The axiom "age is just a number" works both ways.

Fourteen-year-old Tyler Tardi from Langley along with his teammate Dezaray Hawes, 16, from Royal City proved that to be true at the B.C. mixed doubles curling championships.

The youngest team taking part in the bonspiel at the North Shore Curling Club, and the only juvenile team (under-16) participating, Tardi and Hawes took the B.C. title, and in doing so, earned a trip to the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials being held March 14-17 in Leduc, Alta.

The pair was one of two junior teams to make the quarter-finals.

After beating Ernie Daniels and his daughter Sarah (youngest curler at the event at 13) from the Delta Curling Club, Tardi and Hawes went on to defeat the Kerri Miller/Edward Blumke tandem representing the Langley Curling Club in the final.

For Tardi, also a member of the Langley Curling Club, this marked his third trip to a provincial bonspiel and first time at the B.C. doubles competition - in fact, this marked the first year this event has ever been held.

"It's always fun to win a provincials," he said.

In 2012, Tardi and his teammates won the B.C. juvenile men's title. Team Tardi also curled to a silver medal at the 2013 B.C. junior men's championships Jan. 1-6 in Coquitlam, losing to Langley skip Tyler Klymchuk's rink in the final.

Doubles curling is unfamiliar territory for Tardi, a skip who doesn't normally handle a broom.

"I'm not used to sweeping so it was a bit of a challenge," he said.

Adding to this challenge was the fact that this was the first time Tardi and Hawes had teamed together.

"He has his strengths and I have mine, and together it turned out pretty good," Hawes said.

Looking ahead to the nationals, they know they have their work cut out for them.

"We'll play our best and see what happens," Tardi said.

"Our goal is to get out of our pool and make it to the playoffs," Hawes added.

HIGHPOINT AWARDS

Member clubs with the Optimist junior Interclub Curling League had plenty to celebrate Sunday at the Hog Rock Cafe above the Langley Curling Club.

During the league's afternoon Highpoint banquet and awards ceremony, the following champions were acknowledged:

Grand aggregate winner:

Team Vukich (Jake Vukich, Evan McAuley, Luc Violette, and Kyle Lorvick with coach Tom Violette) from Seattle.

Banner (overall league) winner: Team Vukich (Jake Vukich, Evan McAuley, Luc Violette, and Kyle Lorvick with coach Tom Violette) .

A Block winner: Team Vukich (Jake Vukich, Evan McAuley, Luc Violette, and Kyle.

B Block winner: Team Carpenter (Brayden Carpenter, Tyler Proctor, Matthew Chan, and Breyden Chong with coaches Len Chong and Roger Chan) from the Royal City Curling Club.

C Block winner: Team Kuiper (Justin Fox, Joren Kuiper, Steven Mey, and Forest Sun with coach Al Smith) from the Peace Arch Curling Club.

Highpoint Construction once again sponsored the league. To date the company has provided the league with $9,000 in sponsorship funding.

The league included 12 teams and this year it included the following champions:

. Team Vukich (Jake Vukich, Evan McAuley, Luc Violette, and Nick Connolly) from Seattle - Washington State junior men's champions and U.S. junior men's silver medalists.

. Team Sweet (Blake Sweet and Kyle Lorvick) from Seattle - Washington State junior men's runner ups.

. Team Tardi (Tyler Tardi, Jordan Tardi, Nicholas Meister, and Zachary Umbach) from Langley - B.C. junior men's silver medalists.

. Team Habkirk (Kyle Habkirk, Nicholas Umbach, Ryan Harbrink, and Kento Sato) from Coquitlam - B.C. junior men's bronze medalists who are headed to the juvenile provincials in March.

. Team Jensen (Shawna Jensen, Sarah Daniels, Katie Sim, and Megan Daniels) from Richmond - B.C. junior women's bronze medalists.

. Sarah and Ernie Daniels - B.C. mixed doubles bronze medalists.

. Dezaray Hawes and Tyler Tardi - B.C. mixed doubles champions.

Off to the high school provincials: . Sarah and Megan Daniels - representing Seaquam Secondary (Delta).

. Tyler Tardi, Jordan Tardi, and Rhett Hildenbrandt - representing Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary (Surrey).

. Kyle Habkirk, Nicholas Umbach, Zachary Umbach, Kento Sato, and Ryan Harbrink - from Centennial Secondary (Coquitlam).

. Matt Chan - representing David Thompson Secondary (Vancouver). Going to the juvenile provincials in Prince George:

. Team Daniels - Sarah and Megan Daniels

. Team Habkirk - Kyle Habkirk, Nicholas Umbach, Kento Sato, and Ryan Harbrink

. Team Carpenter - Brayden Carpenter, Tyler Proctor, Matthew Chan, and Breyden Chong

. Team Hawes - Dezaray Hawes Going to the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials

. Dezaray Hawes and Tyler Tardi

From March 27-31, the Langley and Cloverdale curling clubs will be hosting the Optimist International U18 bonspiel, expected to attract 24 teams from Canada, the U.S., and Japan.

tlandreville@langleyadvance.com