As they competed for Saskatchewan at the Travelers Curling Club Championship, the Twin Rivers Curling Club rink of Kristi Frolek, Nicole Beausoleil, Christy Walker and Kristy Bird found out first hand what it’s like to represent their province on a national stage.
“Just being able to put on the green jacket, which is something we always wanted to do as a group, was spectacular,” Walker said.
“Having our family there with us for the experience was awesome, but we also met a lot of people along the way from the other provinces and territories who either lived in Saskatchewan or have family there. Eveywhere we went, there was a sea of green supporting us on.”
Having captured the provincial title in Estevan back in March, the local foursome travelled to Kingston, Ont. for the national playdowns, which were held from Nov. 20 to 25 at the Cataraqui Golf and Country Club.
“The feeling was a little bit different from the big national events like the Scotties or the Brier, but that’s because the event is held in a curling club instead of a major arena,” Frolek said.
“With that said, the atmosphere is totally different from the provincials, mainly because you have so many men’s and women’s teams from across the country. The social aspect is really cool, as everyone gets a chance to mix and mingle after their games.”
The Saskatchewan rink missed out on making the playoffs with a 2-4 record, though that mark isn’t a good indicator of how the team performed.
“We felt that we played well in every game and a couple of our losses came down to the last shot, so it could have gone either way.” Walker said.
“At the event, we were basically like a rookie team as there were a few lineups that had one or two players who had been to the Travelers before. I think the experience that we gained from our time in Kingston will really help us going forward.”
With the defending provincial champions not allowed to return to the tournament in the following year so other club rinks have a chance to compete, the Frolek rink will not be at the provincial playdowns in Humboldt in March.
“Right now we’re planning to take part in the Saskatoon ladies’ bonspiel and the event here in North Battleford, along with one or two events that usually take place when we’re at provincials,” Frolek said.
“Having been to the Travelers now, we all have that drive to get back there once again when we are eligible next year. It’s always tough to get out of the province though with so many good curlers here.”
