Two qualifying positions for provincials are up for grabs as 10 teams gather at the Alberni Valley Curling Club for the men's Island Playdowns, beginning Friday morning.
Neil Dangerfield and Greg Hawkes - both of the Victoria Curling Club, although Hawkes goes under Mike Wood in league play - are the top two seeds who receive an opening bye.
Among the early games is a rematch of Tuesday's VCC men's Select League as Jody Epp tripped up Jay Tuson with a deuce in the final end to come away with a victory.
"I would say there are six to eight teams that have a legitimate shot and there's always a surprise in these events," said Tuson, a veteran of playdowns for some 30 years. "We're not too sure what the ice conditions are going to be like. Typically, Port Alberni is pretty quick, but pretty straight."
But he has had success there, previously qualifying for provincials at the Alberni Valley club.
Tuson, and his rink of third Colin Mantik, second Glen Jackson and lead Ken Tucker, lost the A final to Brent Pierce at last year's provincials in Parksville.
He was also defeated by Jay Peachey in a B-event semi before being eliminated in C by Jay Wakefield of New Westminster.
"It's a grind," Tuson said of the event. "This particular playdown isn't as much of a grind - you have a couple of good games, get a couple of good breaks and you move on. The next round [provincials] is 16 teams playing down to one, that's the real grind."
Dangerfield, Wes Craig, Epp, Hawkes, Jason Montgomery, Jason Clarke and Tuson will all represent the VCC at playdowns. Steve Waatainen of Nanaimo Curling Club, Owen Hayward of the host Alberni club and Cliff Carr-Hilton of the Comox Curling Club round out the field.
Dangerfield, who remained undefeated in the Tuesday league with a steal of two to down Clarke 6-5, is one of the favourites. As is the Hawkes team that features Wood, who played third for Dean Joanisse while representing sa国际传媒 at the 2007 Brier in Hamilton. Wood is also a former World junior champion.
"It's a grind and any two are capable of coming out of there," said Dangerfield, who is joined by third Denis Sutton, second Darren Boden and lead Glen Allen.
"All four of us, from Darren to Glen to Denis and myself, we have to make shots. I think when we do, we're as good as anyone out there."
On the cash circuit, Dangerfield lost the Island Shootout final to Wakefield earlier this year.
At Alberni, one qualifier will be played Sunday at 9 a.m. and the other at 7 p.m. to determine the two who advance to the Canadian Direct Insurance sa国际传媒 men's championship, which is set for Feb. 5-10 in Parksville.
EXTRA ENDS: Pat Sanders of the Juan de Fuca Curling Club recently earned a berth to the sa国际传媒 Scotties.
Sanders won the B-side at last weekend's Women's Open at the North Shore Curling Club with a 4-3 victory over Kirsten Fox of River City. Sanders is joined by third Sarah Wark, second Kim McLandress and lead Simone Brosseau. The sa国际传媒
Scotties is slated for Jan. 14-20 in Cloverdale.
