Today was Team Martin's first bonspiel as a team and the first for michy, tricky, and chip. It was two games of 8 ends each in a skins format at High Park Curling Club. In skins, each end is called a skin with an alotted point value. Ends 1-3 are worth 1 point each, 4-6 are 2 points each, and ends 7-8 are 3 points each. To win the skin, you need to score at least 2 points with the hammer or at least steal 1 point without the hammer. All other outcomes and the points are carried-over to the next end. The team with the highest total points wins.

Icky drew sheet 1 and a date against the only female team to win the event in its 31 year history and the defending champions. We got off to a slow start. The team never found their draw wight and icky missed a plethora of shots himself. Our opponents got two points in the first end for the skin and then stole points in each of the next 5 ends to take a 9-0 lead with 6 points left in the last two skins. Team martin finally gets on the board with some nice hits to cut the defecit to 9-3. In the final end, the defending champions had a rock in the 4-foot and a bunch of guards, Icky, without the hammer, attempts a long raise that had the perfect weight to also sit in the 4-foot and be shot. It was quite a shot. Then, the opposing skip with last rock tries a long raise takeout for her two points and the skin, but is way wide. But they got so lucky that it was wide and went around the guard they were trying to raise and into the rings, just curling enough at the end to nudge their rock from the 4-foot to the button and garner a caryover. This meant a draw to the button by the skips. Icky wins the toss and decides to throw first. THe shot was executed brilliantly, perfect sweeping weight, but we didn't sweep enough at then end, and came up fully in the 4-foot. It was still a great shot, but it could have easily made it on the bottom. Then the oppising skip threw her draw. She was a bit heavy, and they didn't sweep at all down the ice, but as it entered the house, it slowed enough to sit on the button and win the final 3 point skin. Great shot. They beat us 12-3.

In game two, the teams play in accordance to points scored in game 1, so we being 7th in points played the team 8th (last) in points. They (Team Rick Storey) only managed 2 points in game one. We manage a better start this time, with a hit and stick for the first skin. They respond with a skin of their own. Then end 3 was carried-over when icky was light on his draw. End four was also carried-over. In end 5, Team Storey was able to steal for 3 skins and 5 points. But team martin responds with the skin in end 6 to close the gap to 6-3. Then team martin without hammer steals the skin in end 7 to tie it at 6. Then in end 8, team martin kept protecting one rock which was nicely buried in the top 4-foot. All rick had was a difficult and long angle raise to force a carryover, but he missed. Team martin steals the last skin for a 9-6 win.

Interestingly enough, the defending champs went on to the 1-2 ranking game and lost every skin. They ended up with just the 12 points they had after the game against us. Another team in the second game also won every skin. In the end, we finished in a tie for 4th with 12 points. Then we had a fantastic dinner with chicken parmesean and all the fixings. Then every player got prizes, though top 2 teams got first dibs at the prize table. Michy and chip ended up splitting a $25 gift certificate from a company which makes decorative peices and tricky and I took a cap filled with toblerone, a nice pen, and golf balls. All in all, at $25 a person, I think we got a great deal in what was a very fun and friendly bonspiel.