Nigel Easton offered up a simple, succinct answer as to why, and more specifically when, he decided to retire as manager of the 91原创 Curling Club.

鈥淲hen I hit the big 65,鈥� Easton quipped.

Another motivating factor: Easton also wanted to spend more time with his wife Linda, and in anticipation of his final day in April, has scaled back his hours at the Brookswood club as he transitions into retirement.

Over the years, Easton said he put in 鈥渓ong, long hours, seven days a week.鈥�

He gave the club鈥檚 board of directors four years鈥� notice of his decision and is now there between three and four days each week.

鈥淲e鈥檝e hired a replacement, Robyn [Parkes],鈥� Easton said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been in training and this year she鈥檚 basically taken over the whole operation, so she understands the office and accounting work and all that kind of stuff.鈥�

The club 鈥� part of the George Preston Recreation Centre in Brookswood 鈥� opened in 1973 and started out with only four sheets of ice before expanding to six sheets in 1990.

Easton began managing the club in 1999, after seeing a 鈥渉elp wanted鈥� ad in the Vancouver Province.

Before making a move to B.C., Easton lived in Dryden, Ont., where he owned his own retail business and was the president of that community鈥檚 golf and curling club for many years.

鈥淏ack then, it was electronics, movie rentals鈥� I started out in 鈥�69/70 in music, LPs, eight-tracks, selling that,鈥� Easton said. 鈥淚 just evolved as things changed.鈥�

Easton took up curling as an 18-year-old in 1969 but admits wasn鈥檛 initially sold on the sport.

鈥淟iving in northwest Ontario it鈥檚 quite cold and I鈥檇 actually listened to this guy on the train when I came from Montreal and he told me about this game called curling, and I thought it was really stupid,鈥� Easton recalled. 鈥淎 month later, just to make friends and stuff like that, I tried curling, and that was it. I never stopped.鈥�

Easton moved to B.C.鈥檚 South Coast from Dryden (est. pop., 7,617 in 2011, and best known for its pulp mill and being the home of NHL Hall of Fame member Chris Pronger) after his wife took a job in B.C around Christmas 1998.

鈥淚 came out in the spring of 鈥�99,鈥� Easton said. 鈥淢y wife found this ad and said 鈥榶ou should apply for this job,鈥� because I wasn鈥檛 doing anything, and that was it.鈥�

Nearly 17 years later, Easton has helped to grow the club from 520 to 800 members.

Also, the club co-hosted the Continental Cup at the 91原创 Events Centre in 2012, and previous to that, hosted the B.C. men鈥檚 provincials at the GPRC in 2007, not to mention the juvenile provincials and several playdowns through the years.

The B.C. men鈥檚 provincials was a challenge, Easton remembered.

鈥淧robably the biggest difficulty was trying to get sponsors,鈥� he said. 鈥淪even years ago, things were not great financially 鈥� it was a difficult time. It became very challenging to find sponsors but in the end we did. There were some great organizations that stepped up to the plate and it was a success from there.鈥�

Another of the club鈥檚 major successes is its junior program, Easton noted.

To wit: the 91原创 Curling Club/Royal City Curling Club rink of skip Tyler Tardi, third Daniel Wenzek, second Jordan Tardi, lead Nicholas Meister, fifth Sterling Middleton and coach Paul Tardi recently captured the Tim Hortons B.C. junior men鈥檚 curling title, to earn a spot at the 2016 Canadian junior championships.

鈥淵ou are now seeing the Tardi boys representing B.C. and also part of the  Youth Olympics, so representing Canada,鈥� Easton said. 鈥淲e have a very, very successful junior program.鈥�

He鈥檚 also proud of the fact that he helped grow the club financially, from being $20,000 鈥渋n the hole鈥� to having about 鈥�$100,000 in the bank.鈥�

Retiring as manager won鈥檛 keep Easton away from the club.

He curls four times a week and in bonspiels, and plans to continue volunteering at various curling events.

鈥淚 play in the men鈥檚 league as well as the master鈥檚 league, which is 60-plus,鈥� he said.

For Easton, curling鈥檚 appeal is simple: 鈥淚t鈥檚 the activity, great exercise, and the camaraderie I have with my fellow curlers.鈥�

He also enjoys the strategy that comes part and parcel with the sport.

鈥淚t鈥檚 somewhat considered like playing chess because you鈥檙e always trying to think of what the opposition鈥檚 going to do and what you are trying to do,鈥� he said, before adding, 鈥渂ut mostly it鈥檚 the exercise and being around people you enjoy.鈥�