With green and gold still around us, the Innisfail Curling Club's thoughts have turned to their 2014-15 season and the beginning of league play.
Scheduled to start Oct. 20, the 2014-15 Innisfail Curling Club season will run with a nearly full slate from Innisfail and area of all ages. Returning curlers will find fresh ice with new in-ice advertising.
“We held our registration night last week and had a good turnout,” said Larry Nelson, a curling club director. “Our numbers are almost identical to last year with only one team down.”
Curling club icemaker Brent Asham has been working on the ice since Sept. 29 and hoped to finish Oct. 16 in preparation for the upcoming draws.
“We try to keep the ice between three-quarters to one inch thick,” said Asham. “The thicker the ice, the faster the play and the harder the ice plant has to work. We have to keep a good balance.”
Asham added that each flood takes close to 200 gallons and a full sheet of ice takes 10 floods.
“We're looking forward to a good season of league play,” said Nelson. “In addition to our league, we are looking to rent the ice out to other organizations as well as have our sponsors recognized in the house to generate a little income for the club.”
Nelson said the club's first bonspiel is planned for mid-December with the seniors and farmers/farmerettes in January. The farmers/farmerettes is the biggest bonspiel the club hosts and draws curlers from Central Alberta and beyond.
“While we have already done up the schedule for this year, there is space for another team or individual curlers,” said Nelson. “We have curling leagues for Innisfailians for the age of six to 90.”
For more information on the curling club call 403-227-3079 or go to innisfailcurling.com
