League

Curl Berkshires League Final Recap

Fifteen hearty club members braved the near-zero temperatures outside (and inside) the Boys and Girls Club Saturday night to crown Peter O'Neill as 2026 club champion.  But let's not bury the lead here: we had a bagpiper.  That's right, our own Dennis Carr piped a stirring rendition of Scotland the Brave at center ice to open the evening, leading the procession of participants into the arena for the league finale.

As the matches commenced, it quickly became clear that it was Peter's tiara to lose. With a lead in the standings going into the evening, Peter's main objective was to remain upright and make it to the bar for broomstacking, thereby securing the final point that would give him the championship. And while his closest competitor for the evening, Mike Zinchuk, put up a game fight with a thrilling one-point victory in the eighth end, it was not enough. Mike would have to settle for second place, soothed only slightly by a commendation for his perfect attendance on the season. (It should be noted that Mike failed to bring the platter of baby back ribs that might have propelled him to the top of the table, and ultimately it cost him the championship, a lesson for all of us.)

The awards ceremony following the matches was well attended, even in the face of some late logistical challenges. Our usual host, Hot Plate Brewing, closed early due to the impending storm, so we set our sights on Patrick's Pub, and they proved worthy hosts. Our group of 15 somehow expanded to 19 for the festivities, as people seem to love a champion's banquet, and rightfully so. Peter delivered the traditional champion's address with considerable aplomb, despite being given less than 15 seconds to prepare his remarks. And he wore his well-earned tiara for the rest of the evening, in true champion fashion.

At this point, I must admit to an error in the scoring spreadsheet that resulted in some minor adjustments to the final results. It turns out that Rick Nasman and Mike Zinchuk are tied for second place, followed by a four-way tie for fourth place between Dennis Carr, Hal Miller, Jim Hatch, and Cindy Nasman. My apologies for not officially recognizing some of the top finishers at the awards banquet last night. Finally, perfect attendance awards were earned by Linda Egan, Hal Miller, Peter O'Neill, Karen Zinchuk, and Mike Zinchuk. Well done, all!

Curl Berkshires League Nights

Thank you to all who participated in this years Curl Berkshires League! Keep an eye out in the off season for information about next year!

Our early home curling dates this season include two Wednesday evenings. To spur interest and encourage everyone to get out on the ice, we thought we'd combine these Wednesday dates with a couple of Saturday dates from later in the season to form a "league" (see schedule below). We're introducing a fun format for our league, and we hope you'll join us. You are not obligated to attend all four dates, and there is no cost beyond the usual sign-up fee for each date. All we need from you is a "thumbs up" that you'd like to participate, which you can do by filling out this form (add link) to let us know. If you do not participate, you can still play in all the home dates as usual, but you'll miss out on the gut-splitting hilarity that is sure to result from this format, not to mention a chance at a free membership pass for the 2026-2027 season.

The Format:

Each league evening, we will choose random teams and play a regular eight-end game, like we've done in the past. The new wrinkle is that we will use a point system to track standings. The “club champion tiara" will be presented to the leader in the standings at the conclusion of the four league dates. You don't have to play every league night, but if you do, you'll have more chances to score points.

The Points:

Here are the point values to be used to determine the standings:

• match win: +3

• match tie: +2

• match loss +1 (that's right, this is the coveted "participation" point)

• post-match broomstacking (show up at the bar and say hi): +1

• audible complaint about poor ice: -0.25 (honor system, self-reporting)

• Club Special: at the discretion of an unspecified entity, a variable number of points may be available at various times in the season for varying reasons. It's hard to pin down, because it varies. But it promises to be nothing short of awe-inspiring, if and when it happens.

The Prizes:

Up for grabs are two membership passes for the 2026-2027 season: one goes to the "club champion tiara winner", and one will be drawn at random from the names of all who participate in this league. The random draw will be weighted by participation -- you get one entry for each of the four dates you attend.

The Schedule:

1. Wed Nov 5, 7-9 pm

2. Wed Nov 19, 7-9 pm

3. Sat Jan 10, 6-9 pm

4. Sat Jan 24, 6-9 pm