Going into this season, local curlers may have witnessed more enthusiasm and growth for the sport in the past but there is also plenty of hope for the future.
The local curling season began with league play at the Sundre Curling Club on Oct. 30 with action from eight seniors' teams and another eight men's teams.
Officials with the roaring game finish the calendar year in Sundre knowing there is a strong base for renewed growth for their sport in the town and surrounding area.
And they can draw on some impressive recent inspiration. Last March, Sundre's Parker Konschuh, the fifth on Team Canada, was in Sweden to help capture the gold medal at the World Junior Curling Championships. A month earlier, his sister Rebecca was a national champion. She was a member of the Red Deer team that won the Canadian Junior Ladies Curling Championships in Napanee, Ont. The squad then went on to earn a sixth- place finish at the World Junior Curling Championships.
Kevin Humphrey, president of the Sundre & District Curling Club, said the organization is also coming off an immensely successful fundraising event. The first Rockin' the Rink supper and dance was held Oct. 13 and thousands of dollars were raised for future operations and capital expenses. The second Rockin' the Rink event is already being planned for next year.
“It was a boost,” said Humphrey. “It got a lot of people to start thinking about playing curling.”
More curlers sweeping the brooms is an ongoing goal for the organization. Humphrey said total membership for the club, including juniors, now sits at about 150. He said the organization could easily accommodate double that figure.
“It's (membership) not what we would like but you can't force people to get off the couch,” said Humphrey, adding interest in the sport at the national or premier level remains high but it has diminished locally. “Twenty or so years ago we had 18 men's teams. We now have eight. We used to have a lot more ladies' and open teams.
“It is kind of a dying sport right now. It's not going into a positive direction,” he added. “I don't know. I guess it is just a different generation.”
But with rising stars like the Konschuh siblings, along with the successful Rockin' the Rink fundraiser, Humphrey has lots of hope for the future of the sport in Sundre.
“I am optimistic this year,” said Humphrey. “We had a better response this year for men's play than last year and the open (leagues) was better too. We have a new executive and they have ideas to get new curlers in the club.”
Meanwhile, this year's local season moves on with seniors' and men's league play on Tuesdays, ladies sweeping the brooms on Wednesday afternoons and 10 teams playing open competition on Thursday nights. The juniors come to club after school on Mondays and Wednesdays to learn the finer points of the sport.
For those who want more information on the club or who want to play the sport, call Humphrey at either 403-638-3161 or 403-556-5529.
