The ice leveler involves separate blades that attach to the Zamboni and have what is basically an independent suspension, allowing it to shift and conform to the ice surface. Using a fixed point on one end of the arena wall, laser guidance directs the blades on how to cut and shave the ice with a target accuracy of .05mm. There are more benefits beyond the obvious flat, level surface on which to curl; figure skating and hockey will also notice the improvement and the arena will see reduced maintenance costs by being able to keep the ice at a consistent, level depth.

This new system, along with the rebuilding of the ice in July, should give us ice quality for Grits ‘n’ Granite as close to dedicated ice as you can get in an arena. We can’t wait to see what it’s like!

Thank you and good curling!

Individual results:
Sheet 1 – Palmetto 13 (13.25 points) Charlotte 7 (5.75 points)
Sheet 2 – Charlotte 8 (12 points) Palmetto 3 (3.75 points)
Sheet 3- Palmetto 8 (12 points) Charlotte 3 (3.75 points)
Sheet 4 – Charlotte 7 (10.75 points) Palmetto 6 (5.50 points)

The second half will be hosted by the Palmetto club at a date and time to be determined in the near future. Each club will again field four rinks and the club with the most total points after all eight matches will own the 1712 Cup. All club members will have a chance to participate in the event and new teams will be drawn based on interest and participation. Look for information soon on how you can play for the Cup!

Good curling!

Didn’t get in to Grits ‘n’ Granite? You will have another chance coming up very soon.  We will be auctioning off two team slots to play with Debbie McCormick, Olympian and World Champion! Watch for the announcement that the auction is up and running on ebay.  If you would like to be notified when the auction begins please email cmckee1961@gmail.com

Enjoy the warmth of a southern summer between your time on the ice.

Our first annual open format bonspiel is coming to Charlotte in August 2012! Plans are underway for a great weekend and there is just one thing missing – YOU!

Registration is now open and spots are going fast! We have teams from across the US and Canada already signed up to enjoy some good southern cooking and hospitality. We hope you will join us.

Register before March 1st and enjoy a discount off the entry fee. Prior to March 1st, the team price is $340. Afterwards, the price is $360.

There are many other exciting things to do in town so make it a full-fledged summer vacation with a round of golf, Carowind’s amusement park, Nascar Hall of Fame, or the US National White Water Center.

Check out the link below for more details and to secure your space in the event:

http://charlottecurling.com/site/events/?regevent_action=register&event_id=27

Thank you to all our teams, especially those traveling to join us. Thank you to everyone that helped make it a success – it would not have been possible without all the helping hands. A special thanks to the staff of Extreme Ice Center for really going the extra mile to help us figure out how to pull this event off.

Congratulations to Sue Mitchell’s team for taking First Place, and to Jeremy Hozjan and Dave DeFehr’s teams, who tied for Second Place.

Pictures will be posted very soon.

Our next event is Grits ‘n Granite coming up in August. Its shaping up to be just as much fun!

Looking for a unique gift for the person who has everything?

Have friends asking how they can learn the game?

Wanting to take your own skills to the next level?

Here is the perfect opportunity!

4 sessions of progressive lessons OR

1 session of the basics

You can pre-order 1, 2, 3, or 4 sessions – its up to you!

$25 per individual lesson or

Buy 3 and get the 4^th lesson FREE!

Lesson 1:            Fundamentals           1/6/12

Lesson 2:            Strategy                      1/13/12

Lesson 3:            Rules & Etiquette      1/20/12

Lesson 4:            Advanced Skills         1/27/12

All classes begin at 730pm and complete by 945pm.

Update – Registration and Classes begin at 830pm and end by 1045pm.

While each individual lesson is offered on a specific date, lesson 1 will be offered each date so that those purchasing a single lesson have the flexibility to choose the date they wish to attend.

Ready to secure your space? Or a space for someone on your gift list this year?

Click here to register today!

The fine print:

• Pre-registration for the lesson and date is highly encouraged so we can plan for the attendees.
• There is a limit of 24 participants for the 4-lesson package.
• There is no limit to the number of single lesson participants enrolled.
• No makeup dates, nor refunds for missed lessons

The pair took about 20 lucky members through skill-building lessons, ranging from delivery technique to strategy. It was a huge success. Every attendee learned a great deal – no matter how long they had been curling. Each attendee polled was impressed at how much they learned in just a few hours. Some learned how small tweaks in their stance made a huge difference in their delivery and control. Others learned the basics of strategy that helped them appreciate the complexity of the sport. One member even said he fell in love with the game again!

We hope to have similar sessions in the future and be able to open them up to a larger group, as well as other clubs.

A huge Thank You to the Kleins for offering us this great opportunity to meet their friends. It would not have been possible without their help.

The weekend of June 3rd-5th, Jessica Sammis and David Pollard had the honor of playing alongside Debbie McCormick and her husband Pete. You may remember Debbie as the Skip for the US Women’s Olympic Team in 2010. Pete McCormick is a World Champion as well, so this was a pretty awesome opportunity for them. They made it all the way to the finals, however unfortunately lost their last game to a very good Canadian team. We are pretty sure the other team has been playing since they were old enough to push a rock down the ice.

The weekend of June 10-12th, the club sent 4 teams to the GNCC Arena Club Championship Tournament. The GNCC consists of clubs along the entire East Coast and two of our teams made it all the way to event finals! Team Hozjan and Team Klein made it to the last game of their respective events. Both Charlotte teams were matched against teams from the Pittsburgh Curling Club, which also happened to be the defending champions. In the end Pittsburgh won, but Charlotte is definitely now on the curling map!

Thanks to all the fans who came out to support the teams. It would not have been the same without you. We made some great friendships through these events and learned a lot about the sport. We will be back next year!