In most parts of the country, curling is a fun novelty sport you get to enjoy every four years when the Winter Olympics come around.
But in Fort Wayne, curling has become a regular presence.
“We were open a little earlier this year, because we were a part of Be A Tourist In Your Hometown that Visit Fort Wayne runs, and that’s like a three-week effort to install the ice,” said Craig Fischer, president and co-founder of the Fort Wayne Curling Club.
Fort Wayne Curling Club was established in 2010, and has occupied its current home on Wells Street across from the SportONE/Parkview Ice House for the last five years. It features three sheets of ice with a windowed partition that separates players from spectators. Fans are treated to an open viewing area that sports multiple TVs, couches, games, and even a bar.
Fort Wayne can install its ice earlier than many cities, which has allowed the Curling Club to host the “End of Summerspiel” tournament for more than a decade.
120 teams from Ontario, to Florida, to Missouri came out to the city to participate this year; four of those teams were from Fort Wayne. And it’s a big deal: in 2013, Olympic teams for China, Great Britain and the United States all took part in the event.
“We open registrations up on May 1, and typically it sells out in 24 to 48 hours because it’s early ice and a great event,” Fischer said.
Think of it like a Super March Madness for curling: multiple brackets were in play to accommodate the number of squads. On Friday and Saturday, the first match began bright and early at 8:30 with the final set of games starting close to 10 PM.
By Sunday afternoon, four teams were left standing for the championship matches. The final round was preceded by each competitor entering the playing area in a line, led by bagpipes.
“While it's been popularized and formalized by the Canadians, and people think of it as more of a Canadian sport, it actually started in Scotland, and it’s a tradition almost anywhere to get piped out onto the ice when you make the finals," Fischer said. "It literally brings a tear to your eye to get piped onto the ice when you make the finals.”
For the final round, rules were loosened: time limits and tech restrictions went away, and before the matches began, each participant was offered a congratulatory shot.
They were nice enough to offer visitors one as well, but I declined.
The winner of the “A” event represented the Mayfield Curling Club from Cleveland, Ohio. It’s their second consecutive tournament win.
The club offers bi-weekly learn to curl sessions on Fridays, as well as rookie and traditional leagues for those who do learn to curl and are eager to take it to the next level.
Accessibility is a key part of the club’s mission; it boasts the largest adaptive curling program in the country for people with physical and intellectual disabilities. In January, it hosted U.S. Curling’s Wheelchair Mixed Doubles National Championship.
Fischer says curling is for everyone, can be played by anyone, and that all are welcome to the sport in Fort Wayne.
“If you’re in a wheelchair, if you have cognitive disabilities, if you have bad knees, if you have bad hips, if you’re just nervous about the ice, we can accommodate you," Fischer said. "Literally there’s not a single person that we’ve had come out that wanted to participate in curling that wasn’t able to.”
He says the club also hosts corporate events, where curling serves as a team building device.
“It’s a great equalizer: you have the macho guys that were football players or baseball players that come out and they have no advantage in this. It’s a great opportunity for those who are not very sporty to come out and play a sport and excel at it,” he said.
End of Summerspiel was just the start of another busy season for the Fort Wayne Curling Club. In November they’ll host the Mad Anthony 5 & Under Bonspiel for players with five years of experience or less. Then it hosts the Summit City Open Bonspiel in mid-March, which is open to players of all experience levels.
