THUNDER BAY – As the country’s top female curling rinks compete at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts at the Fort William Gardens in two months time, an initiative will be taking place that will hopefully lead to future curling stars from the Lakehead.
The Port Arthur Curling Centre will be hosting Girls Rock, a free event for girls between the ages of nine and 16 that are interesting in trying curling, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.
“It’s a really fun opportunity to introduce curling to girls of all backgrounds in a safe, fun and inclusive environment,” said Nicole Westlund Stewart, who is the coordinator for the event.
“It’s geared towards people who’ve never tried curling before. People might be a little bit nervous or unsure when they first try curling, but we provide instructions from how to get in the hack, how to throw rocks and then we build everything up towards playing a short game. No experience is necessary.”
This will mark the fourth year that Girls Rock has taken place in Thunder Bay, but it will be the main national location for the event in 2025 to coincide with the Scotties.
Thunder Bay was to have hosted the initial Girls Rock event, which is an initiative that’s put on through Curling Canada, in January 2022 during the Tournament of Hearts, but it was pushed back for two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Westlund Stewart attended the Girls Rock event that was based around the Scotties in Calgary last year and said that there was a waiting list of more than 100 people that wanted to take to the ice.
“The girls were so excited and it was such a fun environment,” Westlund Stewart said. “The energy level of the curling club was amazing to see.”
The event will see local and national female curlers and coaches teaching the sport to the young participants.
Cori Morris, who won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics with Cheryl Bernard’s rink, will be the special guest coach.
“Cori’s going to bring her silver medal for the girls to see and take pictures with,” Westlund Stewart said. “I’m very excited that she’s going to be able to come here and share her experience.”
Registration for Girls Rock is being accepted until Jan. 15 and can be done on Curling Canada’s website.
No special equipment is required, except for helmets for girls under the age of 12.
Helmets are also recommended for others who are not familiar with being on curling ice.
Warm, stretchy clothes and a clean pair of running shoes are also recommended.
