BRCC Linked To Kalamazoo Curling

Now here's an interesting story about curling, curling beginnings and the love of the Roaring Game. Perhaps you might recognize the guy second from the right. It's Kent Elliot, a longtime BRCC pal and a pal of Dean Gemmell as well as our own Al and Maymar Gemmell. This picture was taken just after Kent (with fellow teammates) won the USA National Arena Curling Championships. This is a tournament open to US clubs that only curl on arena ice. Huge achievement for Kent and here's the interesting thing, he got his start in 2001 at the BRCC!

Yep, that's right...our cool little club gave this guy his curling beginnings. So here's how it all went down. Back in 2001, BRCC pal Dean Gemmell brought his friend Kent Elliot to play in the BRCC Men's Closing. Kent had never thrown a stone in his life, yet he was coming to play in the hoedown of all hoedowns on the north shore. After 2 hours of instruction in Windsor, Dean and Kent made the trek to Blind River and teamed up with Al (Gemmell) and it was game on. Turns out, they lost the "A" final to Al Harnden and then 2 things happened. First, they got an great prize because the prizes are excellent at the BRCC Mens Closing. But more than that, Kent was hooked on curling.

Kent returned to Blind River to play in the Closing for several more years and all the while he was doing this, he was also busying himself with getting curling started in Kalamazoo. In fact, he was instrumental on getting the game going down there, along with Garnet Eckstrand (who was Kevin Martin's best man at his wedding....the guy at furthest right in the photo).

Al and Maymar, along with Tom and Mary Coulterman (Tom Coulterman is the coach of Team Brad Jacobs) went down to Kalamazoo and put on a curling clinic one Saturday evening. At any rate, the club has grown and over the years and there you have it: curling is alive and well in Kalamazoo, MI. And, it it's own small way, the BRCC is a part of this process.

How's that for an awesome story! According to Al, he's going to try to get Dean and Kent back to play in the Mens Closing this year! This, of course, is unconfirmed, but it sure would be cool. Kent and Dean are huge curling advocates and it would be the BRCC's great honor to have them visit.

Meanwhile, registration is ahead at the BRCC on Sept 23  7pm - 9 pm. There will be equipment on display there. Need some equipment? Check us out. The prices are good and if we don't have it, we can get it pretty quick!

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic