Over the border: The Norfolk Curling Club hits the ice

NORFOLK, Conn. — The Norfolk Curling Club, located at 70 Golf Drive, recently opened for the season.

It is a nonprofit organization established in 1956 and is operated entirely by volunteers.

The club is offering membership discounts for first year curlers and various members have said that, with a  cozy clubhouse brimming with good-natured competition and camaraderie, learning how to curl could be a good way to get through a long winter.

On Sunday, Nov. 1, the clubhouse was filled with a couple of dozen people, several of whom had never curled before. Others sat behind the glass in the bar, watching the weekend leagues practice out on the ice. 

Martha Rein, whose husband is an instructor, said she had come along today to give moral support to some friends who came to try it out. 

“There are four couples here but only the men are curling,” Rein laughed. 

Eventually a couple of women got out on the ice to try their hand at curling.

Ted Stone, the club’s president, was excited about the new season. 

“This is the first time we’ve have good ice this year,” Stone said. Stone has been involved in this club since 1961, when he got out of the Army.

Stone said he didn’t want to play at first, but his father got him into it. 

“My dad played well into his 80s,” he said.

Club members said that curling is a sport for all ages. For those who prefer not to bend down there is even a stick that hooks onto the stone, an alternate method of casting the 44-pound stone toward the target on the other end of the ice. 

The team with stones closest to the target earns the points for that round, or “end.”

“It’s kind of like bocce,” said one of the curling instructors. 

“I was told not to say that,” laughed one of the newbies.

While the concept may be simple, many of the members agree that curling is much harder than it looks.

“People don’t realize the skill level involved. It’s easy to learn but hard to master,” said one player, who likes curling because it’s relaxing and fun to play with friends, but at the same time quite competitive. 

Jonathan Zwick, who’s been playing for about two and half years, said it was “real easy” to learn. “But to go to the next level is where it gets difficult.” He added that the weekend leagues are usually a little more fun, while the men’s league is a little more competitive.

Everyone was having fun during the curling lesson on Nov. 1.

A woman watching noted that there are so many things you cannot see about curling just watching it on TV, like how the ice isn’t smooth, but has little bumps.

“It’s not bad,” a new curler said. “It’s like going down my driveway in February.”

The instructor explained how the stone curls in the direction of the spin. “The more you sweep, the more you melt the ice,” he said. 

“Is it time for another beer yet?” someone asked.

“All your weight’s on this foot, and this arm, and your trailing leg,” said the instructor, explaining the cast-off technique. “Your trailing leg stays behind you like a rudder. So who wants to try it first?”

Everyone burst out laughing at how simple he made it sound. 

“It’s a leap of faith,” said the instructor.  “You just have to have faith in that foot.”

For more information call the club at 860-542-1100 or go to www.norfolkcurlingclub.org.