Manitoba curlers invade Saskatchewan for 1st annual funspiel in Moosomin

The Manitoba Funspiel hit Moosomin with quirky outfits and playful awards for curlers aged 18 to 75. Fruzsina De Cloedt reports.

A group of Manitoba curlers held a fun-filled bonspiel in Moosomin, Sask., over the recent long weekend.

The cheerful invaders had a simple goal: Have as much fun as possible while enjoying some curling.

“Everybody puts on a fun team name, and then they put on costumes according to their theme name, and then we give everybody nicknames,” explained organizer Melissa Duncan. “It’s just fun.”

They call the event a “funspiel,” a spin on the curling term “bonspiel.”

“Curling is something that you can transform into other things. Just like bowling transformed into glow bowling and stuff like that,” Ryan Duncan, another organizer added. “Curling can do the exact same thing.”

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The Manitobans’ addition to the sport was fun, making the event an attractive one.

“This year we had sixty [people], we had 14 teams. We have curlers and non-curlers. Some people just want to come and hang out, and we do fundraising throughout,” Duncan explained.

There’s a reason why participants traveled great distances for the funspiel.

“We take them far away from our city so they don’t have an excuse to go home at night, and it just keeps the party going,” she said.

Ever since the first funspiel 30 years ago, the group had been going to Minnesota.

This year marked the first time they took the event to Moosomin.

“But with tensions and stuff, we just weren’t going to get enough people to be able to come out to it,” she explained.

The president of the Moosomin Curling Club, Angela Throne, told CTV News she’d received an email from Ryan Duncan, asking to bring the event to Throne’s club.

“I brought it to the board, and they were all like, ‘Why not? Why wouldn’t we try it?’” Throne said. “They are so really glad that we did this. It’s super fun.”

Throne told CTV News that while her club hosts a variety of bonspiels, it’s hard to get local involved.

“People are busy and kids are busy with sports,” she reasoned. “But hopefully this will perk some interest.”

The funspiel is definitely a different experience. Though, some pledged never to return.

Travis Graham told CTV News he is retiring after the ugly loss he suffered this year.

“Thanks for everything, everyone, I’m retiring.” he proclaimed amid ovation from other participants on Monday. “Because I lost to my two daughters and my favorite uncle, who’s not my favorite uncle anymore.”

The organizers recognize that their funspiel is gaining recognition, and hope to work in partnership with curling clubs and associations.

“We’re starting to see funspiels all over the greater Winnipeg area, branching out even further,” Ryan Duncan said. “That’s our hope as well for Saskatchewan. We want to be able to grow the game more.”