On October 18, I had my first dinner of the season at the BCC and I also curled my first game. One of them was amazing! The chili, rye bread toast and salad prepared by Ron, was delicious! We won’t talk about the curling or the aches and pains. If you haven’t already, plan on having dinner at the club. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
The annual Sticks and Stones was held on October 7 and was a great success by all accounts. Even the weather cooperated. Thanks to Rob Taylor for organizing this event.
On October 28 we celebrated 140 years of curling in Barrie with the 140/150 Anniversary Challenge. It was a fun-filled day enjoyed by 18 teams and many guests. Winners of the first draw were Peter Lamers, Dorothy Lamers, Karen Brandon and Terry Petherick . Winners of the second draw were Jeff and Sharon Flanagan joined by Bruce and Anne Arthur. Team Canada took the prize in the Canada 150 vs BCC 140 event by a close score of 233.75 to 229.25. We even had a surprise visit from our MPP, Anne Hogarth who congratulated the club on reaching such an amazing milestone. Thanks to the many people who helped out on this event.
I hope you are all off to a great start with your curling season and I hope to see you on the ice (or at the bar).
Dave Horie
President
Barrie Curling Club
OUTDOOR CURLING - VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
You’ve heard about it and always wanted to try curling outdoors on natural ice. You’re about to get your chance because the BCC will conduct a curling activity as part of the Barrie Winterfest on Feb 3rd & 4th on the Duck Pond in Heritage Park. More details about the curling will follow, but for now we’re seeking some helpers to prepare the ice. The work involves shovelling snow, flooding the surface with a hose and marking the surface with rings and lines. Ross Wuerth is leading our efforts and he’s planning the work to be done according to this general timeline:
January 12th (initial snow clearing);
January 25th through 31st (main preparation phase);
February 1st through 4th (routine maintenance for matches, including snow removal & flooding).
If you would like to join the work crew for any or all of these dates, please contact Ross at: Cell 416-562-5088 or email: wuerth1995@rogers.com
HELMETS SOUGHT
In order for the BCC to participate in the Winterfest event with outdoor curling, our insurance company requires that all novice or beginner participants wear a helmet. We will invite members of the Public to come try the sport on the Duck Pond, and we will need to offer them a helmet for their protection. If you have a helmet (general purpose or hockey without mask or bicycle or snow boarding helmet) that you could loan for period of January 27 to February 4, please contact Ross Wuerth at: Cell 416-562-5088 or email: wuerth1995@rogers.com.
BONSPIELS & EVENTS
Our club events provide the greatest contribution to the Club's Fundraising efforts. This year's fundraising will go toward our BCC Capital Fundraiser which includes putting money away for a future new ice surface.
November 25, 2017 - Christmas Bazaar
Convenor: Michele Craig
This year's theme is the BCC Village Market. Come visit "Baker Street" to get your holiday baking in done 10 minutes or check off those last few items on your list. There will be baked goods, spa/wellness products, home decor, jewelry, crafts, dips and sauces, and much more. Vendor spaces and shopping are both open to the public.
December 9, 2017 - Wes Jones Turkey Spiel
Convenors: Martha Tersigni & Mark Degeer
A fun day where half the participants take home a turkey. This one fills up fast. Jitney bonspiel includes two 6-end games and lunch.
December 31, 2017 - New Year's Eve Celebration
Convenors: Lee Anne Widawski & Dave Horie
Enjoy a casual evening with family, friends, and fellow curlers. Enjoy a game of curling, a light dinner, dancing, and champagne to ring in the New Year.
January 13, 2018 - Men's Bonspiel
Convenor: Chris Hauschild
Introduced in 2012, highlights include three 6-end games, lunch, dinner, and a huge prize table. The bonspiel is open to all clubs and we'd love to have you there to join in on the fun.
February 24, 2018 - Pelee Island Wine Spiel
Convenors: Chris Hauschild & Gord Smith
Curlers play two 6-end games in this jitney style bonspiel where wine is the prize! Popular with new curlers from the Learn to Curl and Development leagues.
March 3, 2018 - Beef & Beer (formerly Steak & Suds)
Convenor: Christine Pearson
Having run for over 19 years, this is one of our most popular events and fills up quickly. Three 6-end games with lunch, a roast-beef dinner, and dancing to end the night.
March 7, 2018 - Harry Armstrong Memorial Bonspiel
Convenor: Bill Brown
This one-day spiel for senior Men includes a great day of curling with two 8-end games with lunch, dinner, and prizes.
March 24 -25, 2018 - Women's Snowbird Spiel
Convenor: Women's Section
Two full days of curling with many teams from other clubs. Three 8-end games, great meals, costume contest, and a dance. Great for all women to join in on the fun.
Are you a Plumber? Electrician? Contractor? Engineer? Painter? Roofer? Mechanic? Etc. If so, WE WANT YOU!
From time to time the BCC comes across situations where some guidance is needed as it pertains to property or infrastructure issues or upgrades. Having a "local expert" we can call upon to offer suggestions, to help converse with prospective contractors, and assist in developing Request for Proposals is our objective. By compiling a list of volunteers that we can reach out to when necessary will help ensure the Club is being maintained in the highest standard. For more information on what we are asking and to put your name on the list please contact John Foster.
ALL PROFITS GO TOWARD CAPITAL FUNDRAISING PROJECT FOR THE NEW ICEPAD.
Support your club in style with these easy to wear, comfortable jackets stylized with the BCC logo and your name if you choose. A limited quantity of hats are available for sale now at the club. Order forms, sizing charts, and colour options are available in the Managers Office. Get your order in before November 13, 2017.
The Little Rocks and Juniors are well underway once again this year with the Little Rock curlers under the direction of Coaches Nicole Seguin-Galbraith and Jason Kinnear and the Junior Program being headed by Coach Mark Lee. We started the year at over 70 curlers between the 2 programs (slightly more than the end of last year) and even though we had vacancies of the few curlers who did not return from last season we were able to add new applicants to the lists for the 2017/2018 season.
This year both programs are launching newer and slightly modified programs to more fully meet the needs of our young curlers. This will better prepare them for the ever evolving game that we play. On the Little Rock side of things, training of the newest and least experiences curlers will be by Nicole and her team of coaches while the more experienced curlers will graduate to the newly created advanced level of the Little Rocks being coached by Jason and his coaches. The Juniors this year will experience the challenge of Doubles curling, which is designed to promote team play between two teammates as well as the finesse game with more emphasis on draws, line call and the importance of sweeping.
Last season our curlers were invited to Collingwood and Coldwater to participate in a FUNspiel at those clubs and this year we will hopefully be able to reciprocate by inviting young curlers from around the area to a similar event. Also, for the more competitive curlers we are planning a competition day at the Barrie Club that we anticipate will showcase some of the best young curlers our region has to offer.
Our youth curling programs were fortunate enough last season to be the recipients of a number of gently used curling shoes, gloves and mitts donated by our thoughtful members. We had put out the request to our members in a newsletter and you responded. As you can imagine, with our young athletes growing into and out of clothing and footwear at a rapid rate we had a large number on thankful parents utilize these donations. Once again this year, if you have purchased a new pair of curling shoes to start off the year or if you still have gently used shoes taking up space around home, our programs will gladly accept these donations for use by our young athletes. The articles can be left with Gord in the office or placed in the Board Room where we will gladly redistribute them to our curlers. Thank you.
Once again this year you will see a number of our Junior curlers taking part in the evening adult leagues as spares and regular players. This is where our Juniors gain much need curling experience at the next level. We appreciate your patience and the positive interaction you have displayed with our Juniors in the past.
The Barrie Curling Club Christmas Bazaar on November 25 will once again have a Little Rock/Junior handcraft and baked goods table with all proceeds from the sales going directly to our programs. Our members helped make last year a great success for us and we hope to see everyone again this year.
NO KNEES, PLEASE!
Or hands, or elbows or butts. Beyond the best efforts of the ice technician to prepare the curling ice and maintain it in top playing condition, we still face the odd wayward rock that departs its intended path like a loose cannon. Just when you lined up the perfect shot, that sure-fire game-winner that will make you the hero of the night, and as you anticipate those rewarding high-fives for a draw to the button around a tight guard or a triple take-out, your hopes are crushed, dreams shattered and misery sets in when you witness your rock take a sudden, whiplash-like nose dive for the sidelines. What the…! How could that happen…to me? You threw it perfectly, so it obviously wasn’t your fault you missed that shot. In times like that, curlers might be quick to find blame. Perhaps the ice technician didn’t pebble the ice properly in that spot. Perhaps the rock “picked”, running over debris such as straw, brush hair, dirt, lint or…whatever.
Given that almost nobody uses straw brooms or horsehair brushes anymore, and that BCC has instituted a no-shoes in the lounge policy, it’s unlikely you’re going to find debris on our ice. Your rock probably did not “pick” on debris. It likely ran over somebody’s knee print or handprint, which can cause it to suddenly change direction (by thirty or forty degrees), decelerate, increase or decrease turn or even change turn.
Curlers themselves can perhaps be blamed for this calamity because they damage the ice with their body parts resting on the ice. That damage may have been caused during the game underway, or maybe it was during a previous game several hours ago or even a day ago. “Divots”, or “puddles” as some call them, can sometimes require up to three scraping and resurfacing sessions to repair. Once the ice is damaged in this manner, divots can affect game play for multiple matches.
So why is this happening? Sometimes, following release of the curling rock following delivery, a curler might rest a knee or hand or forearm or even a butt on the ice while she or he watches their rock travel towards the far end. You will typically find such damage spots near the Hog Line, where most curlers terminate their delivery slide. Alternatively, a Skip who kneels on the ice while calling the line also damages the ice. The warmth of the curler’s body part – even if wearing gloves – will melt the ice and leave permanent damage to the surface. Pebble will melt and “flatten out”, or even disappear entirely. The melted ice will form small puddles that refreeze almost instantaneously, leaving a concave lens-shaped depression. The World Curling Federation (WCF) and Canadian Curling Association (CCA) have carried out scientific study on the impact of human body contact with curling ice and determined that stationary contact (remaining in one place) for a period of three seconds or more will render damage. Meanwhile, they also found that body contact while moving, as in while sliding, has negligible impact.
In recent years, there has been controversy at major curling events with some very high-level athletes blaming others for ruining their game. Competitive curlers aspiring to provincial or national championships should note that in 2010 the WCF imposed a new rule in an effort to discourage curlers from resting on and damaging the ice. The rule states that, “No player shall cause damage to the ice surface by means of equipment, hand prints, or body prints”. Offending players will first receive an official on-ice warning, and after subsequent offence may be ejected from the match.
All curlers, at all levels of play from Club to professional, should be mindful of ever resting any body part on the ice. We all must realize that we are damaging our own ice and possibly affecting everyone’s enjoyment of the game. Therefore, immediately following release of the rock, please get your hands and knees and butts off the ice, and; Skips and Vices should never rest or kneel on the ice when calling the line. If you see other curlers admiring their shots from their knees, first compliment them on making such a fine shot but do remind them to please stand up.
