Lawrence Woytowich, Lynn Wilson, Wayne Scott, Frank Nash and Ken Wigbers are back from a series of curling championships and are already chomping at the bit to get back on the ice.
The Woytowich rink curls out of the Glen Meadows Country Club in North Saanich and recently won gold in the mens 55-plus category in the B.C. Seniors Games in Burnaby, August 22 to 25.
They defeated a younger Trail (Kootenay Zone) team, 6-4, and advanced to the Canadian Nationals which were held a few days later in Sidney, Nova Scotia.
“We were home on the Saturday (from Burnaby), rested Sunday and flew out (to Nova Scotia) on Monday,” said Woytowich.
There was a little down time, added Scott, before they played their first games at the Nationals.
While they didn’t advance to the finals out east, Woytowich said they enjoyed themselves and played a lot of good curling.
“We were never out of a game,” he said, “always within a point or two, for the most part.”
Woytowich, Scott and Nash have been curling together for five years.
Wigbers is their alternate man and Wilson joined the team a few years ago — but he’s normally curling against Woytowich.
“Lynn is on the competition most of the time,” he said of their Glen Meadows rivalry. “But when we go to step it up a notch, we bring him in.”
In its various configurations, the Woytowich rink plays seven to eight bonspiels each season, in a circuit that takes them to Victoria, Esquimalt, the Juan De Fuca curling facility and Kerry Park.
They are soon adding Las Vegas to that list. The Nevada city is welcoming teams from 17 countries (including four teams from Canada) to a bonspiel in the desert.
While the ice is not yet in at Glen Meadows, Woytowich said the team is playing in an exhibition against the current national senior women’s champ, Cathy King, on Oct. 11 or 12 at the Victoria Curling Club.
“That’s because we have the same coach,” said Woytowich. “We’re kind of fortunate to have him.”
Bill Tschirhart lives on the Peninsula, coaches the Woytowich rink at high levels, and also coaches the national senior women’s team. It’s this link that helps make such exhibition games possible. For both rinks, it’s a warm up for other matches.
With ice expected in the arena at Glen Meadows on McTavish Road by Oct. 8, there is curling available to all ages and abilities, said Woytowich. To learn more, contact the club at 250-656-3136.