• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hello,

Planning for the 2024-25 curling season is well underway. Make sure you read all the way through, because there is a LOT of information you need to know!

2024-25 curling calendar is set

Are you ready for a new curling season?! Start marking your calendar and letting friends know when they can try the best sport in the world. 

Head to the website to start signing up now.

Leagues

  • 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

  • Sept. 3: Teach the Teacher and pick-up games
  • 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

Change to membership policy for substitutes

The Cedar Rapids Curling Board of Directors reviewed and updated our membership information (read it here).

Please be aware that we have changed our substitute policy, starting with the fall 2024 league.

  • During leagues in which you have registered and paid for, you may substitute for free during bye weeks (subject to substitute need).
  • During leagues in which you have not registered and paid for, you may substitute in up to five free games each membership period (subject to substitute need). The cost to substitute after five free games is $24 per game.

 If you have any questions or concerns, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Membership and league dues to remain the same for 2024/25

The Cedar Rapids Curling Board has decided to freeze fees for the upcoming season. They will reevaluate again next year.

For more information about membership price and benefits, click here.

For more information about league fees, click here.

Learn-to-Curl price increasing

The Cedar Rapids Curling Board has decided to raise the price for Learn-to-Curl events to $25 ($20 for students). We believe this price more accurately reflects the value that participants get from these fun events --particularly the expert guidance from our wonderful volunteers who give their time to make these events happen.

Last chance to join Board of Directors for 2024-25

Six two-year positions on the Board of Directors are up for election this summer by the general membership. The Board meets once a month and establishes policies, appoints officers and committee chairs, and sets goals to accomplish Cedar Rapids Curling’s mission.

Joining the board is a great opportunity to serve and help guide the club through the exciting growth that we expect to experience in the next few years. Significant curling skill or experience is not required, and having a few newer members actually is desirable.

For more information about what is involved, ask any current board member. You can learn more about the current board members here.

To nominate yourself or another CRC member, email Phil Burian (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by Sunday, June 30.

Members will receive an email with a link to vote for board members on July 7. Voting is anonymous and will remain open until July 21. New members will be announced at the July 28 picnic.

Deadline approaching for CedarSpiel

The 2024 CedarSpiel will be Aug. 9-11, 2024. Register now to save your spot! We currently have nine teams registered and if we don't have 16 teams registered before July 5, we will have to cancel the spiel. 

Cost is $500 per team. 

Find more information here.

For newer curlers, this bonspiel is a friendly and fun way to curl that is not at all competitve. If you want to play but don't have a team, no worries! Sign up here. This link is for club members who do not have their own team. Greg Schmitt will put teams together for club members from this list.

We also will need a lot of help to put this event on. To donate food or raffle baskets, sign up to volunteer or lend yard games, please fill out the different tabs (Saturday Dinner at Jones Park Lodge, Raffle Baskets, Event Volunteer, Yard Games) on this spreadsheet.

We don’t need any donations right now, but we’d love to know what you’re planning to help in our planning.  If you don’t have a lot of time, you can still help! We will always take a monetary donation. Email Roger Smith (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and let him know. 

If you have any questions, please email Kari Kozak(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 

Summer/fall events you don't want to miss

CEDAR RAPIDS CURLING PICNIC: Our Member Meeting & Picnic is scheduled for noon Sunday, July 28, at CRC President Phil Burian's home in the historic Brucemore district of Cedar Rapids. (Address will be sent before the date.) Cedar Rapids Curling will provide the hamburgers, brats, buns, and utensils. We ask that you bring an appetizer, side, dish, or dessert to share. After eating and catching up, we will have a short member meeting to share club status and plans and announce the new Board of Directors. 

Register now   

FARMERS' MARKET: Cedar Rapids Curling will have a booth at the Cedar Rapids Farmers Market on Saturday, Aug. 17. This will be a great time to hang out together and share our sport with our community outside the ice!

Sign up to volunteer   

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. More info coming, but save the date!

Men's team to represent MCA at Arena Nationals

Congratulations to Cale Tesch, Stephen Spence, Parker Abbott, and Greg Schmitt, on winning the Midwest Curling Association playdowns. They will represent Cedar Rapids Curling and the MCA in the 2024 USA Curling Arena National Championships in October in Wausau, Wisconsin. Get ready to cheer our 2023 bronze medalists on!

Curling-theme cardboard boat takes to the water

Cedar Rapids Curling Board President Phil Burian designed and built a curling-themed boat and paddles for the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival’s Cardboard Boat Regatta. It was a glorious vessel. Unfortunately, its crew (Phil, Greg, Emily, Anne, and Adrian) struggled to keep it upright and tipped over fairly soon after launching.

Even so, it was a great day and we promise to do better next year! 


 

Hello,

The 2023-24 season may be over, but there are a lot of fun curling things still coming up. So mark your calendar now!

Congratulations to the winners of our spring league

Congratulations to our 2023 winter league winners, Nate, Warren, Dan, and Scott!

What should the next curling season look like? Tell us!

Have thoughts or questions about when, what kind, and how long our leagues, learn to curls, and other events should be for the next year? Well, tell us. 

We will host a virtual planning meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 28. Sign up online and a Zoom link will be sent out 24 hours before the event. 

This will be your time to share your ideas about what our schedule looks like—or just listen in on the planning process.

 Register now 

Help officiate MCA playdowns for Arena National Championships

The Midwest Curling Association playdowns for next fall's Arena National Championships will be held June 8-9 at Four Seasons Curling Club in Blaine, Minnesota and volunteers are needed for officiating duties.

Any Cedar Rapids Curling member who has taken officiating classes and needs experience is welcome to get some hours in.

If you're interested, contact Lon Peper at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you haven't taken officiating classes and would like to come along and learn and see what officials do during an official competition, let Lon know! 

Sign up NOW to play at CedarSpiel

The 2024 CedarSpiel will be Aug. 9-11, 2024. Register now to save your spot! If we don't have 16 teams registered before July 5, we will have to cancel the spiel.

Cost is $500 per team. 

Find more information here.

If you want to play but don't have a team, no worries! Sign up here. This link is for club members who do not have their own team. Greg Schmitt will put teams together for club members from this list.

We also will need a lot of help to put this event on. You should have received an email last week about the many ways to help. To donate food or raffle baskets, sign up to volunteer or lend yard games, please fill out the different tabs (Saturday Dinner at Jones Park Lodge, Raffle Baskets, Event Volunteer, Yard Games) on this spreadsheet.

If you have any questions, please email Kari Kozak(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 

Mark your calendar for CRC picnic -- NEW LOCATION

We have much to celebrate! Our Member Meeting & Picnic is scheduled for noon Sunday, July 28, at CRC President Phil Burian's home in the historic Brucemore district of Cedar Rapids. (Address will be sent before the date.)

Bring your family and significant others! Cedar Rapids Curling will provide the hamburgers, brats, buns, and utensils. We ask that you bring an appetizer, side, dish, or dessert to share. After eating and catching up, we will have a short member meeting to share club status and plans and announce the new Board of Directors. 

 Register now

Get ready to vote for your Board of Directors

Six two-year positions on the Board of Directors are up for election this summer by the general membership. The Board meets once a month and establishes policies, appoints officers and committee chairs, and sets goals to accomplish Cedar Rapids Curling’s mission.

Joining the board is a great opportunity to serve and help guide the club through the exciting growth that we expect to experience in the next few years. Significant curling skill or experience is not required, and having a few newer members actually is desirable.

For more information about what is involved, ask any current board member. You can learn more about the current board members here.

To nominate yourself or another CRC member, email Phil Burian (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by June 30.

Members will receive an email with a link to vote for board members on July 7. Voting is anonymous and will remain open until July 21. New members will be announced at the July 28 picnic.

Share curling at CR Farmers Market

We are excited to announce that Cedar Rapids Curling will once again have a booth at the Cedar Rapids Farmers Market on 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!

 Sign up to volunteer

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 raised a lot of money.

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. Please save the date even if you are undecided now. 

(Also, maybe your employer wants to enter a team?!)

Cedar Rapids Curling on the road

 

Four Cedar Rapids Curling members recently traveled to the Hibbing Curling Club for its Last Chance International Bonspiel, in which 92 teams competed. Parker and several friends from other clubs were the runners-up in the fourth event. Congratulations! (Also, congratulations to Parker for getting his PhD from the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Iowa this past weekend. We're proud of you, Dr. Parker!)

Cale, Phil, and Jim also played with a friend from another club. This was Cale and Phil's first time playing at the Last Chance and they reported that it was a great time!


Hello,

There may be only a few weeks left of the 2023-24 curling season, but we are already gearing up for the next one!

Deadline to register for Arena National playdowns is May 5

Were you inspired by how our men's team represented Cedar Rapids Curling and the Midwest Curling Association at the National Arena Curling Championships in Eveleth, Minn., last fall?

We encourage ALL CRC members to consider giving Arena Nationals a try. You don't need to be an experienced curler. We've had members who had only been curling a year compete in this competition. It's a wonderful way to meet and learn from fellow arena curlers from across the country!

If you want the chance to respresent the MCA this fall, your team needs to sign up for the MCA playdown to be held June 8-9 at Four Seasons Curling Club in Blaine, Minnesota. The winners -- one women's team and one men's team -- will represent the Midwest Curling Association at the 2024 Arena National Championships in the fall (dates and location TBA).

If you are interested in competing at playdowns but do not have a team or do not have a full team, fill out this form and we will do our best to help create a team. 

Requirements:

  • Non-mixed event: men's and women's teams
  • Players must be a resident of the U.S. as of deadline
  • All team members must be dues-paying, league-playing members of the same Midwest Curling Association club
  • All team members must be USAC members (FYI: if you are a CRC member, you are a USAC member)
  • $100 USA Curling fee + $25 MCA fee per player

The deadline to register your team for playdowns is May 5.

 Register now

What should the next curling season look like? Tell us!

Have thoughts or questions about when, what kind, and how long our leagues, learn to curls, and other events should be for the next year? Well, tell us. 

We will host a virtual planning meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 28. Sign up online and a Zoom link will be sent out 24 hours before the event. 

This will be your time to share your ideas about what our schedule looks like—or just listen in on the planning process.

 Register now 

Mark your calendar for CRC picnic 

We have much to celebrate! Our Member Meeting & Picnic is tentatively scheduled for noon Sunday, July 28, at  Hawks Ridge Park in Fairfax (390 W. Prairie Dr., Fairfax, IA, 52228). 

Bring your family and significant others! Cedar Rapids Curling will provide the hamburgers, brats, buns, and utensils. We ask that you bring an appetizer, side, dish, or dessert to share. After eating and catching up, we will have a short member meeting to share club status and plans and announce the new Board of Directors. 

 Register now

Get ready to vote for your Board of Directors

Six two-year positions on the Board of Directors are up for election this summer by the general membership. The Board meets once a month and establishes policies, appoints officers and committee chairs, and sets goals to accomplish Cedar Rapids Curling’s mission.

Joining the board is a great opportunity to serve and help guide the club through the exciting growth that we expect to experience in the next few years. Significant curling skill or experience is not required, and having a few newer members actually is desirable.

For more information about what is involved, ask any current board member. You can learn more about the current board members here.

To nominate yourself or another CRC member, email Phil Burian (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by June 30.

Members will receive an email with a link to vote for board members on July 7. Voting is anonymous and will remain open until July 21. New members will be announced at the July 28 picnic.

Sign up now to play or volunteer at CedarSpiel

The 2024 CedarSpiel will be Aug. 9-11, 2024. We hope to see you there. There is a lot of fun in the works and more information will be on its way. Be sure to register below to save your spot! 

Cost is $500 per team. Registration deadline is July 26, 2024.  

Find more information here.

If you want to play but don't have a team, no worries! Sign up here. This link is for club members who do not have their own team. Greg Schmitt will put teams together for club members from this list.

We also will be looking for volunteers throughout the weekend. Stay tuned for how to sign up to help with ice prep, merchandise and raffle sales, and dinner prep/serving.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email Kari Kozak(This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 

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 raised a lot of money.

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. Please save the date even if you are undecided now. 

(Also, maybe your employer wants to enter a team?!)

Cedar Rapids Curling on the road

 

Lon joined friends from Aberdeen Curling Club at Aksarben Curling's Irish Open, where they won the A event! We think their coach and future CRC member AJ was their lucky charm!

 

Cale, Kirby, Beth, and Kari headed east for the Cincinnati Curling Club's Slide into Home Spiel.

 

Nancy, Lynn, Anne, and Emily drove north for the Green Bay Curling Club's Shamrock Bonspiel.

 

Two teams traveled to Stevens Point Curling Club for their mixed spiel: Cale, Nancy, Phil, and Lynn; and Ken, Anne, Greg, and Beth.

 

Kim and Lon joined friends from Cincinnati to play in the Eclipspiel at the Bowling Green Curling Club.


Hello,

The end of the 2023-24 curling season is approaching but it's not over yet! There are still opportunities to curl coming up!

Spring curling deadline soon

The deadline to sign up for the Tuesday spring curling league (April 9-May 21) is coming up, but if it were today, we would have to cancel it for lack of participants. Want to curl one last time this season? Sign up NOW! Deadline is March 25. 

Unfortunately we didn't have enough people sign up for the Thursday night league and we have had to cancel it. If you signed up and paid for it already, you should be hearing from us.

 Sign up for spring Tuesday league  

Calling all volunteers

We have two final learn-to-curl events of the season coming up and they are FULL! We need all the help we can get! Please help where you can; it really takes a village to make this all happen. 
  • Thursday, March 21: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Public Learn to Curl
  • Tuesday, April 2: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Public Learn to Curl

 Sign up to volunteer

(You must be logged in to see the volunteer sign-ups and to register.) 

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 raised a lot of money.

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. Please save the date even if you are undecided now. 

(Also, maybe your employer wants to enter a team?!)

Coming to the aid of a fellow MCA curling club

If you haven't heard, a fire broke out last week in a store in the strip mall above Windy City Curling. They sustained significant smoke and water damage that will take months to repair.

Windy City Curling and its members have been good friends to Cedar Rapids Curling over the years. To help them get repairs under way quickly, Cedar Rapids Curling has donated to their GoFund me account.

If you would like to chip in personally, click here.

What should the next curling season look like? Tell us!

Have thoughts or questions about when, what kind, and how long our leagues, learn to curls, and other events should be for the next year? Well, tell us. 

We will host a virtual planning meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 28. Sign up online and a Zoom link will be sent out 24 hours before the event. 

This will be your time to share your ideas about what our schedule looks like—or just listen in on the planning process.

 Register now

Call for CedarSpiel committee members

Our 2024 CedarSpiel in August will be here before you know it!

If you want to be part of the planning process, email Kari Kozak (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). We want to get the ball rolling, so don't wait! This is a great opportunity for newer club members to see and help behind the scenes.  

Want to represent Cedar Rapids Curling on the USWCA?

The United States Women’s Curling Association develops, nurtures, and promotes curling to females and all youth. We need a representative to make sure we take full advantage of these opportunities. More information is at https://www.uswca.org/area-representative-liaisons.

This is a great opportunity to meet curlers from accross the country and help the sport and our club grow. You don't need to be an experienced curler or have been part of Cedar Rapids Curling for long! There are only a few meetings a year so it's not a giant time committment. 

You also don't have to be a woman! Men reps welcome!

If you have any interest or questions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Cedar Rapids Curling on the road

Kirby headed to Arizona a couple weeks ago for spring training. The Spring Training Bonspiel at Coyotes Curling Club that is! His team went 3-1, only losing in the quarterfinals. Great curling, Kirby!

Drew and Ben teamed up with new friends from Milwaukee Curling Club to participate in Windy City Curling's Drag Effect Bonspiel for LGBTQ and allied curlers.

Bryan teamed up with new friends to curl in the Evergreen Mixed Bonspiel at the Mayfield Curling Club in Ohio.

Cale, Lynn, Anne, and Phil joined forces to curl in the Mixed Spielbowski at Kettle Moraine Curling Club.


Hello,

Winter league is well under way and there is lots of curling to look forward to. Don't miss out!

Congratulations to Kirby on competing at Senior Nationals

Kirby Baumgard joined friends last week from Aberdeen Curling Club to play in the USA Curling Senior National Championships at Heather Curling Club in Mapleton, MN. The group went up against curlers who have played (and won) National and World Championships in the past. It was tough competition and we're proud of them!

The "Brother Blues" team also played last month in the Big Spiel in the Twin Cities, and three of the four won the Jackhammer Spiel in Brookings, South Dakota. Great job, guys!

Want to play on Thursdays? Sign up NOW

We managed to wrangle a Thursday league time-slot at the arena this spring. But we still need enough people to sign up to pay for ice. Please sign up now if you plan to join the spring Thursday league. We want to know if this night will work sooner rather than later because we also have an instructional league planned for then and we don't want to cancel last minute on those folks.

And don't worry, if you can't play Thursday, we'll still have a Tuesday night spring league as well. Two nights of curling!

Spring Thursday league

Dates: Thursdays, March 28-May 9
Time: 6:45 pm - 9:15 pm 
Cost: $120

 Sign up for spring Thursday league 

Spring Tuesday league

Dates: Tuesdays, April 9-May 21
Time: 6:45 pm - 9:15 pm 
Cost: $120

 Sign up for spring Tuesday league  

Call for CedarSpiel committee members

Our 2024 CedarSpiel in August will be here before you know it!

If you want to be part of the planning process, email Kari Kozak (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). We want to get the ball rolling, so don't wait! This is a great opportunity for newer club members to see and help behind the scenes.  

Want to represent Cedar Rapids Curling on the USWCA?

The United States Women’s Curling Association develops, nurtures, and promotes curling to females and all youth. We need a representative to make sure we take full advantage of these opportunities. More information is at https://www.uswca.org/area-representative-liaisons.

This is a great opportunity to meet curlers from accross the country and help the sport and our club grow. You don't need to be an experienced curler or have been part of Cedar Rapids Curling for long! There are only a few meetings a year so it's not a giant time committment. 

You also don't have to be a woman! Men reps welcome!

If you have any interest or questions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

How you can help make our ice better

As you all are aware, our ice is not perfect, with the outside sheets being especially...difficult. We know from last year's Arena National Playdowns and CedarSpiel that doing a weekly flood makes a big difference. But we need people to volunteer to make this happen. Imon Ice allows us to do these floods, so let's take advantage.

Two people are needed to do a flood and it takes 60 to 90 minutes to do. We usually do this later in the evenings or on the weekend. You don't need experience--we'll teach you!

The more people who volunteer, the fewer times each person needs to help. So, let's get flooding!

Email Lon Peper if you would like to be put on the list to help: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Looking to buy your own curling equipment?

If you have been curling for a little while and are hooked, it may be time to consider buying some of your own equipment--especially shoes and a broom. While we are proud of our club equipment, we admit it's not always the newest or the best. Buying your own equipment can make a huge improvement in your game and help you feel more comfortable on the ice.

If you don't know where to start, we've put together a page on the Cedar Rapids Curling website explaining what equipment you may want to consider and why, as well as providing links to curling equipment retailers. 

And of course, your fellow curlers are always willing to give their recommendations and reviews of products!

 Check it out

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. 
  • February
    • Saturday, February 17th: 12:15 p.m to 4:00 p.m: Private Group then Public Learn to Curl
  • March
    • Wednesday, March 6: 8:30 a.m. to noon: Clear Creek Amana physics class
    • Thursday, March 21: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Public Learn to Curl
  • April
    • Tuesday, April 2: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Public Learn to Curl

 Sign up to volunteer

(You must be logged in to see the volunteer sign-ups and to register.) 

Cedar Rapids Curling on the road

Greg, Cale, Emily, and Beth played in the Milwaukee Curling Club's Kiltie Mixed Bonspiel. 

Three teams traveled north for St. Paul Curling Club's Winter Carnival Mixed Bonspiel: the Cale, Emily, Andy, and Beth; Steve, Kelly, Kari, and Ken; and Jim, Anne, Phil, and Lynn, who won the fourth event!


Contact Us

Cedar Rapids Curling

© 2024 Cedar Rapids Curling Club. All Rights Reserved. | Curling Club Management System and Website by CurlingClubManager.com