Bucks hits the road...It’s summer spiel season.

Zac Gery, Bob Foley, Dave Schmel, and Tim Wood.

Who said curling is a winter sport? Bucks teams have been hitting the road! 

The trail started with team “We drink to forget, so we pay in advance” at the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club’s Golden Gate Bonspiel in Fremont, CA.  The team consisted of skip Zac Gery, former Bucks member Bob Foley, who now resides in Portland and is a member of Evergreen Curling Club, Dave Schmel, and Tim Wood.

The team did well in pool play, finishing tied for best record and placed second after tiebreaks.  Then they rattled off three straight wins to bring home the second event medal!   The final shot was in an extra end (after “strategically” blanking the 8th end) on a impossible draw to the button on heavy ice (the compressor had failed) It was a true team shot with Zac nailing the pin with Dave and Tim pounding it home.  It had the crowd and broadcasters going wild!!!

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Dave Schmel, Lyle Kerrick, Keith “Wiz” Wisbauer, and Barb Murphy with “Minnesota Pete” Alwin and team.

The next away spiel was the Blazin Brooms of Blaine, a big 48 team spiel at the Four Seasons Curling Club.  This spiel had great curlers, many national playdown teams, and Olympians Pete Fenson and John Benton.  Needless to say the competition was stiff.

The team from Bucks consisted of skip Dave Schmel, vice Lyle Kerrick, 2nd Keith “Wiz” Wisbauer, and lead Barb Murphy.  The team was graciously hosted by our occasional guest curler “Minnesota Pete” Alwin and his wife Angie.  They were incredible hosts and have our utmost thanks.  

It wasn’t the easiest go of it, but the team played three good games.  While only winning one, valuable experience and friends were made, in fact one team from Chicago signed up for the Big Buckin Spiel right on the spot!  The biggest irony came in the third game, when we played Pete’s team in a L-Out game.  We jokingly had our bags packed in case we had won!

Now.. the road will move to Pittsburgh where many of our locals will be.  While flying officially under the PCC flag, Bucks Curlers Mark Wheeler (last year’s 6th event winner), “Bad Ian” Alexander, and Nancy GVDH will be fielding teams.  Flying under the Bucks flag will a team consisting of Erica Snarski, Dave Schmel, Matt Schultheis, and special guest from Potomac Spencer Stevens. looking to defend their C Event title from last year.  Neville Island will never be the same!!

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Thanks to "Super Fantastic" Dave Schmel for contributing this post.