WILKIE – The Wilkie Curling Club has seen no signs of slowing down this season, with plenty of action on the ice.
The club has enjoyed a slight increase in memberships and teams this year.
“We feel we are on the right track getting our community members back into the community-ran recreational programs,” said member Joanne Sutherland.
WCC president Joel Mann credits Gerald Gerlinsky and Lloyd Fell for the strong effort to keep curling going in the community.
While the club saw a decline, Fell initiated a stick curling day each Tuesday and Thursday, opening the new program to new and experienced curlers.
The success of the new program enticed Gerlinsky to organize a first for the club, a sturling event. The tournament would include three games and lunch for the participants.
A sturling competition is a two-person-per-team event where the curlers stand and use a delivery stick instead of the traditional squat-in-the-hack method. Six rocks per team during each of the six ends equates to a one-hour game. Use of the delivery stick changes traditional curling to a low-impact event, greatly reducing stress on knees and hips.
The event took place Feb. 7, with a total of 14 teams entered. Many were local, but the club was happy to see a team from Chauvin, Alta. come out for the day.
The club also hosted some free afternoons for those interested in trying the sport along with the Learn to Curl program before the holidays, while Monday night league curling continues.
The annual cash raffle continues to be the main fundraiser. Proceeds of this raffle help the club fund the lease with the town. The club is always happy to see supporters from Wilkie, Unity, Landis and other surrounding communities.
“We are working on getting more and more people back into curling,” said Sutherland.
