Plainfield Curling Club facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Plainfield Curling Club |
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Current logo of the Plainfield Curling Club
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| Location | 133 McKinley Street South Plainfield, NJ 07080 USA |
| Information | |
| Established | 1963 |
| Club type | Dedicated ice |
| USCA region | Grand National Curling Club |
| Sheets of ice | Two |
| Rock colors | Red and Yellow |
| Website | https://njcurling.org |
The Plainfield Curling Club (PCC) is a special club in South Plainfield, New Jersey. It's a non-profit group where people play curling. The PCC has the only building just for curling in New Jersey.
The club started in 1963. At first, members curled outside or rented ice. Their own two-sheet curling building was finished in 1967. The PCC curling season runs from late October to early April.
As of 2018–2019, the club has games seven days a week. They also host six yearly curling tournaments called bonspiels. The club has programs for teenagers and younger kids (ages 6–12). They also let new people try curling with help from experienced players.
The club saw many new members after the 2002 Winter Olympics and 2006 Winter Olympics. This happened because more people watched curling on TV. Interest in the sport grew again after the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Plainfield Curling Club is part of the Grand National Curling Club and the United States Curling Association.
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Cool Curlers from Plainfield
Many talented curlers have been part of the Plainfield Curling Club. Here are a few:
- Jacqui Kapinowski: She was a lead player in wheelchair curling at the 2010 Winter Paralympics. Her team finished 4th.
- Janice Langanke: She was a skip (team leader) for the team that won the 2011 U.S. Women's Club National Championship.
- Dean Gemmell: He was a lead player for the team that won the 2012 United States Men's Curling Championship.
- Cameron Ross: He was a lead player at the 2012 World Junior Curling Championships. His team finished 5th.
- Steven Szemple: He was a second player at the 2015 World Junior Curling Championships. His team finished 5th.
PCC in the Spotlight
The Plainfield Curling Club has even been on TV!
- They appeared on The Colbert Report. Stephen Colbert learned about curling with the U.S. Men's Curling Team from the 2010 Winter Olympics. This team included John Shuster, Jason Smith, Jeff Isaacson, John Benton, and Chris Plys.
Fun Yearly Curling Events
The Plainfield Curling Club hosts several fun bonspiels (curling tournaments) each year. Most of these are open to curlers from other clubs. Unless noted, teams can be made up of any mix of men and women.
Founders' Bonspiel
- This event happens in November. It's a special tournament just for club members. It honors the people who started the club.
PCC Junior Bonspiel
- Held in January, this bonspiel is just for teenage curlers.
Robert Burns Thrifty Bonspiel
- This Scottish-themed bonspiel is in January. It includes a special dinner called a Burns supper. You can try haggis and hear bagpipes. Someone also reads a poem called "Address to a Haggis."
Jersey Curlz Bonspiel
- This tournament for women takes place in February or March. It's part of a series of events for the United States Women's Curling Association (USWCA).
The P.C.C. Stone Bonspiel
- This men's bonspiel is held in March. It honors Peter C. Christofferson, who was the father of one of the club's founders, Ken Christofferson.
The Bonsqueal Bonspiel
- This popular event happens in April and marks the end of the curling season. It has a new pig-related theme every year. This is a funny nod to the "hog line" in curling. There's even a pig roast on Saturday night! Because it's so popular, games are shorter, except for the final match.
The Plainfield Curling Club also hosts other bonspiels sometimes. These include events for the Mid-Atlantic Curling Association (MACA). They also host friendly games with other nearby clubs. The PCC is also one of the clubs that hosts the Herries Maxwell trophy. This special event is played every ten years between teams from Scotland and the USA.
Club Connections
The Plainfield Curling Club is connected to several important curling groups:
- United States Curling Association
- Grand National Curling Club
- Mid Atlantic Curling Association (This group includes the Plainfield, Philadelphia, Potomac, and Chesapeake curling clubs.)
- U.S. Women's Curling Association
See also
- List of curling clubs in the United States
