Cowichan curling legend Wes Craig has done it again. Just as his team did two years ago, Craig and his rink have claimed another 2024 BC Masters Men’s Curling Championship title.
This year’s event was held Feb. 21-25 at the Cranbrook Curling Club.
Craig, the skip, along with third Ron Schmidt, second Tony Anslow, and lead Victor Gamble, dominated their competition, losing only once — a 6-5 squeaker to the Dave Karbashewski rink — in the seven-team round robin.
“That last game didn’t matter because we had already clinched first so we were sort of coasting at that point,” Craig admitted after the event.
Ranked first overall, Craig’s crew advanced straight to the finals, where they faced Kelowna’s Steve Wright, and Craig’s group won 8-5.
“It’s been a good run,” said the skip. “I never expect to win but I’ve been supported by good teams.”
It was the first of two provincial title runs for the prolific curler as Craig is now preparing for the 2024 BC Senior Men’s Curling Championships March 19-24 at the Penticton Curling Club.
His team will be different than the group he just won the Masters title with, but they’ve curled together at high-level events before.
Joining their skip for the 2024 BC Seniors event are third Normand Coté, second Keith Clarke, and lead Ron Schmidt.
In 2022, Craig, Clarke, Craig Burton and Steve Waatainen won the BC Seniors Men’s title. Craig, Clarke, Burton and Coté went on to win the event again in 2023.
To claim their third-straight provincial senior men’s curling gold, however, the Craig rink will once again have to get by Steve Wright, as his rink is also competing at the event.
Following that event, Craig’s Masters rink will gear up for Canadian Masters Curling Championships from April 7-13 in Saguenay, Quebec. W