Take Highway 3A for 48 kilometres and enjoy a soak in the glorious Ainsworth Hot Springs.
It was a well-deserved reward on a well-earned day off Friday at the Canadian Direct Insurance B.C. Men’s Curling Championships in Nelson for Vernon’s Jim Cotter rink.
The two-time defending champion team of Cotter, third Ryan Kuhn, second Tyrel Griffith and lead Rick Sawatsky took on New Westminster’s Sean Geall, the B event winner, in the A versus B playoff Saturday afternoon.
The winner advanced to today’s championship match at 4 p.m. for a shot at heading to the Tim Hortons Brier in Ottawa.
Cotter went 4-0 to take the A event, capping things off with a 5-4 win over Michael Johnson of New Westminster Thursday night.
“Things are going real well,” said Cotter Friday. “The guys are playing very well against some very tough teams.”
Cotter scored deuces with the hammer in the first and third ends to take a 4-1 lead. Down 5-2, Johnson got one back in nine with the hammer, and stole a single point in 10.
Cotter advanced to the A final Thursday with a 7-4 win over Glen Jackson of Victoria.
Jackson took on Dean Joanisse of New Westminster – who lost last year’s provincial final to Cotter at the Vernon Curling Club – in the battle of C event qualifiers Saturday. The winner meets the loser of Cotter-Geall in the semifinal.
Asked if there was any concern about not having played in a day, Cotter said, “No, not at all. We get a chance to practice tonight and tomorrow. It’s nice to have the extra time off.”
Joanisse scored two in the 10th to edge Neil Dangerfield of Victoria 5-4 in a C qualifier, while Jackson took care of clubmate Jason Montgomery 7-4.
Vernon’s Mark Longworth lost three straight games. He was eliminated Thursday, 6-4, by Will House of Richmond, who scored three in the eighth end with hammer to tie the game 4-4, then stole single points in nine and 10.
Stephen Schneider of Vancouver, who had Vernon’s Jamie Sexton throwing third rocks, also went 0-3.