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The mysterious white art State’s first curling club comes roaring down the ice by Alex Sakariassen
Shouts echo across the Stumptown Ice Den in Whitefish, followed by the low groan of gliding granite. Few of the 18 people here have ever curled before. Maybe they saw the sport televised in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Maybe they’re just bored on a Sunday afternoon.
Twenty teams with the Aspen Curling Club now play two nights a week in winter, with weekends reserved for practices and public curling events. “I’d watched it on the Olympics and thought it looked like a blast,” Hoepfer says. But he can’t quite put a finger on what drew him to the sport. “I’ve heard
shop. More than 50 people attended, and the club now has four teams. “We pulled this together in very little time,” Hoepfer says. “We couldn’t have done it without the city of Whitefish Parks and Rec. That’s where most arena clubs have trouble. Public rinks have lots of demand for hockey and public skating time…They wonder, ‘Is [curling] a moneymaker for us?’ That’s where we can help out, by showing them, ‘Yes.’” Hoepfer’s biggest concern is fundraising for curling stones. One set of 16 stones costs around $7,000, and Whitefish will eventually need two. The North Dakota Curling Association loaned Hoepfer two sets this fall, but the favor expires in January. “Our goal is to start fundraising right away so we can have one set of stones,” Hoepfer says. “Then we’ll start fundraising for the second set. Photo by Alex Sakariassen We need the stones cause we Jim Thompson tosses a curling stone down the Whitefish ice arena during the have the interest.” Hoepfer says local businesses Whitefish Curling Club’s learn-to-curl workshop Oct. 11. The club, founded in July by John Hoepfer, already fields four teams and roughly 20 members. and individuals have already donated funding to sponsor 10 Instructors run through game lingo people call it the ‘mysterious white art,’ stones. The club sees that as a public vote during the Whitefish Curling Club’s learn- and I totally agree.” of confidence in curling’s potential. to-curl workshop. Two “skips” —curling’s “Once rink operators in cities see Curling was pioneered on frozen take on the quarterback position—point ponds in Scotland in the 1500s and most how much fun the folks are having curlout shots to newbies positioned in the closely resembles shuffleboard. ing and, frankly, how much money they “hack,” a C-shaped plastic foothold. As 40- Enthusiasts refer to it as “chess on ice,” as can bring in with people having fun, I pound granite stones roar down the rink, the placement of stones in the house think other cities are going to follow,” beginners with fiberglass “brooms” guide requires intense strategy. It’s often the says Will Hagin, a Whitefish attorney who the speed and direction of tosses by fran- butt of jokes, and even fueled the 2002 joined the club in August. “Hopefully we tically sweeping the ice. Canadian comedy Men with Brooms star- can be successful enough to help other Until this fall, Montana remained the ring Leslie Nielsen. folks start similar programs in other cities only state bordering Canada without an Aware of Hoepfer’s experience with in Montana.” established curling club. Several commu- the Aspen club, Whitefish Parks and The workshop wraps up five minutes nities have made the attempt, with Recreation Facility Manager Andy after the club’s four-hour timeslot Gallatin County struggling to form a club Hergesheimer approached Hoepfer in expires, and no one wants to leave. Some last winter, but Whitefish is well on its July about a similar grassroots effort for hunt for the club roster, dropping $20 on way to being the state’s first success story. Whitefish. The two recognized a long- a year membership. Others plan to attend That’s predominantly the work of standing demand for curling in the the first practice on Saturday, hoping to club president John Hoepfer, 60, a 25- community, and Hergesheimer immedi- try again before joining. year Colorado resident who moved to ately offered late-night ice time on “Once I figure out the schedule for Whitefish in June. During the clinic, he Saturdays. the next practice, you bet I’ll be back,” wanders around the arena with his red “It’s always been in the back of says first-timer Jim Thompson. cap turned backwards, offering pointers m y m i n d t o s t a r t c u r l i n g , ” s a y s Hoepfer pulls a bottle of Aleve from and inspecting makeshift “houses”—tar- Hergesheimer, who has managed the ice his vest pocket. Even a sport as addictive get-shaped goals—he painted earlier. rink for seven years. “We have a Canadian as curling comes with sacrifices, he jokes. “Curling comes off the ice, and you influence up here, since we’re close to Despite the aches, he’s got grand plans can’t get people out of the rink,” the border, and there are people around for curling in Montana. Three years from Hoepfer says later. “They’re playing, here who have curled in the past.” now? Youth curling, statewide leagues, a they’re visiting, they’re socializing. I Whitefish Parks and Rec covered the more rigorous schedule for practices and love to see that.” $1,200 for brooms, hacks and other public exposure. Just like in Aspen. Hoepfer first took to curling when he equipment using funds from the rink “’Cause it’s about time,” he says. “If headed a learn-to-curl workshop at the budget. Hoepfer arranged to bring in two we can head the charge, we’re happy Aspen Ice Garden in late 2006. The event instructors–Merwyn Nash from McCall, to.” drew 400 people in two days and led to Idaho, and Roger Smith from Bismarck, asakariassen@missoulanews.com the formation of an 80-player league. N.D.–for last weekend’s two-day work-
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