Hello!
We hope you all had a great holiday season, and we are excited to start curling in 2023!
Last call to sign up for winter league
Winter league starts next week, Jan. 17, and we have a few openings left if you want to get in! Deadline is Wednesday, Jan. 11.
Winter leage will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 17 to March 21 (with two byes scheduled, bad weather make-up day of March 28).
There may be slight changes and byes dependent on registration numbers.
Sign up for this weekend's friendly at Portage
Please join us this weekend, Saturday, January 14th for a friendly with Curling Club of Rochester at Portage Curling Club in Portage, WI. The cost is $10 a person for 2-3 short games on dedicated ice from around noon to 6 p.m. Sign up here
Friendlies are a chance for club members to go to a one-day event at a nearby club. It’s a time to enjoy a day of curling on dedicated ice and to make new friends.
These events are open to everyone, from beginner to advanced curler, and typically consists of two to three short games, each followed by broomstacking. You can sign up as a team or as an individual and we will form a team for you. Host clubs usually have basic sliders, stabilizers and brooms to borrow if you do not have your own, but check with a Cedar Rapids Curling officer if you have concerns.
Update on outdoor curling at Walker Homstead
Due to Iowa's crazy warmer winter weather, the ice keeps melting away at Walker Homestead outside Iowa City. We are going to have to take each week as it comes and hope for some good solid days of cold weather.
The hope is to be every Sunday in January and February. A “learn to curl” session will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. with the Cedar Rapids Curling Club to understand the basics and the game. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., we will take reservations for an hour time slot for up to eight people to play on their own. No fee will be required but donations for the club are recommended. They are also open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for delicious food, wine, and cocktails inside the barn.
Two to four volunteers are needed for two shifts to help teach people to curl and monitor the games and answer questions. Please sign up in hopes of some cooler weather.
Club grippers available for use
The Cedar Rapids Curling Board recently approved the purchase of a number of grippers to be available for people who do not have appropriate footwear while curling.
We anticipate these to mostly be used by people who attend Learn to Curls or Instructional League. However, members who are considering purchasing their own or buying shoes and would like to try them out are free to do so. You'll find them on the big cart with other equipment. There will be a clipboard in which you'll need to sign out a pair and sign them back in after play.
FREE bonspiel for 5-and-unders
The Midwest Curling Association hosts several bonspiels throughout the year that are FREE for Cedar Rapids Curling members. These are great opportunities to play on dedicated ice.
The MCA 5-and-under bonspiel will be March 18-19 at Exmoor Country Club in Chicago. This event is open to curlers who have played less than five full seasons. The 2020-2021 season is considered a freebie, so curlers who started in Fall 2017 or later are eligible.
If you're looking for team members, throw a thread on the Cedar Rapids CC Virtual Warm Room Facebook group page or chat with people at league!
Play to represent MCA at Mixed National Championships
The MCA Mixed Playdowns will be hosted at Chicago Curling Club from March 10-12, 2023. Registration is open until Feb. 10, 2023, via MyUSACurling.com, and the winners will represent the Midwest Curling Association at the 2023 Mixed National Championships, scheduled for April 12-16, 2023 at Denver Curling Club in Colorado.
If you're looking for team members, throw a thread on the Cedar Rapids CC Virtual Warm Room Facebook group page or chat with people at league!
Play to represent MCA at Arena National Championships
The MCA Arena National Playdowns will be help May 13-14 in Cedar Rapids. The winners will represent the Midwest Curling Association at the 2023 Arena National Championships in November (dates and location TBA).
At the same time, we will be hosting a casual, fun bonspiel with our fellow MCA arena clubs, St. Louis and Des Moines.
Stay tuned for registration details. If you're looking for team members for either event, throw a thread on the Cedar Rapids CC Virtual Warm Room Facebook group page or chat with people at league!
Join us for broomstacking
One aspect of curling that is a large part of the sport is broomstacking. For those of you who may be newer, broomstacking is simply enjoying the company of your opponents after the game, usually with a cold beverage (but not required).
There are a number of Cedar Rapids Curling members who go to the Union Station on 16th Avenue (2 minutes from the arena) after league every week for food and drink.
We'd love to have some new faces join us and be able to get to know everyone better!
Congratulations to our fall league winners
Congratulations to the winning team of our fall league: Julia, Austin, Charles Carroll, and Cale Tesch. You had an awesome season! We can't wait to see everyone next week for the start of another fantastic league!
Cedar Rapids Curling on the road
It's that time of year that curlers hit the road, and Cedar Rapids Curling members are busy! We like to brag about our members, so please send team photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Steve Foster, Beth Hinson, Dori Hinson, and Cale Tesch kicked off the new year curling Jan 6-8 in the Stein Spiel at Rice Lake Curling Club.