If you didn’t get enough of curling in 2014 at the Sochi Olympics, then you are in luck—but you may have to drive to Pennsylvania. The Bowling Green Curling Club will be fielding both a men’s and a women’s team in the upcoming Arena National Curling Championships, set for May 10-15, at the Ice Line Arena in West Chester, PA.
“We are very excited to have two teams representing our club at Arena Nationals this year,” said Shannon Orr, club president. “Both teams are highly competitive, and we look forward to a strong showing by all of them.”
The championship games encompass 20 men’s and women’s teams each from around the nation, including other Great Lakes Curling Association teams from arena-based clubs in Lansing, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. Tournament selection was made based on application and lottery. This event was initiated 4 years ago, in recognition that the ice in arena-based clubs poses more challenges than dedicated club ice, and the majority of club growth in the United States is occurring on arena ice. “Arena” ice is shared between hockey, skating, and curling.
“We have a very supportive and encouraging club, and new members are always welcome,” Orr said. “We hope more folks will come and try one of our learn-to- curls.”
Elizabeth Spencer, skip; Angie Jones, vice-skip; Beth Landers, second; Jen Henkel, lead.
Curling dates back to the 16th century, and is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., in part for its accessibility to curlers of all ages and physical abilities. A sport of precision, curling is sometimes referred to as “chess on ice,” and requires a combination of strategy, finesse, teamwork, and camaraderie. Teams must deliver each 40-pound curling stone across more than 100 feet of ice and assure it comes to rest in a specific location. In curling, mere inches can make the difference between loss and success.
“Curling is a great sport,” said Orr. “It is easy to learn, but challenging to master.” Orr said curlers delight in the “thrill of throwing a great rock or hearing your rock crash into another one and knock it out of play.”
Club members traveling to West Chester to compete include Jay Clark of Saline, Michigan; Matthew Smith of Holland, Ohio; and Scott Piroth and Cameron Roehl of Bowling Green, Ohio; for the men’s team. Jen Henkel of Perrysburg, Ohio; Beth Landers of Bowling Green, Ohio; Angie Jones of Sylvania, Ohio; Elizabeth Spencer of Toledo, Ohio, and alternate Jennifer Williams of Norwalk, Ohio; will comprise the women’s team.
The Bowling Green Curling Club was formed in 1968 and has since played continuously at the Bowling Green State University Ice Arena. This fall, the club is moving to its own dedicated ice facility to accommodate growing interest, and will have the full accessibility to allow for offering wheelchair curling. With 4 “sheets” of ice for simultaneous game play, the new curling facility will be the only one in Northwest Ohio and the largest dedicated curling facility in all of Ohio, once it opens its doors. The club will offer beginner instruction for adults and youth programs, and weekly leagues during the October to April season, and will host local tournaments.
Right now, team members are preparing for the upcoming national tournament, and are seeking sponsorships and donations to help defray the costs of the trip as well as toward the new curling center. Details are not yet available on webstreaming of this event, but it is possible that there may be some live or recorded coverage through the United States Curling Association website or one of its partners.
