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Circle City Curling Club has a new home! Next season the club will curl in a new three-sheet dedicated ice facility after playing in various arena ice venues around Indianapolis for the past 15 years. The club recently signed a lease on a space in Anderson, IN, just a few minutes north of the Indy Fuel Tank in Fishers, IN, where members have been curling for the last several years. "Up to this point we have only had access to ice one night a week for two hours, and at one point league play didn't begin until 10:30 PM on Friday nights," said Jim Puckering, facilities chair. "Anyone who has ever curled on hockey ice knows the conditions can be pretty bad.”
In addition to the three sheets, the new location will include a warm room for broomstacking. The dedicated space will enable the club to hold leagues on multiple weeknights and weekends, as well as bonspiels. It will also allow the club to host more Learn to Curl clinics in an attempt to introduce more people in Central Indiana to the sport. The facilities committee has spent several years searching for the right location for the club. "A number of interesting possibilities fell through for various reasons and with industrial space being in such high demand, rents are sky high around Indianapolis," said club Treasurer Keith Hammer, who was part of the group that spearheaded the property search. "In the last year alone we looked at more than 50 properties.’ The club has been raising funds for dedicated ice for several years. The progress was slow at times, but a renewed push in 2021 raised enough to move the project forward. In addition to local efforts, the club received support from 2018 Gold Medal Olympians Tyler George and John Shuster. George paid a visit to the club in 2020 and Shuster later helped kick off the renewed fundraising efforts by visiting with club members via Zoom. Buildout at the new facility is just getting underway. Project Manager Ernie Forney and other club members have been demolishing unnecessary infrastructure and are beginning the buildout of new washrooms, a bar and warm room, and the icehouse itself. Approximately 40 tons of stone will be moved in to level the floor under the ice. The stone will be topped with 432 sheets of foam insulation and a waterproof liner. Forney and former USCA Chairman David Carlson have consulted with dedicated ice clubs including Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Bowling Green, Triangle, Mayfield, Pittsburgh, and Midland and refined the plans for the new facility with the best of what they've seen in each location. Expert ice makers from the United States Curling Association and long-established clubs in Wisconsin and Cincinnati have also generously offered their knowledge and assistance. "This is an exciting time for the club," said current club President Tammy Hoffman. "We can't wait to share our love of curling with many more people in central Indiana:'
Circle City Curling Club was founded in 2007 by local residents who had previously curled at the Chicago Curling Club. To learn more about Circle City Curling Club, visit circlecitycurling.com or follow the club on lnstagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Story provided courtesy of Circle City Curling Club.
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