2007 Christmas Holiday Bonspiel
December 9, 2007

The 2007 version of the always-popular Christmas Holiday Bonspiel was held Sunday, December 9. 32 curlers participated in three "mini games" totalling eight ends of curling, rotating teams and sheets of ice with each game. Participants included regular Houston curlers, a number of people with curling experience who had not previously curled in Houston, and several who had not curled previously but were interested in the game and willing to learn quickly "on the job."

After the curling, prizes were awarded to the best performers — and in a few cases to other than the best performers! — during a tasty brunch at nearby Sudie's Seafood restaurant. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed an early celebration of the upcoming holidays.

Regular league curling resumed on Sunday, January 6, 2008.

Regional Playdowns for Club National Championships
October 4, 2007

The exact dates are not yet set, but Regional playdowns for "At Large" Region clubs, including Houston and other Texas clubs, toward the U.S. Club National Championships will be held in Colorado this year. Target timing is as follows:

• Men's and Women's — January 2008
• Mixed and Juniors — During the Christmas/New Year's break

Anyone interested in the playdowns should speak with Club President Robert Rounding.

2008 World Men's Curling Championship, Grand Forks, ND, April 2008
Updated September, 2007

The 2008 World Men's Curling Championship will be hosted in the United States — in Grand Forks, North Dakota — April 5–13, 2008. Competitors will include twelve of the top teams in the world, with representatives from the U.S. (1), Canada (1), Europe (8), and Pacific Rim (2). For additional information, see the event website.

Summer 2007 "Learn to Curl" Sessions
May, 2007

There will be bi-weekly "Learn to Curl" sessions this summer, every other Friday evening, June 1 through September 21, from 9:30–11:30 pm, at Space City Ice Station.

Those interested in learning about curling should wear loose-fitting, warm clothing and rubber-soled shoes, and bring any questions they may have. We will provide all needed equipment and instruction in the sport.

Experienced curlers are also welcome to take advantage of the "drop-in curling" opportunities these sessions represent — a chance to practice and enjoy the sport during the summer months.

There will be a participation fee of $12/person each evening to cover the cost of using the ice.

Texas Open Bonspiel April 13–15
April 16, 2007

The Curling Club of Houston hosted the history-making First Annual Texas Open Bonspiel at the Space City Ice Station from April 13–15, 2007. The four-event bonspiel featured 22 teams, including two from Canada (Calgary and Winnipeg), one from Minnesota (Duluth), one from Michigan (Midland), one from Maryland/Washington D.C. (Potomac CC), one from Arkansas, and sixteen representing clubs in Texas (Dallas, Austin, and Houston). Everyone ended up with new friends and great memories.

Congratulations to the members of the Mike Smith rink of Houston (Mike Smith, Dave Stigant, Pat Butler, Trevor Holding), who won the bonspiel by defeating the Brian Alguire rink of Dallas in the finals!

We greatly appreciate the tremendous participation, energy, enthusiasm, and support of everyone associated with the bonspiel. It was a very special event as a result. We hope to see everyone again next year, when the Second Annual Texas Open Bonspiel will be hosted by the Dallas/Ft. Worth Curling Club.

Concluding the 2006-2007 Season
March, 2007

Congratulations to the Mike Smith rink, Club Champions as winners of the year-ending playoffs conducted March 11 and 18, who defeated the Dave Singleton rink (skipped by Dan Ward) in the finals. The Terry Butler rink took third place, winning over the Tom Altman rink (skipped by Dave Stigant). And the Don Norris rink won the Consolation Championship, defeating Greg Duncan's team.

Congratulations to the Terry Butler rink, winners of the 2006-07 regular season, which concluded March 4. It was a close race — here are the final standings.

	Rank	Team	Win	Loss	Tie	Points
	1	Butler	8	4	0	16
	2	Altman	7	4	1	15
	3	Smith	7	5	0	14
	4	Singleton	6	6	0	12
	5	Duncan	5	7	0	10
	6	NASA	4	7	1	9
	7	Norris	4	8	0	8

At the year-end meeting, held March 18, we elected officers for the coming year (2007–2008): President Matt Dolloff, Vice-President Terry Butler, and Treasurer Greg Duncan. Special thanks to long-time Treasurer Dave Singleton, who stepped down at the end of this season.

Cherry Blossom Bonspiel, Washington, D.C., March 2007
January 11, 2007

At least one Houston rink is headed to the Cherry Blossom Bonspiel at the Potomac Curling Club in Washington, D.C. this spring. The 'spiel is March 22-25 and is held at the same time as the National Cherry Blossom Festival in the nation's capital.

In the spirit of promoting the sport and our interaction with others who enjoy it, we strongly encourage others to attend, as well. This bonspiel was chosen from among those to which we receive invitations because it is curled on dedicated curling ice, features an open format (any four people can form a rink), and is in a location relatively easy and inexpensive to fly to.

The bonspiel is expected to promise a four-game minimum (equivalent to four weeks of curling in Houston!), with a team entry fee of about $260, which includes some meals. Roundtrip airfare is about $200/person and the bonspiel hotel is about $85/night/room. Traveling on the 22nd should work fine, as the bonspiel organizer indicates first draws for Houston teams could be arranged for Friday morning the 23rd.

(Update 3/17/07: Three full Houston rinks are traveling to the Nation's Capital to participate in the Cherry Blossom Bonspiel, and we wish them well.)

For questions or additional information, please contact Matt Dolloff.

2006 Christmas Bonspiel
December 18, 2006

We celebrated the upcoming holidays in now-traditional fashion with our Christmas Bonspiel on Sunday, December 17. A near full-house of 31 people curled three mini games (3 ends, 3 ends, and 2 ends), rotating teams and sheets of ice between each game. Prizes for the best performers at each position -- determined by a reportedly complex formula measuring wins and team scores -- were awarded at a well-attended brunch at Zio's Italian Kitchen immediately after the curling. Thanks to all who participated in curling and/or brunch. And very best wishes to everyone for a wonderful holiday season! Regular curling will resume on Sunday, January 7, 2007.

The First Annual Texas Open Bonspiel
Updated November 24, 2006

Plans are being developed for the first annual Texas Open Bonspiel, to be hosted in Houston April 13-15, 2007. In subsequent years, bonspiel hosting will rotate among Texas curling clubs: Dallas (2008), San Antonio (2009), and Austin (2010), before coming back to Houston.

The bonspiel will be in open format (i.e., any combination of men and women may make up a four-person team). It will guarantee a minimum of three games, likely through a triple event set-up. Play will begin Friday evening to give out-of-towners a chance to travel that day. The entry fee is $280/team and the entry deadline is March 15, 2007.

Plans are being developed to help teams get set up with accommodations and local transportation. Some attractive activities outside of curling are also being developed and will be communicated later.

We anticipate participation from all active Texas clubs and also look forward to welcoming teams from outside the state to participate in this history-making event.

Mike Smith chairs the group planning bonspiel and welcomes/encourages participation from any club member or friend able to assist with the planning, including scheduling, meals and social events, solicitation of sponsorships, etc.

For an entry form and the most complete and up-to-date information about the bonspiel, visit its new website at www.texasopenbonspiel.org.

2007 U.S. Club National Playdowns
Updated December 3, 2006

Teams from the At Large Region (including Texas), the Colorado Region (including Wyoming), and the Nebraska Region will play down together to determine who goes to the 2007 U.S. Club National Championships. Those playdowns will be hosted in Omaha, Nebraska by the Aksarben Curling Club on January 27-28, 2007 (possibly including the evening of January 26th, if necessary).

Playdowns for Men's, Women's, and Mixed teams will all happen during the same weekend. This accomodates the needs of scheduling in an arena vs. a dedicated ice situation and minimizes the cost for individual curlers, especially those who participate in both Men's or Women's and Mixed competition.

The entry fee is the USCA-required $250/team. Aksarben curls on arena ice and there will also be an ice rental fee paid directly to the Aksarben club, once the exact number of participants is known.

The deadline for submitting a team entry for the playdowns will be January 2, 2007 for Men's and Women's, January 8 for Mixed. Houston curlers should communicate their interest/intentions to Matt Dolloff. Liaisons between individual clubs and the USCA for the Playdowns are Dan Johnson (Dallas) and Doug Jaixen (Aksarben).

Here is the 2007 USCA Playdown Rules booklet. The entry form is on page 35.

Regional playdown winners will advance to the national championships:

• Men's and Women's U.S. Club National Championships, March 4-10, St. Paul, Minnesota
• U.S. Mixed National Championship, March 17-24, Grafton, North Dakota