The Greater Victoria Curling Academy is celebrating its 10th season with a funspiel this afternoon at the Victoria Curling Club, followed by a time to share memories as graduates of the program join in the festivities.
Twenty-eight students are enrolled in this year’s program, one of the largest numbers to date.
“We have about 26 alumni coming back from the first year right through this year. We have some alumni that have done quite well so we’re excited to be celebrating 10 years,” said Cindy Tucker, a mentor and former instructor with the program.
Among the alumni attending is Daniel Wenzek of Burnaby, who competed at the 2011 Canada Winter Games and represented New Brunswick at the 2014 Canadian Juniors, where he was a national runner-up, before returning to B.C. where he teamed up with Tyler Tardi for a big season in 2016.
Timothy and Paul Henderson will also attend. Both have represented B.C. at national juniors and Paul is now an instructor with the academy.
“We’ve got really good numbers this year, so it’s been a bit challenging to deal with it, but it’s a good problem to have,” Tucker said of the 2017-18 season for the academy. “We’ve had our ups and downs over the years to get the numbers, but I think we have a good formula running right now. We’ve had some great years and some quiet years, but we’re celebrating them all on Sunday.”
The program used to be affiliated with Esquimalt High School, but is now open to all the schools within the district. The academy has also attracted international students.
The funspiel runs from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by celebrations upstairs.
EXTRA ENDS: The VCC is looking for volunteers for the 2018 B.C. Scotties, being held at the club Jan. 2-7. Several positions are open. Anyone interested can contact the club by e-mail at 2018bcscotties@gmail.com.
