The ice was a little bumpy, even slushy at times, but that didn't stop dozens of people from participating in the first annual Bonspiel held outside at the Southport Marina over the weekend. For people who have never slid a large stone over the ice for sport, a bonspiel is a fancy name for a curling tournament.

Dave Nelson, a member of the Capital Curling Club in Bismarck, said he was pleased with the turnout of the event that was held directly behind The Pier restaurant and bar.

"We're definitely enjoying it; that's for sure,"Nelson said as he waited for his turn on Sunday.

Nelson said there were about 12 teams participating in the event. Each team has four members.

The ice was a bit crude because of it being outdoors. The unseasonable warm weather caused some slush to build up on the rink the first two days, resulting in players having to develop a new method of sliding the stone, which was dubbed the "belly flop."

The belly flop is when a person puts his whole body weight into sliding the stone, causing them to flop on the ice after releasing it.

"Yesterday you couldn't throw it hard enough,"Nelson said.

The tournament began on Friday, and by Sunday a handful of teams remained.

The ice wasn't as slushy as as the first few days because the temperature wasn't warm enough to melt the ice on Sunday.

The stones used in the tournament were brought courtesy of the Rushmore Curling Club in Rapid City, S.D.

Stones can be expensive, and the ones brought from South Dakota had already seen some wear.

"You don't want to use the nice rocks out here," said Ron Nankivel, a member of the Rushmore Curling Club.

Nankivel said he has been to Bismarck to curl before, but it was the first time he had curled outside.

Besides experiencing some rough ice, the rink was also about 40 feet shorter than a regulation sized rink.

The conditions didn't seem to bother any of the people playing the game on Sunday.

Annette Kinsala, of Bismarck, said it was her first time playing outside.

"Nothing you learned in the club probably pertains out here, but it's been a lot of fun," she said.

The Bonspiel was one of the events promoted as part of the Bismarck Park and Rec Department's Flurry Fest, which runs Jan. 27 to Feb. 5.

(Reach reporter Tom Rafferty at 223-8482 or tom.rafferty@;bismarcktribune.com.)