Sonia Montero

LTEC brings dedicated rink to South Lake Tahoe!

June 8, 2019 / Sonia Montero / Comments Off

It happened. Nevada has its first dedicated curling rink. Lake Tahoe, the blue jewel in the high sierras, now has another reason for people to visit. Lake Tahoe Epic Curling (LTEC) has sparked much buzz with its new two sheet facility. Located a short distance from the South Lake Tahoe casinos the facility is currently being tested by its members and lucky learn-to-curl participants. “It’s been truly amazing and such an exciting time for our little club!,” says Club president Edith Hazard, “We’ve been working hard to get this done and it’s wonderful to see it come together.” The build began October 2018 in a refurbished building that also houses the Lake Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Grid system being laid down

Chiller being connected

The rink is currently still being built out; phase one is done – the ice is in. Phase two will see the warm room completed by September. A viewing area, locker rooms and a kitchen area will round out the facility. At the moment the rink is not fully open for business but as soon as the building is done, LTEC hopes to begin planning events. “As soon as we get our occupancy permits we hope to open our doors,” assures President Hazard, “and hopefully invite other clubs to showcase our rink.” In future LTEC plans to hold many events and hopes the curling community will make the trip to play. From all accounts the LTEC new rink is set to become a popular destination located in the picturesque town.

Sheets installed

Where: 128 Market St, Unit 1A, Stateline, Nevada 89449, off Hwy 207.
For more information: @LakeTahoeEpicCurling and www.ltec.org

Ice, Sports & Solar (ISS) CEO Said Hakim presents Ray Sidney with LTEC logo

Who is ISS? USA Curling announces partnership with ISS Ice, Sports and Solar Systems

Teams represent at 2019 Arena National Championship

May 27, 2019 / Sonia Montero / Comments Off

MoPac member club teams at National Arenas 2019

As May comes to a close we look back at the great turnout by teams from the MoPac region at the 2019 Arena National Championship. Clubs from the region showed up in numbers; teams from Las Vegas Curling Club, San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club, Silicon Valley Curling Club and Wine Country Curling Club made their way to West Chester, Pennsylvania for the week-long competition.

Bronze medal winners – Silicon Valley Curling Club ladies
Diane Palme, Amanda Chang, Melissa Wheeler, Mary Riordan & Jennifer Asis

The Silicon Valley Curling Club ladies team ended on a victorious note, securing the bronze after an exciting week which saw them come back in one game to score 3 points in the eighth end to take the game. Their final victory came after they got past the Wine Country Curling Club ladies.
For all final standings and results visit the USCA 2019 Arena Nationals site. And stay tuned for next year when the Arena National Championship travels to Gillette, Wyoming.

Photo of Silicon Valley Curling Club ladies team courtesy of Andy Carle.

Coyotes Curling Club Teams Excel at 2019 Club Nationals

March 18, 2019 / Sonia Montero / Comments Off

Heartfelt congratulations go out to the 2019 Club National Championship men’s team winners from Coyotes Curling Club known as Team Siggins: Michael Siggins, Adam Endicott, Travis Gaddie and Eric Kowal. The team was one of two men’s teams participating from the MoPac region.

**Team Siggins: 2019 Club National Men’s Champs!**
(Photo courtesy of USA Curling)

Also taking home the accolades was the women’s bronze-winning team also from Coyotes Curling Club known as Team Burton: Jayne Burton, Tatiana Keeling, Amy Thompson and Kim Gaddie.

**Team Burton: 2019 Club National Women’s Bronze Medal Winners**
(Photo courtesy of USA Curling)

Both teams participated in the Club Nationals Championships together with clubs from Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin. The event was held this year at the Dakota Curling Club in Lakesville, Minnesota. Also participating from MoPac were men’s Team LeClair: Bob LeClair, Greg Gallagher, Jeff Baird, Tom Danielson and women’s Team Aubrey: Debra Aubrey, Luba Brock, Cassandra Matras, Kimber Maroney.

We are very proud of all of our teams and hope that Team Siggins’ victory stands as an example of what is possible for curlers from our region.

2019 International Tankard Honorees Announced

February 13, 2019 / Sonia Montero / Comments Off

MoPac is proud to announce the honorees selected for this year’s International Tankard which takes place from March 29-31st at the Abbotsford Curling Club, Abbotsford, British Columbia.

In addition to those attending the Tankard all Tankard volunteer honorees have also been named to receive the Timothy Max Irish Volunteer Service Award for 2019. Congratulations to every one of our deserving honorees. Their contributions to their respective clubs and the region as a whole are greatly appreciated!

Honorees attending the International Tankard

Jay Diamond, Silicon Valley Curling Club/Granite Curling Club of California
Katie Feldman, Wine Country Curling Club
Lucinda Tutterow, Ogden Curling Club
Andy Carle, Silicon Valley Curling Club

Additional Volunteer Honorees

David Twohig, Coyotes Curling Club
Bruce Irvin, Evergreen Curling Club
BriAnna Weldon, San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club
Bruce Johnson, Wine Country Curling Club

MoPac 5&U Registration Opens Today

January 7, 2019 / Sonia Montero / Comments Off

Opens today at 12 noon (PST).

Registration Quick Link!!

For full info, please see the 5 and Under event page for more information and follow MoPac 5&U on Facebook

Continental Cup Ticket Giveaway is Here!

November 27, 2018 / Sonia Montero / Comments Off

Here’s a chance to see world-class curling in person – in our region.

Watching the 2019 World Financial Group Continental Cup is a great way to start the new year. Two winners per eligible MoPac club will receive tickets to all games January 17-20, 2019 in Las Vegas!! (Travel and Hotel not included.) Tickets to be awarded in the spirit of giving back to the curling community.

Hey curlers, contact your clubs for specific contest requirements and guidelines for this..and remember to share your love of curling with the world. http://LasVegasCurling.rocks #VegasRocks @LVCurlingRocks

Thanks to @VegasCurlingRocks for their support

Winners agree to participate in MoPac, USCA and Las Vegas Rocks promotion, including photos and interviews.

2018 Summer Wrap-up: Highlights!

September 4, 2018 / Sonia Montero / Comments Off

It has been quite an active summer for member clubs in the MoPac region. Bonspiels, learn-to-curls, summer leagues, clinics, outreach events – we saw them all. Here are some highlights.

Golden Gate Bonspiel 2018 Opening Ceremony

Kudos again to the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club & the Silicon Valley Curling Club for kicking summer off with a fantastic Golden Gate Bonspiel.

Attendees, instructors & coaches at Junior Camp

Hotter than Hell Bonspiel

Cache Valley Stone Society & Coeur d’Alene Curling Club, among others, held learn-to-curl events for eager newbies. Coyotes Curling Club saw it all – they hosted the 2nd Annual AZ Junior Curling Camp (part of US Junior Curling Camps) – giving the next generation a chance to learn under the guidance of USCA certified instructors and coaches. Their No Ice, No Broom, No Problem Shuffleboard Pub Crawl was rousing fun and the Hotter Than Hell Bonspiel at Coyotes Curling Club also brought old and new friends together for a fun spiel in the dessert.

And speaking of heat, Hollywood Curling sizzled with events – hosting the largest bonspiel in the region as well as opening a third location in the Los Angeles area. (See the full story here.)

Boise Curling Club enjoyed a summer party and managed to bring the floor curl out into the sunshine. Utah Olympic Oval Curling Club‘s rink got an update to its chilling equipment in anticipation of a busy season. Curl San Diego enjoyed success at the Blockbuster Megaspiel and began planning its Fall activities in July!

Las Vegas Curling Club kept it cool with new scoreboards and a summer league that included ‘The Accelerator’ in their Summer League finals – sounds impressive. Granite Curling Club of California shared the love of curling in Riverside, California and collaborated with instruction on the basics of preparing arena ice for curling sessions. Salt Lake Magazine – Best of the Beehive Edition voted Park City Curling Club the best sports club to join for post-Olympic fever. And Silicon Valley Curling Club practiced their broomstacking skills and even took in a bit of lawn bowling. Woah! Orange County Curling Club hosted the Rock the Derby Mini Cashspiel – complete with bowties, fedoras and frilly hats.

Horses await their jockeys at Rock the Derby

Rounding out the summer season, Wine Country Curling Club & the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club hosted the NorCal Curling Clinic.

NorCal Curling Clinic debriefing

The Crush 2018 Opening Ceremony

Wine County also got busy with the famed Crush Bonspiel as the final summer hoorah. Nice job to all the Clubs. Thanks also to all the clubs for their photos. Now on to Fall 2018!!

Summer 2018 Wrap-up: Hollywood Curling Sets a Record

August 14, 2018 / Sonia Montero / Comments Off

If you look online for things to do in the Los Angeles area you will see famous attractions such as Rodeo Drive, Pink’s and the Hollywood sign but there is also great curling to be had with the folks at Hollywood Curling.

The Club which has been in existence since 2007 boasts a growing presence in the greater Los Angeles area. As with many curling clubs in the US, Hollywood Curling saw an increase in community interest after the men’s US gold medal performance. “We spiked from 70 members in January to 152 members in July” says Club President Liza Beres. “We are also celebrating the tenth year of our annual bonspiel” And celebrate they did.

The 2018 Summer Blockbuster Megaspiel held this past July broke records as the largest spiel in California’s and MoPac Curling Association’s histories. With a record-breaking 56 teams curling on two different rinks the event took over their Ice Station Valencia rink location. Despite the 117 degree heat the Ice Station was a respite of coolness – on and off the ice. Not only were the stands packed during the Saturday night celebrity match but the magical “bonspiel spirit” (that binds commrades-in-arms at such events) was stronger and more palpable among attendees this year.

Participants in celebrity match 2018

Blockbuster Megaspiel Awards

Such successful events cannot happen unless you have the bonspiel volunteers ready to jump into their roles. President Beres notes that this year her Bonspiel Committee out did itself – with bonspiel-seasoned volunteers knowing what needed to happen and making the significant contribution in time and positive energy. In particular, the ever-hard working ice crew was tasked with preparing and maintaining two rinks of ice during the same bonspiel. The famed ‘S.L.UT’s (Salt Lake, Utah crew) stepped up their game and were among the first to volunteer. As with any bonspiel, the ice crew is a critical part of a successful event and planning for the Megaspiel revolved around the S.L.UTs’ needs in preparing the ice. The actual ice prep began two months before the bonspiel using a laser to measure and conduct heat maps for the Zamboni to troubleshoot.

Photos courtesy of Hollywood Curling

The off-ice volunteers were just as vital. From registration to broomstacking to awards, the volunteers kept the show going strong. President Beres gives much credit to her “incredible team” including the industrious mother-daughter partnership of Debbie and Miranda Heaslip. “They make it look easy,” she says.

But how will Hollywood Curling follow up the Megaspiel next year? “We’re in talks” quips President Beres. She warns that although we may not see another 56-team event and that this year was a special anniversary/Olympics/newbie curler bonanza – we should still expect perhaps a 40 to 44-team spiel. They want to see as many curlers return as possible. “The growth of curling is changing the face of curling” No doubt Hollywood Curling will be part of the large expansion of curling in the West!

Interested in Hollywood Curling?

They currently run 4 weekly draws over 12 sheets at the Ice Station Valencia -5 sheets, Pasadena Ice Skating -4 sheets and Promenade Ice Chalet (Palos Verde) -3 sheets. Look for more info at their website:

https://www.hollywoodcurling.org/

Mountain Pacific Curling Association

Go West. Curl West.

Author: Sonia Montero