The Comox Valley Curling Centre is rocking a new look.

In the last six years, the club added pick-up leagues, upgraded its bar to keep craft beer on tap, and opened on weekends. Membership doubled, a new demographic signed up to play, and local businesses became sponsors.

While manager Keith Parry worked the past six years to expand the club and improve its value, the average demographic has decreased by roughly 15 years of age, social leagues started on Friday and Saturday, and the bar quadrupled its options to offer eight beers on tap B次元官网网址� adding craft brews from across the Island.

A big goal of recent changes has been to attract newcomers into the sport. To do this, having a dark beer, wheat beer, IPA, pilsner or lager, sour or fruity, and a hazy beer on tap doesnB次元官网网址檛 hurt; but ParryB次元官网网址檚 main focus has been to launch social leagues that give newbies a chance to break onto the ice.

B次元官网网址�(WeB次元官网网址檙e) opening it up to non-competitive curlers and fun curlers and new curlers, ultimately,B次元官网网址� said Parry. B次元官网网址淭he best way is to have four friends or family or coworkers to join a league but if you donB次元官网网址檛, weB次元官网网址檒l help you find a team.B次元官网网址�

The Gladstone Friday fun league has been a popular addition since Parry started six years ago. ItB次元官网网址檚 backed by sponsorship from the local brewery and facilitates casual competition that allows players the opportunity to try curling for a season of just five weeks.

In the past, seasons have traditionally run for 23 weeks B次元官网网址� making it hard to test the sport.

Continuing the work to appeal to newcomers, the Comox Valley Curling Centre is adding a $10 drop-in and play league in the new year that will run on Saturday afternoons. Leagues have also been added such as mixed-gender leagues and leagues of all-ages play.

The hope is that players who like the sport will scale up into more competitive leagues. The new expansions have been successful in breathing new life into the club, but Parry makes sure to emphasize the club still keeps a competitive player base in the higher-level leagues.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not all fun, we have champion-level curlers here,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hoB次元官网网址� I hopeB次元官网网址� are having fun when they come.B次元官网网址�

Parry said he brought his ideas from past experience. The idea of creating sponsorships in the community came from his experience in the music business; the idea of creating social leagues came from his experience working at a club on the mainland; and the idea of upgrading the bar came from living in Vancouver B次元官网网址� where he took interest in craft beer.

Of course, putting new beer in the curling club was also a personal choice.

B次元官网网址淭here was actually no beer here that I would drink,B次元官网网址� he said with a laugh.

But the real passion for changes at the club is curling.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a wonderful, fun game. Intellectually challenging, good physical workout, itB次元官网网址檚 social.B次元官网网址�

READ ALSO: