THUNDER BAY – Northern Ontario curling history will be made at the Fort William Curling Club later this winter.
The first provincial two-person stick curling championship is taking place at the eight-sheet facility from March 6-10.
“I made a proposal to the Northern Ontario Curling Association in the summer and I think they were already talking about doing this kind of event,” said Dave Kawahara, chair of the provincial host committee.
“They wanted a reputable club, which the Fort William Curling Club is, to host an event like this. When we brought the proposal to them, they were all for it.”
Thunder Bay enjoys a strong stick curling scene. The Fort William Curling Club has two draws on Wednesday nights, while the Port Arthur Curling Centre has a league on Friday nights.
“I know that here at Fort William, our league has been full for the last four years, even with the (COVID-19) pandemic,” Kawahara said. “So that’s been good to see.”
Two-person stick curling is somewhat similar to floor shuffleboard, as players use a stick to deliver a rock instead of a traditional curling slide.
There is also no sweeping of the rock as you would see in a four-person game or in mixed doubles.
Kawahara, 78, started using a stick around a decade ago and said there are a few things a player has to get used to when making the switch.
“One of the advantages that I find and that other stick curlers find is that you can put a lot of weight on your hits, as in regular curling you have to be a pretty good balanced slider to throw a lot of upweight shots,” Kawahara said.
“Draws are a little bit of a different story though. You have to get the feel of it when you are using the stick and then it is just like any other sport where you are back into the groove of things.”
Stick curling is considered an ideal sport for seniors and also players with bad knees or bad backs since it allows them to continue playing.
Kawahara said it’s very important for stick curling to grow, especially as the population ages.
“Many curlers are dropping out, whether it’s for mobility and safety reasons, and this gives them an opportunity to stay involved,” Kawahara said.
“It’s more than the curling though. It’s about the socialization and the camaraderie that you get out of the sport. That’s one of the things that I enjoy about it, especially at my age.”
Registration for the 32-team event is on NOCA’s website. The deadline for tandems to answer is at noon EST on Feb. 9.
For more information on the provincials, call the Fort William Curling Club at (807) 622-5377.
