There are people who love winter — stalwart individuals who revel in cold weather sports and can’t get enough snow.

I’m not one of them, I prefer tabletop version of curling, crokinole is the next best thing to time spent focused on a long swath of ice. At this time of year, I get to focus on a long swath of ice whenever I look at our driveway, so for me, crokinole is actually a better thing. It requires the same visualization, concentration and steady hand as its colder counterpart, but you can play it beside the fire while holding a glass of wine.

Crokinole has been around for well over a century and by many accounts was invented in 1876 in Sebastopol, Ont. it was once one of the most popular games in North America and is now making a resounding comeback as fast-paced people search for slower ways to spend their time.

Best crokinole event in Western Canada – the BC Open Crokinole Championships held this year in Oliver. Saturday March 17 2012.

For information www.oliverrecreation.ca/events call 250 498 4985. For some it still beats sweeping the ice in a cold rink.