Cashspiel
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A bonspiel is a
curling Curling is a sport in which players slide #Curling stone, stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area that is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take t ...
tournament, consisting of several games, often held on a weekend. Until the 20th century most bonspiels were held outdoors, on a frozen freshwater
loch ''Loch'' ( ) is a word meaning "lake" or "inlet, sea inlet" in Scottish Gaelic, Scottish and Irish Gaelic, subsequently borrowed into English. In Irish contexts, it often appears in the anglicized form "lough". A small loch is sometimes calle ...
. Today almost all bonspiels are held indoors on specially prepared artificial ice.


Bonspiels in North America


Canada

Curling Canada Curling Canada (formerly the Canadian Curling Association (CCA)) is a sanctioning body for the sport of curling in Canada. It is associated with more than a dozen provincial and territorial curling associations across the country, and organizes ...
, formerly known as the Canadian Curling Association, is the national governing body of the sport in Canada. While bonspiels originated in
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, the most notable competitive curling tournament in the world nowadays is the Canadian Men's Curling Championship,
The Brier The Brier ('), known since 2024 as the Montana's Brier for sponsorship reasons, is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada. The Brier has been held since 1927, traditionally during the month of March. The w ...
. For many Canadians, this tournament equals or nearly equals the importance of the Olympics and the
World Curling Championship The World Curling Championships are the annual world championships for curling, organized by the World Curling Federation and contested by national championship teams. There are men's, women's and mixed doubles championships, as well as men's an ...
. The Canadian Women's Curling Championship is called the
Scotties Tournament of Hearts The Scotties Tournament of Hearts ('; commonly referred to as the Scotties) is the annual Canadian women's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada, formerly called the Canadian Curling Association. The winner goes on to represent Can ...
. Several Cashspiels are played in Canada every year, with the most important cashspiels being part of the
World Curling Tour The World Curling Tour (WCT) is a group of curling bonspiels featuring the best male, female, and Doubles curling, mixed doubles curlers in the world. History The World Curling Tour was founded by former World Champion Ed Lukowich, with later ass ...
(WCT). Many local curling clubs and other organizations in Canada also host casual, social bonspiels indoors, and a few are also held outdoors like the Ironman Outdoor Curling Bonspiel in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba.


United States

The
United States Curling Association The United States Curling Association (USCA or USA Curling) is the national governing body of the sport of curling in the United States. The goal of the USCA is to grow the sport of curling in the United States and win medals in competitions bot ...
(USA Curling) is the national governing body of the sport in the United States. Most bonspiels in the United States are held indoors in dedicated curling facilities, but a few bonspiels are held outdoors if the weather allows it. One example of an outdoor bonspiel is the Sawtooth Outdoor Bonspiel held each January in the Sawtooth Mountain Range of Idaho. Bonspiels are popular throughout the United States during curling season, typically October through April. Some special bonspiels are held in the summer as well as some that are hosted by clubs that play on arena ice as there are usually fewer scheduling conflicts with other sports at the area such as hockey and figure skating.


Bonspiels in Europe


Scotland

In Scotland, outdoor bonspiels are now very rare; most lochs that formerly hosted bonspiels, such as
Loch Earn Loch Earn (Scottish Gaelic, ''Loch Eire/Loch Éireann'') is a freshwater loch in the southern highlands of Scotland, in the districts of Perth and Kinross and Stirling. The name is thought to mean "Loch of Scotland", and it has been suggeste ...
, rarely freeze over anymore. The
Loch of Aboyne Loch of Aboyne is a shallow, artificial formed, freshwater loch in Grampian, Scotland. It lies northeast of Aboyne and west-southwest of Aberdeen. An earthen dam was constructed around 1834 to retain the loch. It also served as a reservoir for a ...
was the site of a bonspiel in 1891 and the private railway station, Aboyne Curling Pond was used for the event. The word ''
spiel Internationale Spieltage SPIEL, often called the Essen Game Fair after the city where it is held, is an annual four-day public boardgame trade fair held in October (Thursday to the following Sunday) at the Messe Essen exhibition centre in Essen ...
'' is sometimes used to refer to an informal curling game, as in ''parish spiel''. The most important Cashspiels in Scotland are part of the Curling Champions Tour (CCT) The
Grand Match The Grand Match, also called The Bonspiel, is an outdoor curling tournament, or bonspiel, held most recently on the Lake of Menteith in Stirling (council area), Stirling, Scotland, when the weather is cold enough. Traditionally it is a match bet ...
was last held outdoors in 1979, although it was revived as an indoor tournament in 2000 and has been held every five years since. Between 1853 and 1935 twenty-five 'Grand Matches' or bonspiels were held at the
Royal Caledonian Curling Club The Royal Caledonian Curling Club (RCCC), branded as Scottish Curling is a curling club in Edinburgh, Scotland. It developed the first official rules for the sport, and is the Sport governing body, governing body of curling in Scotland. The RCCC ...
's own pond at Carsebreck Loch in
Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. It is bordered by Highland (council area), Highland and Aberdeenshire to the north, Angus, Scotland, Angus, Dundee, and F ...
served by the society's own private
Carsbreck railway station Carsbreck railway station was a private station opened on the Scottish Central Railway near Carsebreck Loch, the Royal Caledonian Curling pond, between Stirling and Perth for the use of the curlers belonging to the Royal Caledonian Curling Club ...
.


Other European countries

Dozens of bonspiels are held in European countries every year. Switzerland hosts multiple Curling Champions Tour events.


Bonspiels elsewhere


New Zealand

Curling bonspiels are held when ice conditions permit in the
Maniototo The Maniatoto Plain, usually simply known as The Maniatoto, is an elevated inland region in Otago, New Zealand. The region roughly surrounds the upper reaches of the Taieri River and the Manuherikia River. It is bounded by the Kakanui Range to ...
, part of
Central Otago Central Otago is an area located in the inland part of the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The motto for the area is "A World of Difference". The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the Clutha River ...
in the
South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
. The region is one of the few in New Zealand to have conditions suitable for outdoor curling, and is also a fitting site for the sport given that
Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...
's original European settlers were mainly from Scotland. Several artificial and natural lakes around the towns of
Oturehua The township of Oturehua is in the Ida Valley of the Maniototo, in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. The settlement stands at 500 metres above sea level, some 25 kilometres from Ranfurly, to which it is connected by both road ...
,
Naseby Naseby is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 Census was 687. The village is north of Northa ...
and Patearoa provide good conditions, on average every second or third year. The national bonspiel has been held when conditions permit since 1879, with Oturehua's Idaburn Dam the venue since 1932. The most recent national bonspiel, the 66th, was held on 13-14 July 2015. Most New Zealand curling clubs are located in
Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...
,
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
, and Southland, and owing to the difficulty of getting teams to the relatively inaccessible venue, it is rare for teams to travel from outside the southern South Island to the bonspiel. Indoor curling rinks exist in Otago's main centre,
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...
(at the
Dunedin Ice Stadium Dunedin Ice Stadium is an indoor ice sports and public skate centre, that opened in October 2004. It is located in the New Zealand city of Dunedin, in the southern suburb of Saint Kilda. The stadium is owned by Dunedin Ice Sports Inc. and is ...
), and in the towns of Naseby, Otago and Gore, Southland, and also further north in the country's largest city,
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
. Open air ice rinks exist in Naseby and
Alexandra Alexandra () is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (, ). Etymology, Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; genitive, GEN , ; ...
.


List of notable bonspiels

* The largest and oldest indoor bonspiel in the world is the MCA Bonspiel, which is held in and around Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada every January since 1888. * The largest outdoor bonspiel in the world, the "Ironman Outdoor Curling Bonspiel" put on by Ironman Outdoor Curling, has been held at or near The Forks in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, every February since 2002. In 2015 there were 72 teams competing on 6 sheets of ice the on the
Assiniboine River The Assiniboine River ( ; ) is a long river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked ...
in The Forks port, and in 2016 as the bonspiel continued to grow the event was moved over to the larger Red River to make room for 10 sheets of curling ice. In 2020 the event was played outdoors across the street from the
Manitoba Legislative Building The Manitoba Legislative Building (), originally named the Manitoba Parliament Building, is the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, located in central Winnipeg, as well as being the twelfth provincial heritage site of Manitoba.< ...
in Memorial Provincial Park to honor Manitoba's 150th birthday. The annual event then returned to the Red River but at a new location, the Redboine Boat Club, to allow for even more space and teams and continues to hold the event there each year on the first full weekend of February. * One of the longest-running outdoor bonspiels in the world, the Bonspiel on the Lake in
Invermere, British Columbia Invermere is a community in eastern British Columbia, Canada, near the border of Alberta. It is the hub of the Columbia Valley between Golden to the north and Cranbrook to the south. Invermere sits on the northwest shore of Windermere Lake a ...
, Canada, has been held on
Lake Windermere Windermere (historically Winder Mere) is a ribbon lake in Cumbria, England, and part of the Lake District. It is the largest lake in England by length, area, and volume, but considerably smaller than the largest Scottish lochs and Northern Iri ...
every January since 1983. Each year 64 teams compete. * The Sawtooth Outdoor Bonspiel is held in the Sawtooth Mountain Range in Stanley, Idaho every January since 2013. * ''The Bonspiel'' or the
Grand Match The Grand Match, also called The Bonspiel, is an outdoor curling tournament, or bonspiel, held most recently on the Lake of Menteith in Stirling (council area), Stirling, Scotland, when the weather is cold enough. Traditionally it is a match bet ...
, between the north and the south of Scotland, is held on a frozen loch (most recently the
Lake of Menteith Lake of Menteith, also known as Loch Inchmahome (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Innis Mo Cholmaig''), is a loch in Scotland located on the Carse of Stirling (the flood plain of the upper reaches of the rivers River Forth, Forth and River Teith, Teith, u ...
,
Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
) when the winter is cold enough. It was last held outdoors in 1979. * ''The Crush Bonspiel'' in Placer Valley, California, is notorious for its unique combination of curling tournament play and wine festival. This tournament originated in
Vacaville Vacaville is a city located in Solano County, California, United States. It is located from Sacramento, California, Sacramento and from San Francisco, it is on the edge of the Sacramento Valley in Northern California. The city was founded in ...
in 2006 but was moved to Roseville in 2012 because of its rising popularity in surrounding areas. *
The Brier The Brier ('), known since 2024 as the Montana's Brier for sponsorship reasons, is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada. The Brier has been held since 1927, traditionally during the month of March. The w ...
(Men's Senior Championship of the
Canadian Curling Association Curling Canada (formerly the Canadian Curling Association (CCA)) is a sanctioning body for the sport of curling in Canada. It is associated with more than a dozen provincial and territorial curling associations across the country, and organizes ...
) is regarded by most curlers as the world's premier curling championship * The
Tournament of Hearts The Scotties Tournament of Hearts ('; commonly referred to as the Scotties) is the annual Canadian women's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada, formerly called the Canadian Curling Association. The winner goes on to represent Can ...
( Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship) * The Men's World Curling Championship (
Scotch Cup The World Curling Championships are the annual world championships for curling, organized by the World Curling Federation and contested by national championship teams. There are men's, women's and mixed doubles championships, as well as men's an ...
/ Silver Broom) '' WCF WCC'' * The Women's World Curling Championship '' WCC'' * The World Junior Curling Championship (WJCC) '' WCF'' * The
Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...


Cashspiels and carspiels

A cashspiel is a bonspiel played for money, and a carspiel is one played for the prize of an automobile. There are different types of cashspiels, some are small, with prizes in the hundreds of dollars, and others are quite sizeable, with the rewards running into the tens of thousands of dollars.


Etymology

Possibly from Dutch ''bond'' "league, association" + ''spel'' "game".


See also

*
List of English words of Scots origin List of English words of Scots origin is a list of English language words of Scots origin. See also "List of English words of Scottish Gaelic origin", which contains many words which were borrowed via Highland Scots. ;Blackmail:A form of extort ...
*
Castle Semple Loch Castle Semple Loch is a inland freshwater loch at Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, Scotland. Originally part of an Estate (land), estate of the same name, it is now administered by Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park as a List of water sports, watersport ...


Notes


External links

{{Wiktionary
Am Baile - Highland History and Culture - Curling BonspielKeeping the tradition of Grand Match curling alive
Royal Caledonian Curling Club The Royal Caledonian Curling Club (RCCC), branded as Scottish Curling is a curling club in Edinburgh, Scotland. It developed the first official rules for the sport, and is the Sport governing body, governing body of curling in Scotland. The RCCC ...

Bonspiels in the United StatesCurlingcalendar - List of international bonspielsBONSPEIL AT CARSEBRECK POND (1935)
(archive film from the National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE) Curling terminology Scots language *