Curling has been described as the ‘Roarin’ Game’, with the ‘roar’ coming from the noise of a granite stone as it travels over the ice. The exact origins of the game, however, are unclear, but curling is widely believed to be one of the world’s oldest team sports, perhaps starting in the 1500s.
And now, the City of Sault Ste. Marie is hoping to garnish enough interest to start up a curling league.
This weekend, Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 the Pullar Stadium will be open from 7-10 p.m. to introduce curling to the community and league information/sign-up. Admission is by donation.
Trisha Kiczenski, Recreation Coordinator, is excited about starting up a curling league.
"Curling is huge in other parts of the country and world...including our neighbors to the north and as close as Traverse City. This could be a league possibly travelling to other cities or an intercity/county league. There are quite a few curling arenas nearby. Soo Ontario would be the closest. Others that I know of include Calumet, Midland, Traverse City and Lewiston, Michigan. Curling is one of the world's oldest team sports. Most people are familiar with it because they have seen it in the Olympics. Since curling is most popular in Canada, it makes sense that the sport’s popularity has spread to northern states," Kiczenski said.
"I think that curling is interesting to people because they have seen it but have not had a chance to try it. The stones are not cheap, and for that reason, there aren’t a lot of opportunities for drop-in curling. Curling is a sport that can be played at almost any age, so that adds to its popularity also," continued Kiczenski.
This is something that was brought up to bring more activities to the Pullar Stadium and Sault Ste. Marie itself.
"Curling was first talked about at a public workshop last October while working on the city’s five-year master plan. People expressed an interest in the sport, so the city did a little research and found an opportunity to rent curling stones for the 2022-23 season. We held a couple of public curling events and hosted several high school field trips. We received great feedback, so this year we have two sheets of curling lines in the ice at the Pullar Stadium," Kiczenski said.
Everyone is welcome to come and throw rocks or watch. This weekend will offer some introductory techniques and let participants play around with them.
There will be a sign-up sheet for anyone who may be interested in continuing to curl.
Youth curling will be Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. starting Nov. 9. This is a good opportunity to get school-aged kids involved in after-school recreation at no charge. Adult curling will be on Tuesdays from 8:30-10 p.m. beginning Nov. 7.
Drop-ins are encouraged. Eight people would be enough for a game.
Kiczenski, herself, tried curling for the first time last year in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
"It was a lot of fun to try something totally new. I realized the more time you have to practice the better. It comes down to proper delivery, muscle memory and control. It isn’t too hard to understand the basic aspects of the game. I’ll compare it to bowling. Most people can pick up a bowling ball and throw it down the alley, but getting a strike isn’t as easy as it looks," she said.
"In a similar way, getting the curling stone to land where you want it depends on technique and the amount of force and friction. There is a lot more strategy to the game than I originally realized. I would say the biggest takeaway for me has been how friendly and welcoming everyone has been. It is a growing sport and people that play love to introduce it to new people," Kiczenski added.
It is all about getting people out of the house, into the Pullar, and on the ice.
"This will all come down to the number of people that sign up to curl. The more people we have, the better the chances will be of forming teams. The City is happy to offer curling as a new choice of recreation. It will require community involvement to make it thrive. Curling is a competitive four-man team sport known for its social aspects," she concluded.
Please call 906-259-1554 with any questions.
