Bonspiel returns

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Former Olympic gold medalist Pal Trulsen of Norway and 1999 world champion Hammy McMillan of Scotland are among the celebrity skips confirmed for April’s much-anticipated return of the Heart to Heart Bonspiel.

The event, which shifted to Sudbury three years ago after a quarter of a century in Thunder Bay, pairs 24 well-known  curlers with local amateur teams to raise money for the Northern Cardiac Fund, in much the same way as PGA golf tournaments hold Pro-Ams each week.

“I think it’s the original charity (curling) event in all of Canada and there are many, many spiels that have copied our idea,” said former world champion Rick Lang, who will also take part in the return of the Heart to Heart.

“The club curlers get to go out and play with some of the very biggest names in the world and for that privilege they raise funds for a charity. It’s a great combination of fundraising and good times.”

Lang is excited to see skips with pedigrees like Trulsen and McMillan agreeing to come to Thunder Bay for such a good cause.
“It’s meeting people that we’ve seen on TV for years. They’re great guys and a lot of fun,” Lang said. “I’ve had the opportunity to play with and against them before and they’ll be welcome additions, along with a lot of famous Canadians I’m sure we’ll get in.”

Bonspiel organizer Rod Bosch said the committee is still in the process of lining up celebrity skips, who have yet to firm up plans with both the men’s and women’s national championships on the curling horizon.

He’s not anticipating many hurdles, given the bonspiels past successes.

“It’s a time for the competitive curlers to relax. You’ll see them doing things out there, trying shots they wouldn’t normally try – and making them. That’s the amazing thing,” Bosch said.

“It’s a chance for the local everyday curler and non-curler and get out there and curl with these guys they only see on television. It’s just a fun weekend. There’s nothing at the end of the rainbow, except you get a pretty crest that says you competed in it if you win one of the events.”

It’s a very relaxed weekend, he added.

“The skips make themselves available. They’ll sit around and have a few libations with the people, tell many stories, some of which are true, some of which are not. But it’s a great time for everybody and … people find out they’re just everyday Joes like everybody else. Everybody has a great time,” Bosch said.

For more information about the April 19-21 event, being held at the Port Arthur Curlig Club, or to register a team, visit www.h2hbonspiel.ca or visit them on Facebook.

Follow Leith Dunick on Twitter: @LeithDunick