Happy Minot Monday! Today I’m sharing one of my favorite winter pastimes with you, curling! Every year around Thanksgiving, the Minot Curling Club kicks off their season. This week starts the annual Minot Curling Open House, where new curlers can come learn the sport and join a team if they like it. So, there is no better time to devote a post to Minot curling than right now!
I Really Want to Be Athletic
If you know me in person, you know that I long to be athletic. In school I tried all the sports. Basketball, volleyball, track, cross country, tennis…Turns out, I’m crummy at all of them. I can’t comprehend plays. My ball throwing is pathetic. My volleyball aim is terrible. In tennis the ball went way too far, way too high, or fell way short, or hit the middle of the net. In track, any field activity I tried was a fiasco. Turns out I can’t run and jump. Or throw. Or sprint.
The only thing I ever excelled at was running. Because running is basically just fast walking. If you run consistently, you will get faster and be able to go farther. It’s science.
Even though I’m pretty awful in the area of sports, I’m an avid trier. As in I’ll join in and try just about anything. Regardless of if it seems dorky, dated, difficult, silly or requires funny clothes or public-use shoes. So when I found our Minot had a curling club I was eager to try it out. But I was fairly confident I’d end up with a broken arm from slipping on the ice.
Curling is my Sport.
When I finally did go curling I was pleasantly surprised. Turns out curling is my sport. I have pretty good balance. There are no plays to memorize. There is no jumping, or throwing. A pro even told me I was a “natural.” Me! I’ve literally never been told that about anything. Ever.
The first time we lived in Minot we didn’t know how to get involved in the curling club. Luckily, a student in our church youth group (we were youth leaders at the time) told us he curled and got us details on playing. Since you might not be as lucky–and I don’t want you to miss your chance to participate–I’m here to give you all the details on giving curling a try.
But first, here are a few reasons I think curling is so great.
Four Good Reasons to Try Curling.
It’s winter in Minot.
Winters in Minot are cold, dark and long. It’s easy to stay at home in stretchy pants and never leave. Every week Derek and I looked forward to curling night. It was one night each week when we knew we’d get out of the house, interact with other people, and do something active. Week by week winter will pass…soon it’ll be spring and you’ll realize you were having fun all winter.
It’s social.
The first time I ever curled an older woman said to me, “Where’s your drink? Part of the beauty of the sport is that your beer will stay cold all night!”
Yes, it’s competitive, but at its heart, the curling club is social. Every lane has drink holders at the end. Soda and beers are available for purchase upstairs (or…if you’re me you’ll BYO hot tea). The vibe is happy. The people are friendly. There’s time to chat…but not so much that things get weird. Curling is a great way to connect with others and meet new friends.
It’s not cutthroat.
Yes, everyone likes to win. But you won’t find aggressive competitiveness here. Even if you aren’t super-athletic, you’ll fit in and be encouraged. The skill level ranges from young and fit to retirees just getting some exercise to experienced players who’ve won at nationals. If I fit into the mix, so will you.
It’s active.
Curling isn’t going to give you the same results as doing a HIIT circuit at the gym, but it will get you moving. Winter in Practically Canada can be a bit stagnant. I walked several miles worth of steps on each curling night. In the dead of winter it always feels good to move, especially when going to parks is out of the question.
How to get involved.
So, you are sold. Now, I’ll give you the details on how to actually start playing.
Go to the Open House
The Minot Curling club hosts an open house at the beginning of each curling season. This is a time to come learn and try out the sport. Experienced players will be on hand to teach you. It’s free. All equipment is provided.
During the open house you can meet other players and sign up for the league, if you like it. You can form your own team or be placed on a team. The folks at the curling club are absolute gems. They’ll help you with all of that.
Even if you decide curling isn’t for you, you should still go and give it a whirl. I mean, seriously…why would you not want to try curling at least once in your life?
Here is a post with details about this year’s Open House. 2019 Open House times are:
- 11/25-Monday@630pm
- 11/26-Tuesday@630pm
- 11/27-Wednesday@630pm
- 12/2-Monday@630pm
- 12/4-Wednesday@630pm
- 12/5-Thursday@630pm
Let’s talk equipment.
Curling doesn’t involve much equipment. And the best news for novices is that the curling club provides nearly everything you need. Everyone playing needs a broom and slider. A slider is a slippery surface that fits over the sole of your shoe. When you throw (slide) a rock down the ice toward the target (house) you’ll need to glide on your front foot. The slider allows you to do just that. A slider is a slippery surface that fits over the sole of your shoe. When you throw (slide) a rock down the ice toward the target (house) you’ll need to glide on your front foot. The slider allows you to do just that.
The club has sliders and brooms for your use. (Club dues go toward maintaining the facility and purchasing equipment.) So no need to buy anything.
What you will need to bring is a CLEAN pair of tennis shoes. Everyone who plays brings shoes and changes before they play. Do NOT wear shoes that you’ve worn outside (or worn outside without a thorough cleaning.) Unlike figure-skating ice which is polished by the zamboni, curling ice is textured. Any tiny debris in the treads of shoes will affect the texture and the ability of rocks to slide on the ice toward the target. If you wear street shoes that scratch up the ice, you’ll be judged pretty harshly.
Dress in warm clothes that allow you to bend and move. I typically wore two layers of yoga-style pants, a long sleeved t-shirt and fleece jacket. You’ll also want a hat and gloves. Games take about an hour and are played in what feels like a giant refrigerator.
Sign up for a league, or don’t.
If you decide you’d like to play consistently you can join the Minot Curling Club and sign up for a league night. Games happen several days each week. You pick which day of the week you’d prefer to play. Your team will play on that night. As the season progresses each league night will have a tournament and a winning team from each night.
If you’d like to play, but decide you can’t commit to playing once a week you can join the club and play as an alternate. It’s unlikely that every team will have every player at every game. Subs and alternates fill in when players cannot attend.
If you love curling, but don’t want to join the Minot Curling Club, you can still take part in public events. Over the course of the season there will be opportunities for the public to play. You can participate in the open house, funspiel (a low-key tournament), and I’ve even heard rumor there will be another “learn-to-curl” night held this year. Follow Minot Curling on Facebook to watch for public events.
Whatever you decide to do, you can never go back to a time when you didn’t know how great curling is. And even if you don’t play, you should totally com watch a public bonspiel (tournament)–just to get in the spirit of things.
Happy Minot Monday!
