by Rutland Rocks Curling Club

Schenectady, NY

Rutland Rocks Curling Club sent three teams to the Schenectady Curling Club’s annual Schenectady Open Bonspiel (“the SOB”). Teams from New York, New England and Canada competed over four days.

Rutland Rocks has sent teams to this bonspiel every year since the club was founded in 2007. Schenectady’s facility is dedicated to curling, meaning the ice is kept at a higher temperature and is cared for in the way most conducive to curling. Specially trained volunteers called Icemakers clean, pebble, and nip the ice so that it is flat and free of nicks, troughs, and other conditions common in arena ice.

Rutland Rocks delivers during the “E” Event last Saturday at the Schenectady Open Bonspiel. Photo Courtesy of Amanda Witt Bogertman.

The upshot: Rutland curlers quickly learn that on dedicated ice, they do not have to push off the hack nearly as hard in order to make their shots, and skips can be confident that the amount of curl on the stone will be consistent over the course of the game.

One Rutland team placed as runners up in the “E” event after winning a “Draw Off” opportunity to play a fourth game on Saturday night. The team consisted of, at various points, Kate Thomas (Skip), Seth Walker (Vice Skip), Karen Jones (Second), Stephanie Peters Romeo (Lead), Glenn Campbell (Lead—Alternate), and Dean Mooney (Second—Substitute).

Rutland Rocks is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering the spirit and sport of curling in the Rutland, Vermont region.