Story and cover photo by Stewart A. McFerran
The Traverse City Curling Club will host an open house, 11:30 a.m.‒3 p.m., Jan. 28 and 29, at its new curling center located at 1712 S. Garfield Ave. in Traverse City.
Don Piche learned about curling eight years ago and was able to find and bring together other enthusiastic curlers to establish a club. They practiced at Traverse City’s Centre Ice rink, after painting targets on the ice at each end of the rink and lugging the heavy curling stones across the “hog line.”
Don dreamed of having a curling home for the club. So did the other 380 members of the TC Curling Club who supported this new project.
The 42-pound stones used by curlers were mined on the isle of Ailsa Craig and manufactured in Ayrshire, Scotland. Stones like that were never sold in the aisles of K-mart at the Cherryland Mall, where shoppers once roamed in Traverse City. These granite rocks will slide down the long sheets of ice newly installed at the former K-mart. Propelled by curlers who grip the handles, and their teams that sweep a path toward the “house” for a score, the stones will be the focus of activity at the new center.
Five “sheets” of ice will greet curlers in the TC Curling Center. During my recent visit to the center with Don Piche, there was lots of activity. But no one was wearing the special shoes needed to grip the ice on the “hack,” the raised footholds curlers use to propel themselves and their rocks forward. Instead, work boots were the footwear of choice of electricians and carpenters who were putting finishing touches on the 28,000-square-foot facility.
The sport of curling is unique among sports in that anyone can play, and teams are co-ed, Piche explained. He said he especially enjoys curling because it fosters a unique esprit de corps among people of all ages. Piche is proud that the American curling team had performed so well in the recent Winter Olympics. He said he expects that his club will host Olympic-level competitions in the future. A “bonspiel” is scheduled to take place at the new TC Curling Center in April. Bonspiel is a Dutch word that means “a good fight,” according to Piche.
For curling competition to take place, care must be taken to prepare the surface of the ice. No Zamboni will be used on the sheets of ice where the stones slide. Instead, a large blade is kept very cold and is drawn across the surface of the ice.
All four curlers on each team are careful to keep their special shoes clean. Any bit of sand or grit on the ice will bring the stone to a grinding halt. Team members “sweep” the ice to speed the stone’s travel on a preferred trajectory. There is much furious sweeping as the stones move toward the “house,” large circular targets on the ice at each end of the sheet. The house is where stones come to rest and scores are achieved.
Complex strategy is employed to place the stones on the center of the bullseye. After the stone is released at the hog line, the curler must stop. However, the other three team members continue with the slow-moving stone and guide it with broom sweeps until it comes to rest. Opposing teams frequently knock their opponent’s stones off scoring positions attained in the house. The outcome of each match often comes down to the last stone weaving a path, with the help of sweepers, to slowly come to rest on the red circle.
After victory, or defeat, beer will be available in the lounge, with views of the hack, hog line and house. Video cameras above the action will show stones jostling for position as loungers choose their beverages and cheer on their teams.
Piche said curling is the fastest-growing winter sport in the country. Indeed, opportunities to learn to curl (see below) are available at the West Shore Community Ice Arena in Scottville and on a miniature (half) sheet with a small group of your choosing at Stormcloud Brewing in Frankfort. There are other places to curl within a couple hours’ drive or so of Manistee or Ludington. Maple City, northwest of Traverse City, and Lewiston, east of Gaylord, each has two sheets. The Midland Curling Club has four sheets.
Where to curl
Ludington Area Curling Club, West Shore Community Ice Arena, West Shore Community College, 3000 Stiles Rd., Scottville. www.westshorecia.com. Phone: 231-843-9712. Lessons currently offered at the ice arena. See Calendar.
Stormcloud Brewing Private Group Curling Lessons, Stormcloud Brewing, 303 Main St., Frankfort. www.stormcloudbrewing.com/private-curling. Phone: 231-352-0118. Group lessons by appointment only.
Traverse City Curling Club, TC Curling Center, 1712 S. Garfield Ave., Traverse City. https://tccurling.org. Follow them on Facebook @tccurling. https://tccurling.org Email: info@tccurling.org. Phone: 231-412-7748.
Leelanau Curling Club, Broomstack Kitchen & Taphouse, 172 W. Burdickville Rd., Maple City. http://eatdrinkcurl.com Email: curling@eatdrinkcurl.com. Phone: 231-631-6763
Lewiston Curling Club, 4230 Co. Rd. 612, Lewiston. www.lewistoncurlingclub.com Phone: 989-786-3888. Lessons offered.
Midland Curling Club 2009 S. Jefferson Ave. Midland. http://midlandcurls.org club@midlandcurls.org. 832-793-2212
Stewart A. McFerran has always enjoyed sport. He has skied, canoed, sailed and reported on snurfing, swimming and more swimming, pickleball and disc golf. McFerran recently learned about curling and says he has yet to approach the hot line with a stone but hopes to in the near future.
