Curling in Houston?
Yes, it's true! Houston is home to an active curling club, established in 1973 and curling every year since then. You can find us curling at Space City Ice Station in Clear Lake most Sunday mornings — 9:30-11:30 am — from October through March. Click here to see our brochure, with information about both the sport and our club, here to see our schedule for the current season, or here to locate Space City Ice Station.

"Learn to Curl" Sessions, Summer 2008
Building on successful gatherings the previous two summers, there will again be "Learn to Curl" sessions during the summer of 2008. The sessions will begin Friday evening, June 6, 9:30–11:30 pm, and repeat every second Friday throughout the summer.

For a nominal fee (to be confirmed, probably about $10), anyone wishing to learn about curling is welcome to come try the sport at these sessions, receiving instruction from members of The Curling Club of Houston. Those already familiar with the sport who would enjoy "throwing a few" in a pickup game will also be able to do that.

The Second Annual Texas Open Bonspiel (TOB)
The Curling Club of Houston was well represented at the Second Annual Texas Open Bonspiel, held April 11–13, 2008 in Duncanville, TX, very nicely organized and hosted by the Dallas/Fort Worth Curling Club. Of the 24 rinks participating, 6 were registered from TCCOH and 2 others featured TCCOH "alumni" now curling out of other clubs.

The Gordon Kercher rink (Gordon Kercher, Gary McGeough, Tanis McGeough, Robert Rounding, Sharon Rounding) took second place overall, losing only in the finals to the Nick Myers rink from Dallas.

Defending champion Mike Smith's rink (Mike Smith, Dave Stigant, Pat Butler, Jennifer Struble) finished third this year, also having lost only to the championship-winning Myers rink.

Dan Ostheimer's rink (Dan Ostheimer, David Franklin, Matthew Guthrie, Anne Egelston) made it to the finals of Group B, losing there to the Gerry Hosker rink from Mayfield, Ohio (which included former TCCOH President, Matt Dolloff), thereby finishing in sixth place overall.

All things considered, it was a wonderful weekend. Fun curling, great friendship, considerable warmth and energy throughout, a great chance to enjoy and promote the sport. (Photos) Everyone now looks forward to the Third Annual TOB, to be hosted by the Lone Star Curling Club in Austin, TX, in the spring of 2009.

Wrapping up the 2007–2008 Season
Congratulations to the Greg Duncan rink, which demonstrated that down is not out by overcoming big deficits in each of its final two games, ultimately winning the 2007–2008 year-end playdowns by defeating the Tom Altman rink. The championship rink is comprised of Greg Duncan, James Weber, Jennifer Struble, and Anne Egelston.

The regular season round robin was won handily by the Terry Butler rink, made up of Terry Butler, John McCormick, and Matthew Guthrie.

Final results are on our Standings page.

Congratulations to our newly elected officers for the 2008–2009 season and many thanks for their willingness to serve: President Robert Rounding, Vice-President James Weber, and Treasurer Greg Duncan.

Bonspieling in Prague
A rink from The Curling Club of Houston participated in the Curling Club Letici Kameny Prague Bonspiel in Prague, the Czech Republic, the first weekend in March. Robert Rounding, John Foulds, James Weber, and Jennifer Struble report having had a wonderful time and, despite encountering some serious competition — including at least one national team — posted a 2–2 record for the weekend.

"Spreading the Word" with fans of the Houston Aeros
The Curling Club of Houston presented a curling demonstration and hosted a spectator competition at a January 12 Houston Aeros hockey game. Four spectators had a chance to come down on the ice, a portion of which had been pebbled for curling, to throw rocks at a mid-ice target. The winner took home a prize sponsored by a local charitable organization, which included airfare and tickets to a future hockey game in Minnesota.

Photos from the demonstration/competition are on the Pictures page of our website.

Bonspiel Invitations
In the spirit of encouraging our members to visit and curl at other clubs, our Bonspiels page contains information on bonspiels to which The Curling Club of Houston has received invitations. Most recent addition: July 3–6 in Pittsburgh, PA; July 17–20 in Bismarck, ND; August 9–10 in Wake Forest, NC; and August 29–31 near Napa Valley, California. Other upcoming events: April 25–27 in Overland Park, Kansas; April 25–27 in Scottsdale, Arizona; and May 23–25 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

2007-2008 Season
The 2007–2008 season began with an open house on October 14. League play began October 28 and will continue through the first week of April 2008. Information on schedule and teams and on league standings is posted elsewhere on the website.

Regular Season Info and Forms
Here is the 2007–2008 membership form. Please fill it out and bring it to your first day of curling. You will also need to sign and bring the appropriate liability waiver — for adults or for minor children — please. Finally, we ask that you also complete an emergency notification form; curling injuries are not common, but ice is slippery and it's important we know where/how to reach someone in case anything happens to you.

The Curling Club of Houston Bylaws
Here are the latest CCH bylaws, reflecting changes approved 11/12/06, including a per-game ice fee for frequent spares.

Interested in Curling?
If you are interested in joining the club and/or just learning more about the sport, please check out our frequently asked questions page or contact us. Take a look at our brochure for club and sport highlights, and visit our Curling 101 page and/or this Wikipedia article to learn even more about the sport.