It鈥檚 a sport for everyone from the age of eight to 88. A broom and some shoes are all you need, says Hal Hughson, who鈥檚 been a curler since he was 10 years old. No matter the weather, he enjoys hitting the ice in a dry environment multiple times a week. 鈥淚 like curling because I haven鈥檛 perfected it yet,鈥� he explains.
Hughson joined the Howe Sound Curling Club in the 1980s. Now, it鈥檚 the only operational curling club in the Sea to Sky Corridor. He plays for the Seniors League, which recently won their annual tournament against the Gibsons club, by three points. 鈥淲e get to have the bragging rights for this year,鈥� he said, with a chuckle.
This year, the club introduced stick curling for those with decreased mobility. 鈥淲e have seniors who can hardly walk up and down the ice, but they use the stick, and they鈥檙e deadly,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd then we have seniors who get right down the hack and throw rocks like the guys on TV.鈥�
But curling isn鈥檛 just for seniors 鈥� it can be as physically demanding as you want it to be. 鈥淵ou can sweep easy or put your full weight on top of that brush and move as fast as you can,鈥� he says. 鈥淵our recovery time has to be quick.鈥�
Fine-tuning your muscles to push the rock to the right place takes skill. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no such thing as hierarchy in curling. Everybody is out there trying to do the same thing 鈥� get 40 pounds of granite to the right spot,鈥� he says.
The club continues to thrive today despite all the opportunities for outdoor recreation. Membership numbers dipped over the years, but they continue to attract members today, according to Hughson, who loves the social aspect the most.
Back when 麻豆社国产was a smaller town, the club was a meeting place not just to curl but to dance and socialize, he explains.
Eric Andersen began curling as a Grade 8 in Howe Sound Secondary School, which at the time was walking distance from the club. But in the early 鈥�80s, a fire destroyed the wooden rink and it took almost five years for the community to rally and build the current facility.
鈥淥nce you get introduced to the sport you can come back 20 years later and it鈥檚 still imprinted on you,鈥� he says of playing today. 鈥淭he other thing is that I can be curling against 80-year-old competitors and lose.鈥�
Andersen says he鈥檚 an example of the importance of youth and senior programs and points out the community role of the private club. 鈥淚f we lost the curling club, we would lose winter recreation for seniors,鈥� he explains, noting the rink is facing a costly retrofit and high BC Hydro bills.
He encourages finding ways to share the space with other user groups, like roller derby in the summer.
Over the years, demographic influences led to changes in the community: The rink used to be the only ice arena and meeting place for workers in the town like Woodfibre, BC Rail, the hospital, and teachers. 鈥淭hese were communities unto themselves that were engaged in extracurricular sports,鈥� Andersen says. 鈥淎 key change is that large employers have disappeared.鈥�
However, he notes there鈥檚 been substantial continuity with those involved. One of those people is Hilary Fisher, club board member and retired teacher, who moved to 麻豆社国产in 1974. 鈥淏ack then, everybody curled. There was nothing else to do here compared to now,鈥� she says, acknowledging that clubs around the province are struggling today.
At the time, a real cross-section of the community curled and it鈥檚 how she met people outside of teaching. Now, Fisher partners with those new to the game 鈥� the same way she learned years ago.
鈥淲hat was great about it then and still is a really big part of my life, is the social aspect,鈥� she says. 鈥淎fter the game, you always go for a drink with the other team. It鈥檚 mandatory.鈥�
Unlike most other sports, both teams of four sit together after the game. 鈥淔or the most part, the golf club knows on league nights all the tables are set up for eight people,鈥� Fisher says, noting seniors get a long table set up for coffee in the mornings. 鈥淐urling is just something that gets into your blood.鈥�
The season runs from October to March with a variety of options for leagues, lessons, and outside bookings. There are over 200 members, including all leagues; juniors, ladies, mens, mixed, seniors, commercial, and the recent addition of stick curling.
Brenda Sims is the current president of the club and has been curling for over 50 years. 鈥淲e would like to see a lot more people come out and try the sport,鈥� she acknowledges, noting lessons are available with trained instructors for anybody who wants to come out. 鈥淓quipment is provided for them so they can try it without an expense,鈥� she adds.
The social league meets on Friday nights: It鈥檚 open to the public for anyone who wants to learn. The club is seeing more outside bookings with groups such as from Backcountry Brewing, who take the opportunity to get a 45-minute lesson then compete against each other, Sims says.
Sim 鈥� who is on the ice with the seniors on Tuesday and Thursday mornings 鈥� was looking forward to the Masters Mixed Bonspiel Feb. 21 for highly-skilled members over 60 when she spoke to The Chief the week before the event. 鈥淲e have a lot of competitive teams from the Lower Mainland come up for this one-day event,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit of a challenge.鈥�
Curling really is a sport for anybody, Sims notes. 鈥淎ny age group can get involved with curling at any level,鈥� she says. 鈥淓ven if you just wanna have some fun.鈥�
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