(by Ryan Cooke)
SUMMERSIDE – It was an all-Maritimes banner presentation, as New Brunswick’s Wayne Tallon and Nova Scotia’s Colleen Pinkney took home the men’s and women’s Canadian Senior Curling Championships at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club.
Colleen Pinkney’s Nova Scotia rink and Wayne Tallon’s New Brunswick rink walk down the centre of the ice during Sunday’s closing ceremonies to accept their gold medals. Ryan Cooke/Journal Pioneer.
Women’s final
Pinkney’s hopes came down to the wire, but she managed to pull off a 7-6 victory over Alberta’s Debbie Santos to win her second national senior championship in five years, both at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club.
In the final end, Pinkney’s crew missed several shots early in the tenth, throwing two stones straight through the house. Santos would stick it to her, planting three stones in the house. Pinkney would battle back, and hit a takeout with her final shot, leaving her yellow and Santos’ red side by side outside the button.
Santos spent the next two minutes deliberating. She could either trust her rock was closer and plant another stone near the button, or try to oust the Nova Scotia yellow without moving her own.
She opted for the latter, but physics were not on her side, as she bumped her own stone further than the yellow, giving Pinkney the win.
Men’s final
Tallon needed only seven eight ends to defeat Ontario’s Howard Rajala 11-3 in a lopsided match which saw the Ontario squad battle through frustration.
Both Pinkney and Tallon will now advance to the 2014 World Senior Curling Championships, which will be held in Europe next year. The exact time and location has not yet been set.