Registration for the upcoming 2015-16 curling season will take place at the Osoyoos International Curling Club next Tuesday to Thursday evening at the club. Learn to Curl clinics will also be held all three nights. The club’s annual general meeting will take place the following week on Oct. 8. (Keith Lacey photo)
Much like golfers, there are really only two seasons for curling enthusiasts – curling season and the six months when they don’t participate in their favourite sport.
After another long and beautiful South Okanagan summer, hundreds of local curlers have put away their suntan lotion and grabbed their curling brooms in preparation for the 2015-16 season at the Osoyoos International Curling Club.
“We’re ready to rock and roll for another year … excuse me for the pun about curling rocks,” said club president John Katerenchuk.
The annual club registration will take place over three nights next week on Tuesday, Sept. 29, Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Thursday, Oct. 1, beginning at 7 p.m.
“We will have registration all three nights and we’ll also be offering Learn to Curl programs on those same three nights for newcomers who want to get out with certified instructors and learn what the game is all about,” said Katerenchuk. “We will also have open ice time for our usual members, so they can get out and throw a few rocks in preparation for the new season.”
The club’s annual general meeting will take place on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 8 at the club.
The board of directors will be selecting a new president and it’s expected that Katerenchuk will be voted in to continue for a second year as club president.
Once again this year, there will be a men’s league, women’s league, mixed league, senior’s league and junior league.
All of the times and dates for the various leagues are posted on the club’s website.
Play in all leagues is set to begin in early October and continue throughout the winter months and into the early spring, said Katerenchuk.
The schedule for the junior program hasn’t been finalized, but will be once the registration is finished and the board can see how many junior curlers have signed up, said Katerenchuk.
The beginning of a new curling season is always exciting for avid curlers, he said.
“The golfing season is closing down for most of us and many are ready to put away their clubs and pull out their curling gear,” he said. “A lot of people who are avid golfers are avid curlers and most of them are looking forward to playing less golf and getting back on the ice.”
Like in small towns across Canada, the local curling rink is much more than a place to play a game, said Katerenchuk.
“It’s a place where there’s a lot of camaraderie and where good friends are made,” he said. “Curling is a game we all enjoy, but it’s the social part of the sport and the good times that so many people enjoy the most.”
Judging by the number of phone calls and emails, Katerenchuk is expecting the membership numbers to increase for the upcoming season.
There are currently just over 250 members.
“I’m really looking forward to bringing in some new members this year,” he said.
Last year, the club introduced “stick curling”, which was a great success and will continue this winter, he said.
Stick curling is a modified version of the game where rocks are thrown using special “sticks” to guide the rocks down the ice.
There are only two people on each team and the games are only six ends, opposed to four on each team and eight ends in traditional curling.
Stick curling appeals to those who have bad backs and knees and difficulty throwing heavy curling stones out of the hack, he said.
Anyone wishing to join is invited to attend the registration meetings next week. For more information, contact the club at 250-495-7471.
They can also get more information by visiting www.osoyooscurling.com.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
