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Rock Talk: Klymchuk wins Abbotsford men's open

There is a time in the life of junior curlers when they have dominated their peers, but they’re not experienced enough to challenge the adult competitive teams.
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Jim Hambly of Abbotsford delivers a rock during men’s open action at the Abbotsford Curling Club.

by JIM ANDERSON

Rock Talk columnist

There is a time in the life of junior curlers when they have dominated their peers, but they’re not experienced enough to challenge the adult competitive teams.

The transition is often to play in club bonspiels and to meet some pretty fair adult teams and take their lumps for a while, before graduating to the competitive field.

Last year’s B.C. junior champion Tyler Klymchuk of Langley accelerated his development by winning the Abbotsford Men’s Open on the weekend, defeating senior Russ Knutson of Chilliwack in a one-sided A final. Knutson is no slouch, being a former B.C. mixed champion.

Klymchuk and his team were dominant throughout the spiel, and I expect them to make a splash at men’s provincials in the next few years.

American teams showed well, with the Lyle Sieg foursome of San Jose/Seattle defeating Abbotsford’s Milt Sinclair in the B final and Jeremy Dinsell of Seattle edging Darell Zbeetnoff of White Rock to win the C event.

In Masters action in Mission, local skips Charlie Lindsay and Gordie Lamb (who were once junior curlers too, believe it or not), finished third and fourth respectively.

In the usual battle of the Kell(e)ys, Scott beat Law to win the provincial Scotties and will represent B.C. in Charlottetown, PEI, Feb. 19-27.

The Abbotsford Curling Club still has openings for the ladies open bonspiel, Feb. 11-13, and the mixed open, Feb. 25-27. Call the office at 604-859-9244 for more information.