Curling Center Set For Season
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe state's only facility dedicated to the sport of curling is taking another step forward. The Fort Wayne Curling Club has begun installing ice and expects to be ready for its first full season beginning later this month. September 2, 2014
News Release
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Fort Wayne Curling Club announced today that they had begun the process of installing the curling ice at their new dedicated curling facility for the 2014-2015 curling season and the ice is expected to be ready on September 15th.
The New Facility
On January 18, 2014, the Fort Wayne Curling Club opened the only facility dedicated solely to the sport of curling in the state of Indiana (or for 150 miles in any direction for that matter). This facility is located at the site of the old Nickle’s Bakery Thrift Shop and distribution center at 3674 N. Wells St, in the Wells Street Commerce Center next to Quinlan & Fabish and the space formerly occupied by Restore-It. This facility is just 100 yards south of the SportOne/Parkview Icehouse where the club used to curl.
The facility boasts 3 sheets of curling, off-ice viewing in a spacious warm room, and a full bar for its members. The facility provides the clubs and its members with excellent quality ice, plenty of available ice time and environment that is perfect to partake in the curling tradition known as “Broomstacking.”
Broomstacking is the age old curling tradition of socializing with your teammates and opponents after a match (and it is traditional for the winners to buy the first round).
The new facility opened in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics and the club hosted over 20 Learn to Curl sessions allowing nearly 500 people to try out the sport. Of those, over 70 joined the club’s rookie leagues. The club operated until June this year but its season going forward will be September through April.
Participants in the June MixerSpiel intraclub tournament pose in this picture at the Fort Wayne Curling Club
Learn to Curl Sessions
The club will be hosting a number of low cost Learn to Curl events through the rest of the year which will afford people the opportunity to try the Olympic sport of curling in a fun and entertaining. The events cost just $20 per person for 2? hours of fun.
A Learn to Curl session is the ideal way for someone to be gently introduced to the sport of curling. It starts with 30 minutes of off-ice instruction where participants are taught the rules and traditions of the game. This is followed by 2 full hours on the ice where, in the first hour, participants are taught the techniques of delivering and sweeping the stones. In the second hour, participants play a short game against other new curlers.
Ages 10-80 are welcome and no special equipment is needed. The club will provide all necessary equipment and instruction. Participants are asked to carry in a clean pair of sneakers, wear loose fitting pants (jeans are not recommended, sweats, track pants or yoga pants are excellent) and dress in layers. Bringing your sense of humor is also recommended.
The currently scheduled Learn to Curl sessions are as follows:
• Wednesday, September 17, 2014 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
• Wednesday, September 24, 2014 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
• Sunday, September 28, 2014 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm
• Wednesday, October 1, 2014 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
• Sunday, October 19, 2014 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm
• Wednesday, November 5, 2014, 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
• Sunday, November 16, 2014 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm
• Wednesday, December 3, 2014 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
• Sunday, December 14, 2014 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Interested parties can register online for these sessions at www.fortwaynecurling.com
Leagues
The Fort Wayne Curling Club will be running a variety of leagues this upcoming season starting the week of September 28th. The leagues are as follows:
• Sundays – Open League (all participants welcome) – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Mondays – Men’s League – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Tuesdays – Mixed Doubles (one man and one woman on each team) – 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tuesdays – Open League (all participants welcome) – 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Thursdays – Women’s League – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Thursdays – Mixed Doubles (one man and one woman on each team) – 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm
• Fridays – Informal Drop-In League – 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Starting in October, the Fort Wayne Curling Club will hold one or more rookie leagues for people that have completed a Learn to Curl to play in a short 6-week league of 1 hour games against other new curlers. Dates and Times will be determined at a later date.
Tournaments
This season, the Fort Wayne Curling Club will host a variety of tournaments in which members of other curling clubs in the U.S. and Canada will compete. The tournaments, or bonspiels, are:
• The End of Summerspiel – Sept 19-21
• The Mad Anthony Men’s – Oct 31-Nov 2
• The USWCA Open 5 & Under Challenge – Jan 23-25
• The Summit City Open – Mar 13-15
• The Stone Cold Beauties Women’s Spiel – Apr 9-11
The End of Summerspiel event already has registered representatives from the following curling clubs:
• Circle City (Indianapolis) Curling Club
• Bowling Green (OH) Curling Club
• Notre Dame Curling Club
• Kalamazoo Curling Club
• Cincinnati Curling Club
• Detroit Curling Club
• Mayfield (OH) Curling Club
• Columbus Curling Club
• Pittsburgh Curling Club
• Cleveland Skating (and Curling) Club
• Lansing Curling Club
• Midland (MI) Curling Club
• Traverse City Curling Club
In addition to these tournaments, the Fort Wayne Curling Club will be hosting a variety of Challenge Cups and Friendlies with area curling clubs including:
• The semi-annual Hoosier Cup against the Circle City (Indianapolis) Curling Club
• The semi-annual KalaWayne Cup against the Kalamazoo Curling Club
• The Battle of the Black Swamp against the Bowling Green (OH) Curling Club
• The Fort Wayne/Lansing Challenge Cup
• The Fort Wayne/Notre Dame Challenge Cup
• The Fort Wayne/Notre Dame Friendly
For more information visit the club at www.fortwaynecurling.com, call us at 260-739-5182, email us at info@fortwaynecurling.com or stop by the club during one of the leagues, learn to curls or tournaments.
Source: The Fort Wayne Curling Club