INUVIK
Rocks were thrown and brooms were swept, but more than anything, Nick Saturnino hopes more curlers were made at a friendly bonspiel Nov. 7.

Andreane Gagnon throws a rock Nov. 7 during a friendly bonspiel at the Inuvik Curling Club. Sarah Ladik/NNSL photo

"At the beginning of the year we really try to encourage people to come out," said Saturnino, president of the Inuvik Curling Club. "We had 11 of 20 curlers today who have never curled in a bonspiel before, and that's what we're going for."

Five teams signed up for the event Nov. 7, a few less than Saturnino was hoping for, but still a respectable turnout. There were prizes for everyone, including gift cards for gas and for the pharmacy, with each rink playing a total of four games.

Saturnino had explicitly invited more seasoned players to team up with newer ones, something he saw borne out at the event.

"Some of the really competitive curlers are hard to convince to play with newer curlers because they want to win so bad," he said. "But this is a fun event, that's the whole point."

Mark Robertson played in the bonspiel and said it was a great annual event.

"Pretty much any excuse to curl, I'll jump on it," he said. "And to curl with the nice, light atmosphere, where the goal is just to have fun, that's kind of nice."

The club as a whole is geared to cater to both ends of the spectrum of experience and talent, as well as everything in between.

There are nights for those who take curling seriously and go on to compete territorially and nationally but there is also a Friday night fun league where having a good time is the name of the game.

The bonspiel was meant to bring those two together and perhaps even draw some first-time curlers.

While this year didn't draw any of those, it did bring out some younger members of the club, including three who got the chance to play with their coach, Saturnino himself. The team - Tyanna Bain, Paris Wainman, and Mataya Gillis with Saturnino - took first place overall.

Their participation, as well as that of newer curlers, bodes well for the health of the club as a whole.

"It's good," said Robertson. "The more new curlers we can get in these events, the better for the future of the curling club going forward."

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