Hello,
Do your holiday shopping and earn money for CRC
Did you know that Amazon donates 0.5% of all eligible AmazonSmile purchases to nonprofits of their choice, including Cedar Rapids Curling? It's easy!
If you are using a web browser, go to smile.amazon.com and sign in with the account you use for Amazon. Select your nonprofit and start shopping!
If you are using the Amazon app, go to the main menu, select "Settings" and then "AmazonSmile." Select your nonprofit and follow the on-screen instructions to turn ON AmazonSmile. Once AmazonSmile has been activated, all future eligible app purchases will generate a donations for your nonprofit.
Happy shopping!
Deadline approaching for USWCA All-American
Cedar Rapids Curling is partnering with St. Louis Curling Club and Waltham Curling Club to host a USWCA All-American on Dec. 10 at Waltham. The cost for this one-day event will be $20 to cover the ice, breakfast, lunch, and drinks, and pins will be provided by the USWCA. This event is aimed at women curlers and we hope to field two teams from Cedar Rapids.
Let Helen Bryce (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) know by Nov. 30 if you want to attend.
You don't need to have ever been to a bonspiel or curled on dedicated ice before. This is just a great way to have fun with our nearest curling neighbors!
Get a (better) grip on the ice
It's no secret that arena ice is not ideal for curling. One of the potential problems is that it can be a little greasy at times, making falls more likely.
Curling shoes, which have the potential to greatly improve your game, also provide a much better grip on the ice than general athletic shoes. If you're not ready to make the leap to purchase curling shoes, think about buying grippers for your shoes. You won't believe the difference they can make.
Emily Johnson will be compiling a list to put in a group purchase of grippers. If interested, email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
We've put together a page on the Cedar Rapids Curling website that discusses curling equipment and provides links to curling equipment retailers.
And of course, your fellow curlers are always willing to give their recommendations and reviews of products!
New dates for FREE bonspiel
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 Dar Curtis Bonspiel had to change dates after an ice issue. It will now be Dec. 17-18 at Waltham Curling Club. The Dar Curtis is meant for players to currently curl as leads or twos or newer vice skips to allow them a chance to curl with their peers and try out their own strategies in a fun environment. Find more information.
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!
Represent Cedar Rapids Curling at a national event
As you know, a women's team from Cedar Rapids Curling recently represented CRC and the Midwest Curling Association at the National Arena Curling Championships in Eveleth, Minn. These events are great ways to get a national championship experience and meet curlers from across the country.
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 (Feb. 3-5 for Club Nationals; March 10-12 for Mixed Nationals). We expect dates for Arena and 5-and-under to be later in the spring.
The Cedar Rapids Curling Board is pulling together some policies to help determine what happens if more than one Cedar Rapids team wants to represent the club. We'll share those soon. Online forms will be appearing on the website soon so when you have a team and know which tournament you are interested in, you can put your names forward. If you have questions, please contact Phil Burian at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
But in the meantime, 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.
Winter league registration open
Registration for our winter league is open. Fall league was full three weeks before it started and we may not have the wiggle room to add extra teams like we did in the fall, so reserve your spot today!
Winter leage will be from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 17 to March 21 (with two byes scheduled, bad weather make-up day of March 28).
League might be changes and byes dependent on registration numbers.
Sign up now to volunteer
There are several opportunities to volunteer and help our club grow! Please help where you can; it really takes a village to make this all happen.
- Thursday, Dec. 1: 1 to 3 p.m.: Group event (Collins)
- Tuesday, Jan. 10: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Learn to Curl
- Tuesday, April 4: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Learn to Curl
(You must be logged in to see this page and register.)
Check out our new bulletin board
Check it out regularly.
Cedar Rapids Curling on the road
It's that time of year that curlers hit the road, and Cedar Rapids Curling members are busy!
Emily Nelson, Lynn Benkusky, and Nancy Benkusky-Fox, along with Madison Curling's Mandy Hampton, took second event runners-up at the Fall Fling at Kettle Moraine Curling Club.
Two teams not only played at the Madison Curling Club's Halloween Spiel but slayed at the costume party!
Phil Burian, Danny Clary, Cale Tesch, and Ken Heitzman channeled the crew from Letterkenny.
Steve Foster, Anne York, Jacob Sprengeler, and Kari Kozak were on point as the Scooby gang.
Kirby Baumgard managed to fit in a game at the Coyote Curling Club while out in Arizona.
Jacob Sprengeler, Cale Tesch, David Sibert, and Phil Burian took on the Frogtown Fall Classic.
Emily Nelson, Kari Kozak, Anne York, and Lynn Benkusky went 2-3 at the National Arena Curling Championships in Eveleth, Minn. They played great, and two of their losses came to the first-place and second-place teams. Great job, ladies! We're proud of you!
