Hello,
Welcome to the 2024-2025 curling season with Cedar Rapids Curling! We can't wait for everything the next year will bring. We have a lot of updates, so please read through carefully. We'll see you on the ice soon!
Join us Saturday at CR Farmers Market
Cedar Rapids Curling will once again have a booth on 3rd Ave. at the Cedar Rapids Farmers Market on Saturday, Aug. 17.
We will have a tent with a table full of curling items for people to check out, balloons for the kids (and adults), and hopefully our street curling set so people can "throw a stone."
This will be a great time to hang out together and share our sport with our community outside the ice!
Free night of curling to start the new season
Why we made some changes to the 2024-25 curling season
Registration is now open for the 2023-2024 curling season! We are less than a month away from the start of the next curling season, so be sure to sign up soon!
You may have noticed some changes. We did a large review of our event and league numbers and tried to find ways to keep growing the sport, provide ample opportunities to curl for both returning and new curlers, and be fiscally responsible.
The biggest change is there will not be one big September Learn to Curl event. Our September Learn to Curl event never fills up so we are trying something new. Instead, we will use one to two sheets during four nights of league to run smaller learn to curls. We will keep our usual fall 10-week league format but it will run longer into December and you may have two to three byes, depending on how many sign up for league.
What does this mean for volunteering? As always, we need everyone to work together so it doesn't fall on just one or two people. If you are on a bye on one of the four learn to curl nights or during instructional league, we would like to ask that you discuss with your team if one or two of you would be willing to volunteer that night. Next time your team has a bye, a different member can assist and you would still be free to sub in league as always. This is just asking for one volunteer day for the entire fall league from each person, which is no more than we would ask if we were to hold one large LTC event.
The winter-spring league will follow a similar pattern, but we will have one 10-week league (with up to three byes) instead of two smaller leagues. Members indicated in our end-of-season survey that they would prefer this.
We also will continue to host two big Learn to Curl events as they are always popular and fill up. We also will host four small learn to curl opportunities on league nights.
Are costs changing? The cost for league (both regular and instructional) and membership will remain the same. The cost for Learn to Curls will increase from $15 to $25 per person with a $5 discount for students. For more information about league fees, click here.
These changes are just a test and we will evaluate how it goes at the end of the season. We'll want to hear what you think, too, so make sure to tell us!
Please let Cale (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Kari (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) know if you have any questions or concerns.
Find the full 2024-25 curling calendar at the bottom of this newsletter.
Thank you, outgoing board member; welcome to our new member!
We would like to thank Emily Schindler (Johnson) for her two years on the Cedar Rapids Curling Board of Directors! She brought wonderful ideas and we are better because of her. Make sure you thank her for her service to Cedar Rapids Curling!
And we would like to welcome Cale Tesch, who was elected to a two-year term. We can't wait to work with him in this new role.
The Cedar Rapids Curling Board wants to be as accessible to its members as possible. Don't know who your board members are? Find short bios and photos of board members on the Cedar Rapids Curling website.
Have an idea or want to reach out to the board? You can now reach all the board members at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Join or renew your membership
The Cedar Rapids Curling year runs from September through August. We are asking everyone to register for 2024-25 membership through the website.
To play in leagues (other than instructional leagues), players must pay an annual membership fee, which covers insurance, USA Curling and Midwest Curling Association membership, use of club curling equipment, and general overhead.
In addition to league play, membership offers intraclub curling and social activities throughout the year. Members have opportunities to develop their curling skills and knowledge, socialize with our members and regional clubs through friendlies, and curl at fun social and competitive events around the country.
For more information about membership price and benefits, click here.
Join us for broomstacking
One aspect of curling that is a large part of the sport is broomstacking. For those of you who may be newer, broomstacking is simply enjoying the company of your opponents after the game, usually with a cold beverage (but not required).
There are a number of Cedar Rapids Curling members who go to Union Station on 16th Avenue (two minutes from the arena) after league every week for food and drink.
We'd love to have some new faces join us and be able to get to know everyone better!
Save the date for Curl Jam
We are hosting a fundraising event Sept. 27 for the Arc of East Central Iowa. Businesses will make a large donation to the Arc in order to enter teams for a short learn-to-curl followed by a minispiel with three two-end games.
The concept is similar to what we did for United Way before the pandemic and it was a lot of fun--and we raised a lot of money for them.
Taking time off work is a big ask, but we have a sponsor for the ice rental, so 100% of the money raised will go to the Arc.
Also, maybe your employer wants to enter a team?
2024-25 curling calendar
Leagues
- Sept. 3: Teach the Teacher and pick-up games
- 10-week fall league: Sept. 10-Dec. 10 (up to three byes; Nov. 26 off)
- 10-week winter league: Jan. 21-April 22 (up to three byes; March 18 off; April 29 snow make-up day)
Learn-to-Curl events
We are trying something new this next season. Instead of hosting more large LTC events, we are saving a sheet or two on certain league nights for people to sign up to try the sport.
- Sept. 10, 17, during league (1 sheet)
- Oct. 22, 29, during league (2 sheets)
- Jan. 14, all sheets
- Jan. 21, 28, during league (2 sheets)
- March 4, 11, during league (1 sheet)
- March 18, all sheets
Instructional Leagues
- Sept. 24-Oct. 15
- Nov. 5-Dec. 3
- Feb. 4-25
- March 25-April 15
Other potential events
- Nov. 26: Pick-up games
- Dec 17 & Jan 7: Potential Learn to Curls or Holds for Corporate Events
- April 29 - May 14: Pick-up games