If last week's Canada Cup in Cranbrook only whetted your appetite for competitive curling, there's a big opportunity to see more at the Kimberley Curling Club this weekend.

The Kimberley Curling Club will be hosting the best men's teams from the East and West Kootenays this weekend, with the finals on Sunday and Monday.

The ultimate prize is of course earning the right to represent B.C. at the grand-daddy of all bonspiels, The Brier. To get to the Brier you must win your province and the road to the Provincial playdowns in Parksville begins in Kimberley for nine teams.

Two spots to the provincials are available, and Steve Tersmette from the Kimberley Curling Club says it's a quality field.

"Tom Buchy's team has represented the area well in numerous trips to the Provincial Championships but is still looking to punch their ticket to their first Brier. Buchy is joined by Elkford's Ken Mchargue, Dave Toffolo of Kimberley and Darren Will of Fernie. Tom and Dave have represented B.C. on two occasions at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship."

Tersmette himself has joined a few other high profile curlers to create a bit of Kootenay super-rink skipped by two-time Brier competitor Tom Shypitka from Cranbrook.

Tersmette says Shypitka took a brief retirement from the roaring game but it didn't take. Shypitka has joined up with Tersmette an Josh Firman and Greg Terrill of Creston for another run at the provincial title.

"I played with Josh and Greg last year," Tersmette said. "When Tom found out we had playdowns in Kimberley, he decided to give it another run."

As for the team's chances, Tersmette likes them.

"I know we've got four guys who can really throw rocks," he said. But there are nine good teams and I wouldn't be surprised to see some upsets. I think it's the strongest field the regionals have seen in recent years."

Shypitka has been to the Brier twice; the first time in 1991 and more recently in 2010 with Jeff Richard's Kelowna rink.

Also competing is Fred Thomson from Nelson, another former provincial winner.

Rounding out the field are Doug Bothamley from Creston, Ron Buchy from Creston, Rob Ferguson from Trail, Brent Pihowich from Nelson, Kevin Marks from Grand Forks and Myron Nichol of Castlegar.

The first draw is this Friday evening at 7 p.m. Draws run through the weekend (9 a.m., 2 p.m., 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) with the 'A' Final being played Sunday evening at 7 p.m., 'B' Semi-Final Monday morning at 9 a.m. and the 'B' Final Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. Admission is always free and spectators are more than welcome to come enjoy the games at the Kimberley Curling Club.