Curling in The Villages
 

Anyone interested in setting up a curling club here?

I'll let you know when Lake Miona freezes over and we can get out the stones.

I would just be happy if they opened an ice rink. One rink could support so many activities. Leisure ice skating, figure skating, speed skating, hockey, etc. They could even rent it out to the Villages Charter school so they could field a hockey team to compete against other high school hockey teams in the state.

I'd be a bit surprised to find there is a strong high school hockey infrastructure in Florida. Kinda like having a bunch of high school surf teams in Kansas - just not much call for it.

Maybe like the Jamaican Bobsled Team?

Florida has over 40 high school hockey teams and the number is growing. More than most states.

Florida has two professional NHL hockey teams, tied for second most in any state except New York State.

40 out of 1,169 high schools. Okay. 3.5%. I didn't say there weren't any, just that I'd be surprised if there was much of an infrastructre.

Umm, California has 3 NHL teams by the way.

My kids never played on it, but there are rinks with synthetic “ice”. It’d probably work for curling.

I've skated on those. They're actually really good considering they're a fake alternative.

I'm experienced with curling "up north". The telfon "ice" would definitely not work for curling. The whole principle behind curling is pebbled ice that needs to be created in a special pattern using a skilled person and spraying implements. During play, the curling brooms slightly melt and smooth out the ice pebbling in front on each rock while the rock is in motion to make it go faster or curl less or more.

Liquid water on ice makes ice slicker also so they can control speed.

I’ve been playing hockey down in Wesley Chaoel for over 5 years now.

One of their rinks is also set up for curling. Currently live in Moultrie Creek

You would be surprised by the amount of youth hockey in central Florida. 🏒🥅😎

Lake Miona doesn't freeze. Probably only gets as low as 40-50F.

Someone told me that The Villages had a hockey club until 2020. Most of the players were Canadian and could not cross the border after Covid shut down. I have only heard that once. They played on two or three "nearby" rinks.

I completely forgot about the sweeping in curling and was only thinking of the stones being thrown. I have a new idea. They could sweep sawdust under the stones or away. Like a giant version of table top shuffle board. :D

You first.

Ice rink in the villages
 

I think a rink in the villages would be Awesome!!!!

Love to watch curling. it takes a great deal of energy and sense of timing and accuracy. I would give it a try.

Then the amenity fees would go up more and everyone would complain, especially if they weren't going to use it.

I'd go for an Iceless Club
 

Having curled for ~ 30 years I would go for an iceless curling club. I also have heard there is a curling club in Orlando using hockey ice (not ideal as there are ice temperatures for each). Anyway it would be a great social club.

Ha good one! However that already is a curling club, they meet once a month at the hair salon.

I tried to push one of those while it was stored at building at the U of Denver and could barely move it. No ice involved. These were probably 42 lbs each.

So, basically it would be difficult to juggle 3 at a time.

Watched curling on TV for years and then eventually tried it myself. The feel involved to make the rock go +/- 10 feet from where a previous spot went makes lag putting a golf ball 40 feet seem laughably easy.

The sweeping is another crazy part of it. I had no idea how much of a workout the sweeping part is where your heart is pumping like crazy and you're sweating buckets while the whole time you're getting yelled at by the Skip "HARD!!! HARD!!!!" and that's just 20 seconds.

Probably not for the Hulk....