KYN: Duluth Curling Club
DULUTH, Minn.–With the winter sports season approaching, not all the action, or ice, is outside.
We caught up with the Duluth Curling Club last week to see what it takes to turn the ice into a curler’s dream.
The Duluth Curling Club has been a staple in the community for decades. It’s been housed at the DECC since 1976 and talented competitors have phased in and out of the facility during their curling careers.
The Duluth Curling Club Presiden, Garrett Bunkowske, “We’ve always kind of had an excellence of high level advanced curling coming out of Duluth as you can see by some of the banners we have hanging there. For curlers around the nation to want to come here and play during our bonspiels or tournaments and stuff like that they want to experience a high level performance ice and see where these champions come from”.
Last week club members and volunteers were on the fresh sheet of ice at the DECC painting those important circles for the stones to glide into. Leading up to this, it was all about flooding the rink for a nice sheet of ice, but not the smooth one a Zamboni lays down for skates, for curling it’s all about the pebbles.
Bunkowske went on to say, “You spray little droplets of water on the ice so it creates this rough surface and that’s what the actual rocks glide on and that’s when you put a spin on the rock or turn, it actually makes it curl”.
If it weren’t for the dedicated members and volunteers, the ice may not have been ready in time for leagues to begin.
Ice Crew Member, Bruce Hill, said, “We have all kinds of volunteers down here today and we’re trying to get as much done as possible. I was always interested in how the ice was made. Most guys here have gone to school for ice making”.
The Curling Club’s next focus was to open up the ice for league play. Many curling matches can be informal and fun, while others can be more competitive.
The club offers game play for everyone, it’s through their competitive leagues that the club has been able to train Olympic athletes.
Bunkowske added, “We do offer, we have in the past, learn to curl sessions open to the community. We typically do that when we first open up the club. We’ll probably be posting some learn to curls for the community to come out and try the sport throughout the season”.
If you or someone you know is interested in trying out curling, you can stop by the Curling Club’s location within the DECC.
Bunkowske said, “Our club is very welcoming, if you find a member they will help bring you down to the club they’ll probably more than grateful to do it”.
In the studio with photojournalist Nathaniel LeCapitaine, Sophie Varner, Fox 21 Local News.
