It was a full house at the Huntsville Curling Club’s Family Day open curling session

Photos courtesy of the Huntsville Curling Club

It took just one lesson for Keara Peace-Hall to decide that curling is fun. She had watched it on TV at her grandma’s and had never played before, but when the grade five student at VK Greer saw it on the list of winter electives she decided to give it a try. “I signed up because I thought it would be fun and my dad did curling when he was little.”

Volunteers at the club helped the students learn the basics of the game. “It was really fun and when you first did it it was really hard to get your balance but after a while I got it. It was really fun.”

Her favourite part is throwing the rock because it means sliding on the ice. “I’ve always liked skating so I didn’t know how it would be,” says Keara. “When you have a gripper you don’t slide that much but when you have the slider you just slide and it’s really fun. It was really hard to get (the rock) down to the end because you had to do the right angle and the right turning or else it would go to the side and you had to have enough power to push off of the hack to get it to the other house. It was hard but I got it.”

After that first lesson, she insisted that her parents join her at the Huntsville Curling Club’s Family Day weekend open curling session on February 19. “It was really fun – there was a bunch of other families there and we played a short game but we didn’t keep track.” Keara likens curling to a big crokinole game, something she plays at home with her family now and then. And she highly recommends the sport, just make sure you learn how to get your balance.

Keara Peace-Hall (right) with her dad Jeremy

Twenty-three families – more than 80 participants in total – were at the club for the open curling session. “Moms, dads and children were able to experience the Olympic sport of curling while having fun with their family and friends,” said Beth Goodhew, Growth and Technology Director at the Huntsville Curling Club. “We had to set-up a rotation to accommodate the overwhelming response from the community. What a great problem to have!”

Nine volunteers assisted the families with safety, rock delivery and sweeping, and the club provided all of the equipment – participants just had to bring indoor shoes. And there was, of course, hot chocolate to enjoy afterwards.

For more information on the Huntsville Curling Club visit huntsvillecurlingclub.ca.

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