Belfast Curling Club

One-Of-A-Kind in Maine

by Tom Seymour

The ice on which curlers play is carefully prepared and used. Distance and accuracy are more important than speed in throwing the stone. The somewhat pancake-shaped stones, rather than being perfectly flat on the bottom, are made with a rim around the edges. Thus, the rim of the stone rides on the pebbled surface of the ice. Rapidly sweeping before the stone’s path increases the distance of the throw. Tom Seymour photo

Motorists driving along Route 3 in Belfast, Maine, often wonder what goes on in the long, rectangular building with the sign out front that proclaims, “Belfast Curling Club.”

Indeed, the Belfast Curling Club is a one-of-a-kind entity in Maine. The nearest curling club in the United States (curling clubs abound in neighboring New Brunswick, Canada) is in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Curling, as many fans of the International Olympic Games know, is not only a local pastime for many in Canada, Maine and a scattering of other northern states, it is an Olympic sport. But it is in the local setting that curling works its magic, tying members from often-disassociated communities together for the shared goal of practicing this 500-year-old Scottish sport.

According to Douglas Coffin, a curler and long-time member of Belfast Curling Club, the ancient Scots practiced their games on frozen lakes and ponds. In time, curling became better organized and went from the frozen surfaces of naturally-occurring waters to special outdoor rinks and finally, to the grand, indoor sheets of ice that curlers play on today.

Manicured Ice

A first-time visitor to Belfast Curling Club might not fully grasp what goes in to maintenance and upkeep of the three “sheets” of ice inside the climate-controlled room. Red boundary lines, along with red-and-blue concentric circles, mark the playing fields. Each of these lines and circles are hand-drawn on special clay, under which lie ammonia-filled coolant pipes. After the artists finish their work, water is let out upon the field. But only a little water at a time. The first flush of water results in small, frozen pockets scattered about. As subsequent charges of water are released, they freeze and form transparent layers over the lines and circles. At this point the ice is ready not for playing, but for being in a state of readiness for being prepared for playing. It’s a long tedious process.

Before each use, club members go through their routines of readying the ice. First, a specially designed machine goes up and down the sheets, removing just a razor-thin layer of ice, usually the upraised parts of ice that aren’t 100 percent level succumb to this scraping. After that, the thus-shaved ice is removed with long-handled push-style brushes and emptied into a large container. This process takes some time. When everyone is perfectly satisfied that the ice is ready, the final treatment is applied.

Although it sounds counter-intuitive, the last step in preparing the ice sheets for curling is to spray a fine mist of hot water evenly over the ice. The water immediately freezes, resulting in a pebbled, or textured appearance. The reason for this is so that the stones can slide easier and faster. The somewhat pancake-shaped stones, rather than being perfectly flat on bottom, are made with a rim around the edges. Thus, the rim of the stones rides on the pebbled surface of the ice. It’s the opposite of a set of tires on a motor vehicle, in that instead of striving for maximum tire-to-road contact, curling stones and the ice they slide upon are designed for the minimum stone-to-ice contact.

Opening ceremony at the Belfast Curling Club being led by Scottish piper Tom Seymour. The ancient game has many customs. Played on a highly polished ice surface, the game is bit like bollards, a bit like chess and not exactly either. Tom Seymour photo

Humble Beginnings

The Belfast Curling Club had its genesis as the brainchild of Belfast Dr. Norman E. Cobb. Cobb, who came to Maine from New Brunswick, Canada, introduced the sport of curling to some friends and this seminal group began playing on an outdoor rink. But that soon ended with a donation of several acres of land from one of the members.

Volunteers immediately pitched in and built the clubhouse. Curlers come from all walks of life and fortunately, the group included a number of skilled tradesmen. So in February of 1959, the Belfast Curling Club officially opened. And they haven’t looked back since.

The club began playing on two “sheets,” but in 1962, the ice house was completely rebuilt as a “three sheet” facility. Sheets are individual playing fields. On a three-sheet field, three games can take place independent of each other.

In 1977, the club added a banquet and dance hall to the clubhouse. This has since served to host not only the club’s social functions, but also the various needs of the community. Weddings, dances and everything in between are common activities for the hall.

Remodeling in 1991 added insulation and temperature control to the ice house, so that the ice would remain pristine. In fact, the club considers its ice the finest in New England.

The Game

So what is curling? Well, Douglas Coffin was adamant that this article not compare curling to shuffleboard. Indeed, the two are far removed. Curling more closely resembles a game of chess played on ice, in that it involves the ability to see an end result far ahead of time and plan accordingly.

Curling, in essence, is a group effort and incorporates a number of skills, all of which are concentrated toward landing a stone in or near the “button,” that bull’s-eye in the center of the “house,” those red-and-blue concentric circles.

Above all, though, curling demands courtesy and good sportsmanship. Prior to every game, players move about the ice shaking hands with opponents. They mean it, too. Each team and each player demonstrates a deep respect for those on the opposing side. All players, by the way, wear special footwear designed to protect the ice. The slightest little bit of dust, dirt or lint can adversely affect how a stone rides on the ice.

Just west of the intersection with Route 1 on Route 3 is the Belfast Curlers Club, about which many a driver has been curious. The ancient Scots practiced their games on frozen lakes and ponds. In time, curling became better organized and went from the frozen surfaces of naturally-occurring waters to special outdoor rinks. Tom Seymour photo

A team consists of four players, consisting of the Skip (captain), Vice-Skip, Second and Lead. The Skip serves as, in Douglas Coffin’s words, the “chessmaster.” The Skip, broom in hand, stands at the house end of the ice and points the broom either left or right, indicating where the team should direct their stones.

The game begins with one player throwing the stone according to the Skip’s directions. But this isn’t just a case of sliding a stone as hard as possible. Handles on the granite stones allow the player to impart a certain degree of “English” when throwing. They don’t actually throw the stone either, but rather slide it, with force and considerable control regarding direction.

Anyway, the stone slowly revolves, either clockwise or counterclockwise, as it slides down the sheet toward the house. Stones must cross the “hogline” in order to score. The first stone cast is usually meant to land in a position somewhat in front of the house, thereby denying the opposition’s stone access to center of the house.

However, with the way blocked, the opposing team may attempt to knock the first stone out of the way. This can be accomplished in several ways, one of which resembles something like what occurs in billiards. This not only dislodges the offending stone, but it also re-directs the stone being cast to a more desirable position by virtue of its glancing off the first stone.

Throwing the stone accurately requires considerable skill and experience. To help the stone on its way and also to direct its path of travel, two players, each armed with specially-designed brooms, sweep a path ahead of the stone. Sweeping can make all the difference in the world regarding the stone’s final destination. And as per distance, a 42-pound stone can travel an additional 10 – 15 feet as a result of sweeping.

Toward the end of the game, nerves get tightly wound. The last stone is called the “hammer,” and how it is thrown, where it lands and what it accomplishes can tilt the game in favor of one team or the other.

A game consists of teams going eight times down the sheet. This lasts an average of two hours.

Newbie’s Welcome

Everyone is welcome at Belfast Curling Club and members help non-curlers to get their feet wet, or cold, in this case, in short order. Age has little bearing on a person’s ability to curl, nor do various physical disabilities. Belfast was the first curling club in the nation to provide for members in wheelchairs. After that, wheelchair-bound folks who excel can go on to gain further accolades in a special, national competition.

Belfast Curling Club sees curling activity beginning on November 1 of each year and continuing through March. The club boasts of 220 members and events occur each Monday through Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and from 4:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Events are also held on weekends. The club’s phone number is (207) 338-9851 and their email address is: www.belfastcurlingclub.org.

The Club has embarked upon a capital improvement campaign to purchase and install a new floor, piping system and ice making plant. They have thus far raised 8 percent of their $350,000 goal.