Senior Curlers – On The “Stick”  As time passes, and doesn’t it really zip by for the more “mature” folk among us, the aches and pains come and sometimes just don’t go away. Often the creaks heard are from the time worn, well used, often abused, knees. For some, kneeling down in the hack to deliver a curling rock has become a bit of a sore-chore that could perhaps keep them from returning to the rink for another season. Well folks there is an answer to that little problem. In the past few years the concept of delivering a rock with a “stick” has really caught hold. The broom-length stick is made with an attachment on the business end that allows it to loosely grasp the rock’s handle allowing the curler to stand upright as he/she walks out from the hack to deliver a rock instead of using the traditional crouch-and-slide method. A little mentioned, almost always denied by the stick users, bonus is that many (of course this doesn’t apply to any of the local crowd) are more proficient at the game with the stick than they were in their past curling life. Some say it’s almost a little bit like cheating and all say it’s a heck of a lot of fun.  In addition to regular play there are stick leagues and stick bonspiels governed by, of course, by stick rules. Actually anyone, except those in provincial, national, or professional competition can use the stick method, not just the aforementioned matures. Come out and try it we have the technology.

Curlers Jack Fontinha (top) Richard Brooks (bottom)