Curlers get their rocks off at gay bonspiel

While the snow and ice melted outside, gay curlers were heating up the Ottawa Curling Club Mar 28-30.

Athletes from Canada’s biggest cities descended on Ottawa for the third year in a row to participate in the Over the Rainbow Bonspiel. Hosted by Rainbow Rockers, the competition attracted stone-throwing gays from Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and hometown teams from Ottawa.

After three days of play, a team from Montreal picked up the top prize. Sylain Bellavance, Stéphane Laforge and Alain Lessard — with the help of Don Bourgeois — bested 31 other teams to take home bragging rights.

Ottawa is home to one of Canada’s fastest growing gay curling scenes, thanks to the Rockers. Now in its seventh year, they play most weekends during the winter at the Ottawa Curling Club on O’Connor St. Registration for the 2008-2009 season is already open.

Canada is one of the world’s curling hotspots. With curling an official sport of the World Outgames in Copenhagen, queer Canadian curlers will have the chance to reach for gold next summer.

Photos by Pat Croteau.