CARSTAIRS - The Carstairs Curling Club is off to a good start with more than 200 members ranging from little rocks (up to nine years old) right up to seniors.
The club has 13 rinks playing in the mixed adult league on Thursday evenings and 10 rinks in both the ladies', which goes Monday evenings, and men's, which goes Tuesday evenings, said Sandra Stone from the club.
"We've already started," said Stone. "We've had our first week of curling already. We are still looking for curlers as some of our teams are curling with only three. We can always use a spare or two. We go right up until March."
Also popular is seniors' curling, which features curling on Monday afternoons with five teams (four players) and sturling (stick curling) with 18 teams (two players) on Wednesday afternoons, she said.
"We also have little rocks (up to nine years old) and junior curling (10 years old and up)," she said. "We also have an Under-18 girls' team, Team Plett, that is competing at many different levels out of the Carstairs rink. They've been to quite a few competitions in Calgary and Airdrie."
The club also runs bonspiels mostly after Christmas for the various groups as well as the Elks, Grannies and year-end spiel at the end of March.
Craig Vatcher, communications director with the club, said the numbers are down about 10 per cent this year.
"It's not a big fluctuation," said Vatcher. "We lost a few of the mixed teams for various reasons: people moved away, work shifts change. We still have a solid roster. The men's and ladies' teams are consistent from the last couple of years at around 10. Sturling is up. Wednesday seniors' is down."
The club also held a learn-to-curl session on Oct. 25 at the club, which Vatcher said was well attended.
"We had 10 brand new curlers come and drop in and it didn't cost them anything," he said. "We had some great instructions from one of our experienced curlers and former coaches. Those people who all came are now curling regularly in our leagues."
Vatcher said the club is looking at hosting more of the learn-to-curl sessions through the fall as well as Friday open mixed curling.
"People can just drop in and play," he said. "Whether it's established teams wanting to practise or people who want to show up and learn or get together with friends. Usually the lounge is open upstairs and there is a DJ on the open Fridays.
"So it becomes a full evening. We try to do those in the fall because after Christmas there are so many bonspiels that pretty much every weekend there is curling on Fridays."
Anyone interested in joining or for more information can check out the club's website at carstairscurlingclub.com.
