Kansas City working to rejuvenate curling program
Editor’s note: “Sweeping Palaces” is a new U.S. Curling News feature profiling member clubs across the country. We hope that these profiles will help readers learn more about their fellow curlers and curling clubs in the United States, and that they may also further the sharing of ideas between clubs.
Who: Kansas Curling Club
Address: Ice Midwest, 12140 West 135th St., Overland Park, Kansas
Web site: www.KCcurling.com
Club phone: 913-599-9965 information and message center; 816-523-2345 membership and communications chair
Club contact: club@kccurling.com
History: “We started small with two sheets of ice back in 1985. We were relegated to late night and early morning curling," said William McBride, Kansas City club member. "We stopped curling in 1995 and decided that it was heard enough to get curlers much less ones that would curl at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. We now have a Sunday afternoon/evening timeslots to build our club. As of 2005, we have two sessions and will expand to a third if membership warrants it."
Number of sheets of ice: Four-sheets for play and one sheet for demonstrating curling to new curlers each week they play
Number of members: 46
What is unique about your club? “We were the furthest south outdoor curling rink in the country until we stopped in 1995. Sunrise at the CrownCenter on a Saturday morning was breathtaking," McBride said. "The weather in KC though is unpredictable and for more dependable curling we will be playing indoors and enjoying the same benefits Dallas has achieved. In two years, we have managed to nearly double participation and our ice time and have had a season-ending bonspiel each year with 12 and then 16 teams."
Major events: The club plans to hold one open house in August/September and a bonspiel in April each season.
How often can members curl? Every Sunday afternoon/evening starting in late October and ending in April.
Types of programs: Open curling. The club also will offer an instructional program.