Hello,
As we head into the holiday season, we give thanks for all our wonderful curling friends. You all are why this sport is as wonderful as it is! Thank you, and we hope you are all able to spend quality time with your family and friends this season.
Reminder: This is no curling Tuesday, Nov. 26. Happy Thanksgiving!
Congratulations to our Arena Nationals team!
We want to give a round of applause to Team Tesch (Cale, Parker, Stephen, and Greg), who finished fourth at the 2024 USA Curling Arena National Championships! They went 5-2 for the week and had many of us at home cheering while watching the livestreams.
Not only are these four great curlers, but they are wonderful ambassadors of our sport. They volunteer at almost every Cedar Rapids Curling event and have taught countless people in Eastern Iowa to curl. We are lucky to call them teammates and friends.
We're just so proud of them! Fantastic curling, guys!
Be sure to thank our favorite USA Curling official
Events like the USA Curling Arena National Championships wouldn't happen without an army of volunteers -- and this includes curlers who have gone through training to become certified as officials.
Cedar Rapids Curling member Lynn Benkusky served as a Level II official at the recent USA Curling Arena National Championships at Wausau Curling Club.
If you are interested in official certification or other educational courses, check out the USA Curling website. There are a number of members who have gone through some of these course, so ask around if you have questions. They'd be happy to talk about it!
We're so grateful to curlers like Lynn who give freely of their time and talents to make these national events a reality. Thanks, Lynn!
Learn from a USA Curling champion
The Des Moines Curling Club will host USA Curling National Team Athlete Delaney Strause for a Delivering with Delaney Skills Clinic on Friday, Dec. 6.
Strause is a two-time champion of the United States Junior Curling Championships and bronze medalist at the 2022 World Junior Curling Championships.
The clinic, which costs $75, will run from 7 to 9 p.m.
There also will be a free Q&A session from 5 to 6 p.m. as well as a meet and greet with snacks and dessert from 6 to 7 p.m. These events will be held at MidAmerican Energy RecPlex, 6500 Grand Ave, Des Moines, Iowa.
Limited space available, so register now to guarantee your spot. Participants must be members of USA Curling (all Cedar Rapids Curling members also hold USA Curling membership).
Additional questions about the registration can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Volunteer at upcoming Learn-to-Curl events
There are a few upcoming opportunities to volunteer and help our club grow! Please help where you can; it really takes a village to make this all happen.
- Tuesday, Dec 17 (corporate event): 6:45 to 9:15 p.m.
- Tuesday Jan. 14 (learn to curl): 6:45 to 9:15 a.m.
- Friday, Jan. 17 (corporate event): 4 to 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 18 (learn to curl): 6:45 to 9:15 p.m.
(You must be logged in to see the volunteer sign-ups and to register.)
FREE bonspiel for CRC members
The Midwest Curling Association hosts several bonspiels throughout the year that are FREE for Cedar Rapids Curling members. These are great opportunities to play on dedicated ice.
The 78th annual Dar Curtis Bonspiel will be Dec. 21-22 at Exmoor Country Club. Teams in the Dar Curtis must consist of two players with five or fewer years experience curling and two players with six or more years experience. Check the MCA website for updates and registration.
If you're looking for team members, throw a thread on the Cedar Rapids CC Virtual Warm Room Facebook group page or chat with people at league!
Winter league registration open
Our 10-week winter league will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 21 to April 29 (with March 18 off and up to three byes).
Registration closes Jan. 7.
In need of club pins?
If you are heading to a bonspiel this winter and want to have club pins on hand to trade, or you just want some for yourself, we have restocked and are ready to meet your needs.
They are $4 each for members. You can order and pay for them through the CRC Merchandise Order page on our website (you must be logged in to see it in the member menu). If you have any questions or concerns, please email Kari Kozak at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Do you want to give Arena Nationals--or another national event--a try?
Were you inspired by how our men's team represented Cedar Rapids Curling and the Midwest Curling Association at the USA Curling Arena National Curling Championships in Wausau, Wisconsin? These events are great ways to get national championship experience and meet curlers from across the country.
You do NOT need to have a ton of experience to try these events. We have had members with less than a year of curling under their belts compete!
There are four opportunities for Cedar Rapids Curling members to play in a national event: Club National Championships, Mixed National Championships, Arena National Championships, and 5-and-Under National Championships.
The MCA will host playdowns to choose the teams that will represent them. Dates have been set for two playdowns (Jan 23-26 at Exmoor Curling for Club Nationals; Feb. 14-15 at Chicago Curling Club for Mixed Nationals). We expect dates for Arena playdowns to be later in the spring.
To vie for a spot in the 5-and-Under National Championships scheduled for April 30-May 4, 2025, at the Saint Paul Curling Club, USA Curling has selected 23 five-and-under bonspiels to will serve as qualifier events. Find the list here.
If you are interested in playing in any of these playdowns, start talking to fellow members about putting together a team and perhaps signing up to play together in winter league in order to practice together. Once you have a team, let Phil Burian know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Cedar Rapids Curling on the road
