101 Days Until Sleepover Summerspiel

Nugget Column #26 – Tuesday March 30th, 2015

It will be another week before the last rock comes to rest for the 2014-2015 curling season at the Granite Club and already a committee is meeting about North Bay’s largest annual curling event… in July.

Jeff Miller, chairman of the Summerspiel, is excited to welcome over thirty teams to the city on July 12-14, 2015 and can’t believe that the event is coming into its fourth anniversary.

“It seems like only yesterday that we picked up where New Liskeard left off; organizing a first-class curling event that’s been embraced by teams from all over Ontario.”

For reasons not within control of curling enthusiasts in Temiskaming Shores, and after more than thirty successful installations at the New Liskeard arena, Summerspiel would be seeking a new home.

The widely popular summer curling tournament was always complimented by a great theme, and so in 2012 the Granite Club launched their inaugural event as the Rockstar Summerspiel, followed by the YeeHaw Summerspiel in 2013, Christmas in July in 2014, and in 101 days from now – the Sleepover Summerspiel.

The pajama party themed event will no doubt elicit some great moments for participants. That paired with great food, live entertainment, karaoke, friends, sunshine, and well… curling, will make for an event you simply can’t afford to miss.

Amongst the over one hundred curlers who make North Bay a routine summer destination are household names like Tracy Horgan, Amanda Gates, and Courtney Chenier; who were part of a Northern Ontario team that went 8-5 and nearly captured a playoff spot at the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Moose Jaw.

Another big fan of the Summerspiel is this year’s Ontario Tankard champion and lead for Team Kean – Scott Howard. Scott’s team finished with a 5-6 record at the 2015 Tim Horton’s Brier in Calgary and while the young rink experienced nothing short of a dream season, members have recently announced their disbandment. While vice Mat Camm is being swapped into Travis Fanset’s position on Team Epping, Ssecond David Mathers finds room on Team Casey at home in PEI, and Scott Howard joins Richard Hart, Wayne Middaugh, and his father on Team Glenn Howard for the 2016 season.

It also would not be surprising to see members of a team who recently scored a bronze medal at the Canadian Police Curling Championships form an entry at the Summerspiel.

Congratulations to our member Steve Mitchell and his team of Jim Szarka, Dave Lawes, and Tyeler Commanda on a great week-long performance as Team Northern Ontario.

With curling season coming to an end we are looking for champions to assist with operations of the club in the 2015-2016 curling season. Please consider volunteering with the Granite Club so that we may continue offering a tremendous source of recreation to our community. Our Annual General Meeting of members is scheduled for April 9th at 7pm and we hope to see you there.

More information on Summerspiel at www.summerspiel.com

Bobby Ray General Manager North Bay Granite Club