Champions of the 10th annual Rangeley Curling Club Bonspiel held Sunday, Feb. 23 on Haley Pond, is the Stoners. Team members are Brent Quimby (Skipper), Carol Nale, Keith Webber, and Jeff Zapolsky. Submitted photo

RANGELEY — Curling is an esoteric sport, especially when practiced outdoors on frozen lakes and ponds. In the state of Maine there is only one location with covered indoor ice dedicated to curling only, and that is in Belfast. There is indoor curling also in Portland, but it is in a hockey arena at the Portland Expo where curling time is restricted to late hours when the ice skaters have all gone to bed. There exist in Maine other towns where outdoor curling occurs. Gorham Curling Club and the Belfast Curling Club have tried their hands at taming wild ice to their needs, but Rangeley Lakes Curling Club is the only club that uses actual curling stones. The stones currently used by RLCC are reconditioned stones once used by Albertan farmers. They are made of Trevor Gray granite mined in Wales.

Two sets of stones were purchased through individual donations in 2018.

The following excerpt was quoted from an article written by a fellow curler, Allen Wicken, when he wrote an article about last year’s Bonspiel for The Rangeley Highlander.

“The realization of outdoor curling in Rangeley is due to the enthusiasm and leadership of Chris Devine. He literally MADE it happen in large part by actually making 16 very unique and functional concrete curling stones. He organized the first club formation and basic curling instructional meeting one evening a dozen or so years ago at Ecopelagicon nature store (now The Rangeley Adventure Store) on the shore of Haley Pond in downtown Rangeley.

“Chris arrived in Rangeley in 2012 with his expertise in environmental management and his enthusiasm for outdoor sports in tow … to devote 5 years as the Executive Director of the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust (RLHT) He made his mark championing added programs, certifications and improvements to the fine organization … and almost concurrently, he made his recreational mark with the establishment of the Rangeley Lakes Curling Club.

“Sadly, he resigned his position at the RLHT in 2017 for health reasons, and three years later in 2020 he passed away due to cancer at the age of 51. He remains very much missed by both organizations. The members of the curling club created a handsome trophy (the wooden base by member Jeff Zapolsky and the re-created original “stone” by member Peter Christensen). A small plaque is added each year since the inception of the annual BONSPIEL TOURNAMENT with the names of the winning team members inscribed.”

A large plaque is affixed above the first nine annual plaques with the following inscription:

The Rangeley Lakes Curling Club Bonspiel trophy. Submitted photo

THE

CHRIS DEVINE

Curling “Stone”

IN HONOR OF OUR FRIEND, AND ENTHUSIASTIC

DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE SPORT AND

COMRADERIE OF CURLING IN RANGELEY, MAINE

The trophy may be viewed inside The Rangeley Adventure Store during business hours.

The 10th annual Bonspiel

On Sunday, Feb. 23, the Rangeley Lakes Curling Club the 10th annual Bonspiel, or curling tournament. This year’s bonspiel used a double elimination format. That means that once a team has lost two matches they are out of competition. Each game consisted of two teams sliding their 8 stones at a target 6 times. The team with the highest score after 6 “ends” is the winner.

Greg Andrews, Connie Copp, Scott Schoenthaler, and Clifford Raymond of Snow Source. Submitted photo

This year, teams were Orange Crush, Team Alpine, Stoners and Snow Source. The winning team, Stoners, consisted of Brent Quimby (Skipper), Carol Nale, Keith Webber and Jeff Zapolsky. The winners each received a gift certificate to Classic Provisions and the much-coveted inscription of their name on the 2025 brass plaque to be affixed to the one-of-a-kind Chris Devine Curling “Stone”. The word “stone” is in italics because the club’s founder, made the first set of 16 stones out of concrete poured inside two stainless steel mixing bowls …. no kidding!

Here is a rundown of how the tournament played out:

Game 1

The first match-up was between the winning team last year, Snow Source (Greg Andrews, Connie Copp, Scott Schoenthaler, and Clifford Raymond) and Orange Crush (Peter Christensen, Jennifer Atwood, Nick Leadley, and Em Hancheck). Orange Crush handed the first loss to Snow Source.

Orange Crush team members Peter Christensen, Jennifer Atwood, Nick Leadley, and Em Hancheck.

Game 2

Next up was Stoners against Team Alpine (Sandy McDavitt, Ken McDavitt, Val Zapolsky, and Karen Seaman). Stoners prevailed in that match-up, leaving Alpine with one loss.

Game 3

The third match was for the winners of the first two games to play each other. Stoners handed Orange Crush their first defeat.

Game 4

Next the losers of the first two matches faced off to see who would advance. Snow Source prevailed over Team Alpine, sending them off to get warm somewhere inside.

Team Alpine members are Sandy McDavitt, Ken McDavitt, Val Zapolsky, and Karen Seaman. Submitted

Game 5

The next match was between the two teams that had only one loss each. Match 5 which pitted Orange Crush against Team Alpine resulted in a 9 to 3 victory for Orange Crush.

Game 6

This eliminated Team Alpine, leaving Orange Crush to challenge the undefeated Stoners.

These two teams were evenly matched. After 6 ends the score was tied up 6 to 6. This forced a sudden death play-off. Both teams took turns throwing their eight stones into the “house” or target. Stoners ended up winning decisively that end in overtime.

After the end of a long day of curling all teams reunited at Nick Leadley’s home at the Touch the Wild Gallery on Maine Street and Haley Pond for a warm and friendly potluck dinner.

If you would like to try your hand at curling, join us at our regular events on Sundays at 1 p.m. or Wednesdays at 3 p.m. It is a fun and entertaining way to get out and enjoy winter with a very sociable bunch of people. As our promotional buttons say, “GO CURLING”.