Bonspiel

A bonspiel is a curling tournament, traditionally held outdoors on a frozen freshwater loch. The word comes from the Scots language [http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/getent4.php?query=bonspiel&sset=1&fset=20&printset=20&searchtype] and means "league (or alliance or household) match (or game)".

Bonspiels in Canada

Although Bonspiels originated in Scotland, the most notable tournament in the world nowadays is The Brier, the Canadian Men's Curling Championship. For Canadians, this tournament equals or nearly equals the importance of the Olympics and the World Curling Championship.

Bonspiels in Scotland

In Scotland itself outdoor bonspiels are now very rare: due to climate change most lochs which formerly hosted bonspiels now rarely freeze over, for example Loch Earn. The word "" [http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/getent4.php?query=spiel&sset=1&fset=20&printset=20&searchtype=] (Scots: "game", "match", "competition") is sometimes used on its own to refer to an informal curling game, for example "parish spiel".

Bonspiels elsewhere

New Zealand

Curling bonspiels are held regularly (when ice conditions permit) in the Maniototo, part of Central Otago in the country's South Island. A bonspiel was last held, for the first time in six years, in mid-July, 2007, on Oturehua's Idaburn Dam. The region is one of the few in New Zealand to have conditions suitable for outdoor curling, and is doubly suitable due to Otago's original European settlers mainly being from Scotland. Several artificial and natural lakes around the towns of Naseby and Patearoa provide good conditions, on average every second or third year. There is also an indoor curling rink in Otago's main centre, Dunedin.

United States

The United States Curling Association (USA Curling) is the national governing body of the sport of curling in the United States. Many bonspiels are listed on the USA Curling web page, http://www.usacurl.org/. Most bonspiels in the United States are held indoors in dedicated curling facilities. Bonspiels are popular throughout the United States during curling season, which is typically October through April. Some special bonspiels are even held in the summer.

List of Notable Bonspiels

* "The Bonspiel" or the Grand Match, between the north and the south of Scotland, held on the Lake of Menteith, Perth and Kinross, when the winter is cold enough. It was last held in 1979.
* The Brier (Men's Senior Championship of the Canadian Curling Association). This is regarded by most curlers as the world's premier curling championship
* The Tournament of Hearts (Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship)
* The Men's World Curling Championship (Scotch Cup/Silver Broom) "WCF WCC"
* The Women's World Curling Championship "WCC"
* The World Junior Curling Championship (WJCC) "WCF"
* The Winter Olympics

ee also

*List of English words of Scots origin
*Cashspiel
*Castle Semple Loch

External links

* [http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/item/item_photograph.jsp?item_id=4732 Am Baile - Highland History and Culture - Curling Bonspiel]
* [http://www.royalcaledoniancurlingclub.org/areas/05/prv/eastl/newsletter.cfm Keeping the tradition of Grand Match curling alive] , Royal Caledonian Curling Club
* [http://www.usacurl.org/usacurl//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125&Itemid=46 Bonspiels in the United States]