Curling is a time-honoured tradition in Canada as a whole, with exceptional significance in Saskatchewan.
In fact, the Government of Saskatchewan declared curling the official sport of the province in 2001. Medstead is a proud part of this custom, as shown by the long-standing community tradition of the annual Barefoot Bonspiel. According to one of this year’s event co-ordinators, “It’s something the community has come to be known for.”
Sixteen teams registered for this year’s festive event, which was planned by Kristine Raess and Arin Waters, both celebrating their first year of organizing this event. The bonspiel ran from March 31 through April 2 and included breakfast Saturday and Sunday.
“It marks the end of the curling season. It’s the last thing we do before the ice melts,” Waters says.
The celebration commenced with a regular bonspiel, occurring over the course of the three-day event. The proud winner of this year’s tournament was the Charles Stein rink.
The origins of this exciting Medstead tradition date back to 1991. According to Raess, local resident and current school principal Kelly Schneider had noticed the practice in Alberta and wanted to bring the fun to the community. The Medstead Barefoot Bonspiel touts its share of celebrity attendance in past years.
Raess noted, “Guy Hemmings and Gerald Shymko, both former Brier curlers, curled with us in past years.”
The grand finale occurred at 7 p.m. April 2, where everyone let loose and completed a round barefoot. After local onlookers and participants finished the regular bonspiel, they gathered and greeted one another with refreshments at the arena in preparation for the cold-footed culmination.
In the final hours of the celebration, a barefoot mini-spiel occurred. Rules were read and every participant pitched in $5. Once started, cold feet wouldn’t get participants out of their commitment to the tradition. All parties threw a rock down the ice with the extra challenge of walking the rock’s path barefooted. The rocks were then thrown back down the ice and the winner of the pot was declared as the person whose rock got closest to the button. This year’s barefoot champion was Brandon Doom of Edam.
With the finale wrapped up, local supporters and participants gathered at the refreshment area above the arena to celebrate an event well done. 2017 boasted younger generations branching out into new teams, with a spirited crowd partaking in the fun tradition. Energetic participation like that seen over the course of this event leaves the Medstead community safe in expecting this renowned event to continue in future years.
