Lets go curling!
By Contributor
By Terry Richardson, Nelson Curling Club
From now to the conclusion of the season, Nelson Curling Club rep Terri Richardson is going to inform the public of events and happenings at the Cedar Street facility.
The opening column is focuses on the Junior Curling Club.
The curling season has been underway for a month now at the Nelson Centre and everyone has settled into the fun and excitement of this classic winter sport.
“Sweep”, “hurry hard”, and “swingy ice” can be heard throughout the “sheets” as curlers get caught up in “the shot”.
This is typical curling language and once you get involved in the sport, it is just normal lingo amongst fellow curlers.
Membership recruitment is always a big focus for the NCC and this year has been no exception.
Club offers beginner program
We are happy to say that we have once again offered the new curler program; Learn To Curl League which is offered on Monday evenings. This league runs over eight nights with trained instructors providing technical instruction in delivery, sweeping and strategy in a fun and comfortable learning environment, all while playing a game.
Players are very supportive of one another as they share in each others’ triumphs and challenges. Upon completion, participants are welcome to join other leagues as a team member or a spare.
Little Rockers, Rock!
One of the cutest things to watch is the “Little Rockers” at play. T
his program is offered to children between the ages of five and ten where they are taught the sport in an adaptive fashion, utilizing entertaining exercises, like “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”, “Flock of Geese”, and the always-entertaining “Zoo-keeper”. The focus is to have the children learn basic curling skills in a monitored, safe, fun, and positive environment. These little tykes have so much fun while, at the same time, getting good physical exercise and making new friends. Helmets are mandatory for all children.
What’s a bonspiel . . . an excuse to have fun
“Bonspiel”: Definition: a match or tournament between curling clubs. It has yet to be decided whether this word is of Scottish or German origin, but for curlers, it is “our word”. It is said that the first bonspiel in Canada took place in 1839, so here we are, 174 years later, still “bonspieling”. The longevity of this sport says a lot for how great curling is.
Watch for future articles with reports of how our recent West Kootenay Seniors’ Spiel went and our upcoming “Open Cash Spiel” on November 22/23rd and Ladies Spiel on December 7/8th.
The Curling Centre is open to new registrations for the after Christmas session.
Visit our website at wwwnelsoncurling.com for information regarding leagues and any other details that might interest you.
