Photo Pauline Orpwood
Photo Pauline Orpwood. These players are using the new style of curling broom with very thin sweeping surfaces which are lightweight and covered with synthetic fabric, allowing the player to exert more force on the ice and better control the stone’s path by momentarily melting the ice and reducing friction.
Members of the Peterborough Curling Club have been participating in the great sport of curling since 1876. Located at 2195 Lansdowne St. West, the club boasts more than 500 members ages eight to 91.
The club is a welcoming, inclusive place for anyone interested in the sport, whether they are experienced players or are new to the sport. It offers a sociable, physical activity to keep people active and socially connected during the long winter months. With equipment such as sticks to help “throw” the rocks, it is an accessible sport offering some cardio work during the sweeping activity that help direct the rocks to their target locations.
For the uninitiated, the sport involves players sliding stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. Two teams of four players each, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones or “rocks” across the ice towards a circular target marked on the ice. Each player throws two stones, with the objective of landing them closest to the centre of the target at the conclusion of each end, when both teams have thrown all of their stones. A game usually consists of eight or ten turns called “ends”. The concept is similar to shuffleboard, and like that sport players can continue to play well into their senior years, but it is not as easy as it looks. Because it takes place on ice, curling builds balance and core strength. The rocks weigh more than 19 kilograms so lifting and throwing them builds strength, while sweeping to guide travelling rocks provides a cardio workout.
Action at Peterborough Curling Club takes place on six sheets of professionally maintained ice. The facility also has a welcoming lounge and a large banquet hall. There are more than a dozen leagues for players of all ages and abilities, some operating during the day and others during the evenings. Some leagues are for snowbirds and operate for only a portion of the season. Students from five local high schools are members of a new league operating after school, building the next generation of club members.
League members play once a week for the season which begins right after Thanksgiving and runs until the end of March. There are opportunities for additional games through Bonspiels which occur throughout the season and provide the opportunity to compete against different players who may be members of another club.
Those who are unfamiliar with the sport are invited to participate in the club’s popular Adult Learn to Curl (LTC) program as well as a junior version. There are weekday and weekend designed to introduce new members to the sport. Participants receive quality instruction in a fun, relaxed, atmosphere supported by a pool of knowledgeable, supportive and welcoming instructors. Equipment is provided with the registration fee. The Sunday program is open to participants of all abilities including those in wheelchairs. No walkers are allowed on the ice for safety reasons. The first 10 weeks involves a mix of classroom training and on-ice practice covering all aspects of the game from delivery and brushing to communication and strategy. The remaining 11 weeks is devoted to game play and strategy with individuals forming teams and playing a series of games against fellow LTC participants.
Registration occurs on-line and opens on August 19th for returning members and September 1st for Learn to Curl and new members. In the past eight seasons the demand has been enthusiastic so it is recommended to register early to avoid disappointment.
To learn more or to register, visit www.peterboroughcurlingclub.ca. KG