The President's Blog

It is the Curling Off Season but ....

2009-07-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

We are now well into the curling off season. The club’s regular season closed with our annual play downs at the end of the march. This year’s winner was the Pat Popovich rink, also known as the SCB’s ( you will have to ask them what it stands for ), including teammates Christina, Patty & Kelly. Congratulations to all members on a great season.

The other recent curling event was the annual Texas Open Bonspiel ( TOB ) which was held in mid April in Houston. As most of you are aware, originally this was to be held here in Austin, but we had to decline as we were unable to make acceptable arrangements with the local rink operator. Three rinks from our club travelled to Houston for this year’s bonspiel.

Robert Rounding and the Houston Curling Club did a great job with this year’s TOB. The bonspiel draw included 22 rinks. The had to deal with some adverse conditions, as heavy rains on Saturday caused flooding which shut down the rink’s ice plant. They were able to work around these problems, although curling at 2:00 AM posed some interesting challenges. The Gary Newgord rink, with Rob, Kelly & Christina, ended up winning the “B” event. My rink, with Karen & Landon, as well as our San Antonio ringer Kathy, wound up in 4th place in the “A” event.

The Austin contingent also had some good times at the bonspiel. The custom of using the club president’s room as the party site was put to good use. Pat may have started a tradition, with her rendition of “Ten Reasons why curling is better than …” (you will have to ask her if you want to know the remainder of the title ). Next year’s TOB will also be held in Houston. I encourage everyone, no matter your skill level, to consider playing.

At the end of March, the club also had its general membership meeting at Zilker Park. After “rousing” campaigning, I was re-elected ( OK, it was by acclamation ) president, and Dennis Dunn was elected vice president for the 2009 / 2010 season. Since then, we have had 2 board meetings, and the following will be the executive and committee coordinators for this season:
Secretary: Christina
Treasurer: Landon
Competition: Rob
Membership: Pat
Special Events: Uly
Communications: Michelle
Front Desk & Logo Shop: Darlene
Feel free to contact any of us if you have questions, concerns, suggestions, etc.

Plans for the new season are well under way. Our play will continue to be on Sunday mornings, from 9:30 AM to 11:45 AM. Season startup events include:
Sept. 13 – Intermediate Curling Education session
Sept. 20 – Learn to Curl for new members
Sept. 27 – Regular Season start
Watch your email for more information as we get closer to September.

The major challenge facing the club this season is to grow our membership. When we moved to the new Chaparral Ice facility last season, our hourly rates increased, so each session now costs $450.00. Last season, we had only 6 rinks in our regular draw, and ended up loosing about $1000 on ice fees ( i.e.: we paid out more than we took in ). With 4 sets of rocks, we could easily accommodate more curlers each Sunday. This would help so that we could break even on the cost of the ice.

The major factor this year is the Winter Olympics, which will be held in Vancouver, BC in February. As some of you are aware, it was after the last Olympics in 2006 that a group formed in Austin to form the Lone Star Curling Club. With extensive television coverage of curling, we should see a surge in the interest in curling. The club plans on probably two open house sessions during and after the Olympics. This should help to recruit new members. We also plan on working with the local media to help generate interest for the club. So pass the word along. It would be great to have more people join our group.

2009-02-13T04:07:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe but the end of the 2008 / 2009 curling season is in sight. Our regular season will wrap up at the end of March. The current plans are for a “playdown” during the first 3 sessions of March to determine a club champion rink. March 29 will feature a special curling event, modeled on our Weirdspiel that was held in December. Watch your email for details as the plans are finalized.

We will hold our annual membership meeting in April. At this time, we will also hold elections for President, Vice President and board members for the 2009 / 2010 season. I would like to thank all of the club’s executive board members for their time and efforts this season.
Bob will have an election sign up sheet at his table each Sunday curling session, so I encourage anyone who is interested in becoming more involved with the club to stand for election. You can participate in an executive position, such as treasurer, secretary, membership, communications and special events, or as a board member at large. It involves meetings once per month ( we try to jazz them up and not make them into “bored” meetings ), plus some extra time if you join a committee.

As you may be aware, 2010 is an Olympic year. In fact, the Winter Olympics open in Vancouver, British Columbia almost exactly one year from now. With good television coverage, curling should have some excellent exposure. A critical objective for next year’s board is to coordinate local publicity for curling. We should also hold open house sessions to introduce people to curling, and help to grow our membership. It promises to be an exciting year.
I also wanted to make sure everyone was aware of the Texas Open Bonspiel. As most of you have heard, due to difficulties in arrangements with Chaparral Ice, the board decided to decline holding the 2009 TOB in Austin. The Houston Curling Club volunteered to host this year’s bonspiel on April 17 to 19 at the Space City Ice Station. I encourage everyone to show their support for our neighboring club by submitting entries – check our web site for the entry form. The entry fee is $350 per rink. If you would like to play but don’t have a rink, Bob has a sign up sheet, and we will help to form rinks.

As is traditional at bonspiels, our club president ( aka me ) will have the “party” room for this weekend. All attendees are encouraged to stop by to regal us with tales of your games, lively conversation, food ( don’t expect anything too fancy ) as well as traditional curling refreshments.

Welcome to 2008 / 2009 Season

2008-09-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it is the start of the new curling season ??!! Our first league games are this Sunday, from 9:30 AM to 11:45 AM. As in prior years, the games are held at the Chaparral Ice facility at the Northcross Mall.

We are welcoming back many members returning from the past two seasons. This season our membership includes 9 new curlers, with 5 of those persons signed up for regular league play. Welcome to all.

For those of you who did not curl late last spring, we are now in the new ice facility. We now have rings, hog lines, T-lines and center lines on the ice. I know that some of you may be nostalgic for the magic marker circles and “orange cone” hog lines, but the permanent ice markings will enhance our play, and dramatically reduce the setup time for the ice.

Another change is the game fees. Chaparral Ice increased the cost from last season’s $300 per session to $400 per session this year. If you pay on a per game basis, the new fee is $22.00 per game. We will also accept half and full season payments, where the rate is $18.00 per game.

With the reduced ice setup time, I think we should be able to have 8 end games each Sunday. However, to do this, we will need everyone’s cooperation. This will include:

• Please arrive at the rink around 9:00 AM to help with ice setup. The sooner we can get all the rocks on the ice, the sooner they will be cooler for play.

• Be ready to start the game at 9:30 AM.

• Target 15 minutes to complete each end.

• When it is your turn to shoot and while your opponent’s rock is sliding down the ice, get your rock ready and be in the hack. As soon as your opponent’s rock has stopped, you should be ready to throw your shot.

• If you are sweeping, once your rock stops, quickly move to the side of the sheet to allow your opponent to shoot. Be aware that others are trying to shoot and keep to the side of the ice, so as to not delay the game.

I think if we hustle and follow these guidelines, we should be able to complete 8 ends for every game. Note that we must have the rocks off the ice by 11:45 AM so that they can Zamboni the ice.

In the next few weeks, we will be installing a large freezer to store and cool our rocks. In the meantime, we will have to use the old method of moving the rocks onto the ice just before our games. Please bear with us, as the freezer will be an excellent enhancement.

This season, we also have a formal list of club spares. These people have paid club memberships, and should be the persons to contact if you need a sub. The use of spares gives people who want to curl occasionally a chance to play. Work with us to ensure we have full rinks for each game.

My motto for this season is “Have Fun”!!! I marvel at how well our curling club continues to thrive. As always, feel free to email or see me if you have any questions, suggestions or concerns. See you on the Ice !!!

2008-09-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Its September and a New Curling Season !!

2008-09-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that it is already September, and fall is here. And if it’s September, that means it’s the start of our third curling season!! The board has been meeting over the summer, and working hard on the upcoming season.

September has a several events planned to kick off the season. On Sunday, September 7, from 9:30 AM to 11:45 AM, we will hold an Intermediate Curling education session. This is a chance to work with experienced club members to upgrade your curling skills and address curling problems or questions you have.

On Saturday, September 13, from 4:15 PM to 6:15, we will hold our beginning of season Open House. This is the time to introduce the sport to new people, and to recruit new members to our club. We will need lots of volunteer assistance with event. Kelly is coordinating the open house, so please let her know how you can assist. This is the event to publicize our club, so tell friends, relatives and people you know who have expressed an interest in curling.

On Sunday, September 21, from 9:30 AM to 11:45 AM, we will hold a Learn to Curl session. This will be designed for new curlers, providing instructions on the basics of delivery, sweeping and strategy. This will be a great opportunity for persons from the Open House to get a more in depth introduction to curling. Kelly will also be coordinating this session. Again, anyone can attend this learn to curl session, so tell friends and acquaintances.

Our regular season starts on Sunday, September 28. Games will be held from 9:30 AM to 11:45 AM.

Now is also the time to start renewing your membership in the club. The membership for a year will be $50.00 per person, the same fee as last season. The membership fee funds club operations, pays for insurance, new equipment, etc. Pat, our membership chairwoman, will have membership sheets and waivers at each session, and you can pay your membership at this time. You can also send your membership and payment directly to Pat.

The game fees will change this year. Chaparral Ice has increased their fees for Sunday curling from $150 to $200 per hour. Consequently, we will be increasing the per game fees to $22.00 per person.

One additional option for game fees this year will be a prepayment option. If you pay in advance for a half or entire season, the game fee will be $18.00 per person. This will pay your fees for all games during the season. However, there will be no refunds if you are unable to attend a game. The fee for the first half of the season is $198 per person ( 11 sessions ), and the full season is $414 per person ( 23 sessions ).

For this season’s regular curling, the club will accept entries in multiple ways, including:

Rinks – you can enter a rink of 4 persons who will play together during the entire season

Groups – 2 or 3 persons who want to play together during the entire season. The club will assign you with other members to complete your rink

Individuals – i.e.: we will place you on a rink.

Sub – i.e.: you only want to curl occasionally.

So if you want to curl with friends, this year you will be able to do that.

This year we will have a formal list of substitutes. If you know you will not be able to attend a session, you can contact and arrange a sub for your rink. This helps the club pay for the ice with more persons playing, and gives more people a chance to curl.

Another innovation planned for this year is aimed at parity between rinks in our league. We are not yet large enough to have multiple draws where rinks of similar skills can be matched. Our competition committee chairman ( aka: Tim ) is working on a handicap system that we will use for this season. Watch for more details on this as we approach the start of the season.

One of our problem areas the past two seasons has been keeping our rocks cool. As some of you are aware, rocks that are not chilled melt into the ice, resulting in having to throw very heavy weight. At the old rink location, we tried to handle this by placing the rocks on the ice the night before curling. Besides often causing ice to form on the running surface, it also caused major indentations in the ice surface. At the new ice, Chaparral has asked us not to place the rocks on the ice before our games. Over the summer, the July skills competition became very difficult due to warm temperature of the rocks.

Tim has arranged with Chaparral to install a freezer for our rock storage. The freezer installation is planned for later this month, and should allow us to have “cool rocks” for our games. We will make use of a freezer that Chaparral had stored at one of their other locations. The club will pay for installation, and be responsible for electricity and repair costs. I think we will find that the expense is well worth it.

Regarding ice equipment, over the summer Bill & Justin repaired some of the hacks that had been damaged. The club has also acquired 20 more sliders for general use, as some of our older sliders have worn out. Prior to the TOB, we will be looking to acquire a measuring stick.

One of the areas I would like to address this season is the length of our games. Over the past two seasons, we have averaged 6 end games. I think this has can be attributed to the late start of games. Part of this was the time needed to complete the ice preparation. Consequently, we usually only started games around 10:00 AM.

This season, now that the rings and lines are already present in the ice, preparation time will be reduced. As well, with the use of a freezer, the rocks should not require work to remove ice on the running surface. Now if everyone can just adjust their arrival times to around 9:00 AM and help with ice preparation, we should be able to start our games at 9:30 AM. This allows 2 ¼ hours of curling time. If players can hustle a bit during our games, completing each end in 15 minutes, we should be able to have 8 end games.

As mentioned in a previous blog, we are investigating the possibility of a weekday evening league, on a once per month basis. Chaparral Ice has not been all that receptive to the idea. They want to rent ice out on a regular, weekly basis. However, if evening ice time is available, we may be able to rent it occasionally. Watch emails for more details on this.

A note on the Texas Open Bonspiel. We have been negotiating with Chaparral Ice on this event, especially over the cost for ice time. The bonspiel has tentatively been scheduled for the 2009 Memorial Day weekend. We hope to finalize negotiations this month. Once complete, we will hold a bonspiel organizational meeting, so watch for the emails. This event will require a major team effort, so volunteer assistance from everyone will be needed. I am confident our club can make this the best TOB ever.

In preparation for this, we are considering a mini-league after our regular season ends after March/2009. This mini-league would allow play and practice in April & May with your TOB rink. Again, plans are tentative, so watch your email.

We look forward to another season of curling. As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, ideas, complaints ( please be gentle ), good jokes, or anything else you want to pass along, feel free to send them to me at president@lonestarcurlingclub.org. I look forward to seeing everyone again at our events this month! Good Curling !!!

Intermediate Curling Education Session

2008-08-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hard as it is to believe, September is almost here, and with it the start of the 2008/2009 curling season for the Lone Star Curling Club. Can you believe that our club is embarking on its third season !!!

As part of this season’s startup, we are going to hold an intermediate curling education session. This will be held on Sunday, Sept. 7, from 9:30 AM to 11:45 AM at the Northcross Mall ice facility. This will be a chance to reconnect with everyone, and to brush up on your curling skills.

A number of our experienced ( and in a few cases older ) members have volunteered to help with the training. This session is designed for people who have some experience with curling, and are interested in upgrading their curling skills or addressing curling problems they have found.
The training will be organized into centers, including:

Delivery
Sweeping
House strategy

You will be able to rotate through any or all of the centers during the session, as they will be fairly informal.

To help us prepare for this education, we would like know the areas where you need coaching. Examples could include:

I am having trouble consistently hitting the broom
How can I get more weight on my shots
I keep falling over when I slide out
I have trouble keeping up with the rock & sweeping
How can I determine the best turn to call for a shot

Please let me know by email ( president@lonestarcurlingclub.org ) if you plan to attend, and what areas are of interest to you.

The cost for the session will be $20.00 per curler. Please plan on arriving around 9:00 AM to help with the ice setup.

We look forward to seeing everyone there.