RHINELANDER, Wis. — On a Monday morning, a curling stone slid across the sheet at the Rhinelander Ice Arena, home of Hodag Hockey.
But instead of a hockey match, Wisconsin’s newest curling club was playing a league game. It’s first new club organized in the state since the mid-70s.
Terri Gleason and her husband Mike Gleason helped bring curling to the area.
“Anyone can curl. Any age, any anything,” said Terri Gleason.
Most clubs have dedicated ice for curling. The Gleasons still belong to a club in Wausau, a two-and-a-half-hour round-trip drive. But Terri Gleason said she wants folks around Rhinelander to try the sport she loves.
“I have a good friend in Rice Lake, and he’s 89 years old. He’s had two hip replacements and two knee replacements, and he curled in the men’s masters a couple weekends ago. He curls with his walker and a stick,” said Terri Gleason.
Tykie Wescott curled with her family while growing up in Lodi. She said age is no excuse not to play. Plus, adaptations exist if players have physical limitations.
“I use a stick, and I use a stick because I have an artificial knee, and it’s hard for me to get back up. You can find which way works best for you,” said Westcott.
Before this club opened up, Wescott said she was curling about once a year.
“Curling is so much fun, and you have so much camaraderie with everyone, making new friends, you have lifetime friends from curling,” said Westcott.
The young club opened its doors to the public last spring with two “learn to curl” events.
“Out of the 100 participants, 45 signed up as members, which is a really good ratio. Then, half of those 45 members are women, which is a phenomenal ratio,” said Terri Gleason.
Wescott lives over an hour away and attended one of the events. She met other curlers and now carpools with them to league games.
“I’m getting to know them. I didn’t know them before,” said Westcott.
The Monday morning league is a draw for retirees. The Sunday night league offers a wide range of ages and experience levels.
“Anybody can come. We had two 18-year-olds and two 58-year-olds yesterday,” said Terri Gleason.
Curlers enjoy the strategy and teamwork behind placing their stones to score points, not to mention getting out of the house.
“It just keeps you going. I’m 72, and I don’t want to curl up and stay on the couch,” said Westcott.
Building camaraderie through physical activity and providing a mental challenge for its members, the Rhinelander Curling Club hopes to draw more curlers to the ice.