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Nugget Column #01 – Tuesday September 22nd, 2015
Nothing says “winter is coming” like the first curling column of the season!
With some of the best summer weather that we can remember, our club was brimming with tennis activity. Knowing that it would take our best effort to persuade people to shift indoors come October, we’ve been working diligently to provide an impressive lineup of activities to share with you.
We are still receiving rave reviews as hosts of the Canadian Mixed Curling Championships last November; the first to have sent a winning team to the World Mixed Curling Championships. Team Canada skipped by Max Kirkpatrick traveled to Berne, Switzerland this month and finished with a 6-2 record after round robin play and lost out in the quarter-finals to Team Russia 8-3. They represented Canada proudly.
The Granite Club is not unaccustomed to exhibiting world-class curling with many of the greatest players of all time having attended a Jamaica Bonspiel or a North Bay Curling Classic (World Curling Tour event held from 1998 – 2003) over the years.
Coming into 2016, we’ll be keeping a deep-seeded reputation alive with the world’s top men’s team looking to defend their Northern Ontario title when they compete in North Bay from February 10th – 14th, 2016.
Team Brad Jacobs, of Sault Ste. Marie, are the reigning Olympic Gold Medalists and will be one of eight team vying for a trip to Ottawa in March for the Tim Horton’s Brier. It would also not be surprising to see the “Ice Man” Al Hackner in the mix but we’ll have to wait to see who else (maybe even a hometown rink) will qualify to provincials as the season progresses.
By now our members have received a mail out package giving you the scoop on improvements for this season (if you haven’t, please contact the office).
Amongst highlights includes a new “trimester” based curling schedule which will see our season be divided into three parts enduring six weeks of league play each.
New curlers will be sure to appreciate the opportunity to “sample” curling without having to commit to a full-season of something they don’t yet know they enjoy. For first time curlers, a 1st trimester membership will allow for unlimited access to leagues and activities including a new Learn to Curl instructional program running Thursday nights.
For returning members, this is your chance to customize a curling experience that fits with your busy lives. Maybe you can only curl once a week in October and November but December and January are opportune and you’ve always wanted to try Doubles Curling (a league running in 2nd Trimester only). In the past this would not have been easy to accommodate, but now the possibilities are vast.
Fans of Skins Curling, Stick Curling and other curling formats will be happy to know such offerings will be available throughout the season. High School league did you say? We’ve got it! Just head over to nbgraniteclub.com to discover more and commit yourself to curling this winter.
Bobby Ray General Manager North Bay Granite Club