koreans.
Play begins Thursday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. and continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday, starting 9 a.m. daily at the facility on Errol Road West.
Admission is free.
“There is no charge to watch,” said event coordinator Ian Parker. “And there is no dress code at the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club to come watch,” he added.
Parker said the event was well attended its first three years, but added there's always room to grow.
Several local curlers will be competing, including Mark and Steve Bice, Ryan LeDrew, Heath McCormick, as well as himself and older brother Ryan.
Kitchener's Aaron Squires is the defending champion.
Squires will play third this year on a team skipped by Sarnia's Mark Bice. Steve Bice will play lead on the squad.
“It's difficult to count Mark Bice out,” said Parker when asked about favourites. “But, he hasn't played much yet this year,” he conceded.
Parker said the sport of curling is growing in leaps and bounds locally, nationally and globally, in part because players of all abilities can play against each other at the club level.
“You can showed up on a Wednesday night (at the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club) and watch Heath (McCormick) and Mark (Bice) and myself play regular league games against other club members. There's a real opportunity to jump into the sport and play against someone who is at nearly an elite level,” Parker said.
“You can't get that anywhere else. You can't go to a hockey practice (at your local rink) and get tips from Sidney Crosby.”