Curling for a good cause

Norwood

Riverview

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/02/2025 (317 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This winter’s closer-to-average seasonal temperatures were good news for the Ironman Outdoor Curling Bonspiel, which was postponed for a week last year for a week owing to melting ice on the Red River.

The 2025 edition of the event was held at Redboine Boat Club (20 Churchill Dr.) on the weekend of Feb. 7 to 9 and from the minute work started on creating the playing surface to the final end, the weather was smooth and perfectly frigid.

In the end, the Birds Hillbillies team — which consists of Adrian Kowalchuk, Chris Kowalchuk, Jeremy Kusyk, Graham Fast, and Travis Lylyk — were the victors over last year’s winner Drawson. Both teams in the final featured one of the event’s icemakers, which created an interesting dynamic, according to event director Hayley Cressal.

“It was kind of a battle of the committee at the end,” she said. “I think they only had one team cheering for Drawson … we didn’t want them to win again.”

This year was Cressal’s first year as director, she said, and she was thankful for the supportive environment as she navigated her way through two weekend days of regular competition, plus a high school tournament on the Friday.

Teams of all skill levels join in to raise funds for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Manitoba.

“I think that it is really cool to see curling in a different way,” Cressal said of the unique outdoor event.

“I feel like sometimes (curling) is a little inaccessible if people don’t feel confident to join a league, especially if (they’re) brand new, if you don’t know anybody, but this is pretty easy. Throw some of your friends together on a team and get out in the winter on the river, which is really cool, and maybe try something that you never tried before.”

In the end, 44 teams took part in this year’s edition of the bonspiel, raising approximately $19,000, Cressal said.

“We would obviously like to increase that a little more, and people can still go to our website and donate until the end of February,” she said, adding that the tournament ties in with Heart Month, which aims to bring attention to the importance of cardiovascular health throughout February.

Although donations to Ironman are capped at the end of the month, the Heart and Stroke Foundation accepts monetary donations year-round.

The 2026 bonspiel is currently slated for Feb. 6 to 8. For more information, visit ironmancurling.com