Julie Yamaoko looked down the ice at the 100 Mile Curling Club and counted a number of her stones well short and nowhere near the centre of the opposite house.
“I hope we’re just going to get better. Because there’s no points out there.”
Yamaoka and members of her team are in the right place on this night (Oct. 8), taking advantage of free lessons provided by the local curling club ahead of the upcoming curling season.
She says the toughest part is keeping her balance and not falling down. However, Yamaoka is confident she’ll improve quickly.
“I’m having a great time and learning a lot,” she says, adding maybe she’ll curl in the Olympics next year or in the Tim Hortons Brier.
“Something that’s on TV.”
Katie McLellan is part of the team curling in the non-competitive business league this year.
“It’s a team building, bonding, skills night,” explains McLellan, who hasn’t curled in close to a decade and who might be sore the next day.
“You have to get pretty low in the hack and stretch. I forgot how far away the house is when you come out. I don’t remember it being so far away, so it’s getting used to getting the rock that far down. It’s quite a ways.”
Jim Mitchell, a longtime 100 Mile Curling Club member, is instructing.
“We’re stressing the delivery. We’re trying to teach a balanced, proper delivery right from the get-go to get them started on the right foot.”
Mitchell says he always looks forward to the curling season because it’s something that gets him off the couch and out of the house.
“It gets the competitive juices flowing.”
McLellan reiterated that point.
“In the winter, when it gets dark so early, it’s nice to have something do and get out and meet other people who are into having fun.”
