Take Curling to the Next Level of Fun!

Below is some information and announcements regarding some of the upcoming and popular bonspiels within the GNCC, our local regional governing body for curling. Please note that this is an incomplete list and does not usually include bonspiels hosted by clubs outside of the GNCC. For a complete up-to-date listing of scheduled bonspiels, please visit either the GNCC Calendar page or the USCA Calendar page. As curling continues to increase in popularity, many bonspiels are filling up much more quickly than in the past. To help ensure that your team is accepted into an event, be sure to submit your entry form as early as possible. Then hit the road with some friends and really take curling to the next level of fun!

Any questions, such as trying to find teammates, or what to expect for first timers, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

For reference, here is a rundown of the different types of spiels:

Open : any configuration of a 4 person team (all men, all women, mixed, etc...)

Mixed : Must have alternating men and women (i.e. female skip, male vice, female second, male lead...)

Mens : men only in all 4 positions

Womens : women only in all 4 positions

Doubles : 2 positions. Traditional mixed is 1 male, 1 female. Open mixed can also be 2 females or 2 males

 --- FOR ADDITIONAL UPCOMING BONSPIELS, PLEASE REFER TO THE GNCC EVENT CALENDAR ---

• BogSpiel - Open (Cape Cod Curling Club)  
• Zombie Spiel - Open (Broomstones Curling Club, Wayland, MA) 
• Nashua Mixed Invitational - Mixed (Nashua Country Club, Nashua, NH) 
• Calder Mens - Mens (Norfolk CC, Norfolk, CT) 
• Crystal Snowflake - Womens (Nutmeg CC, Bridgeport, CT) 
• Golden Handle - Mixed (Nutmeg Curling Club, Bridgeport CT) 
• Governors Ball - Mens (Albany CC, Albany, NY) 
• IceBox Open - Open (Norfolk CC, Norfolk, CT)  
• Schenectady Open - Open (Schenectady CC, Schenectady, NY) 
• Broomstone Mens - Mens (Broomstones, Wayland, MA) -
• Gordon Emmet (GNCC Championships) - Mens (Schenectady CC, Schenectady, NY) 
• Winter Wonderland - Womens (Norfolk CC, Norfolk, CT) - 
• Granite State - Mens (Nashua CC, Nashua, NH) 
• TAM - Open (Albany CC, Albany, NY) )
• Gordon International - Mens (Nashua CC, Nashua, NH) - 
• Broomstones Mixed - Mixed (Broomstones, Wayland, MA ) - 
• Cornhole and Curling Biathalon - Open (Petersham CC, Petersham, MA) 
• Bay State Games - Open (Blackstone Valley CC, Hopedale, MA) 
• Spring Fling - Mixed (Petersham CC, Petersham, MA) 
• Curling The Gathering - Open (Rochester CC, Rochester, NY) )
• Crooked Billet - Open (Bucks County CC, Warminster, PA) - May 2-5, 2024 (Thur - Sun)

GNCC 5 & Under Bonspiels

• 90th Worcester Cup Bonspiel - 5 & Under - Mixed (The Country Club, Brookline, MA) - 
• Kayser  - Mixed 
• Elisabeth Childs Challenge  - Womens 
• Dykes -
• Other Major Events

The 2024 Annual GNCC Arena Club Championship will be hosted by the Ocean State Curling Club from June 6-9, 2024 at Providence College's Schneider Arena in Providence, RI. 

Note: The GNCC Arena Championship is typically a very popular event and the GNCC limits entries per club to ensure that every arena curling club within the GNCC has an opportunity to participate. Because of this, OSCC has adopted a team/participant selection process. Details of the selection process can be found in the Member's Area of the website. The selection process will begin as soon as more details about the GNCC Arena Championships are available. Club members will be contacted by email and invited to participate once the selection process begins. If you are interested in participating in the GNCC Arena Championship, please review the selection process rules first.

Ocean State Curling Club was founded in April 2009 by a core group of curlers in the Providence area who loved curling but were unable to commit to the travel needed to play at any of the nearby curling clubs. The two nearest curling clubs were in Falmouth, MA and Wayland, MA. With the enthusiastic assistance and perseverance of Russ Lemcke from the Cape Cod Curling Club, an open house was held in North Smithfield in March of 2009 to gauge local interest in curling in Rhode Island. When over 150 curious people turned out to learn more and try their hand at the sport it became clear that there was sufficient interest and momentum to form a club.

From October 2009 through March 2010, the successful inaugural season of league curling was held at the Cabot/Harman Ice Center at St. George's School in Middletown. The sport of curling then received a huge boost in public interest during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Curling was the "it" sport that everyone was discovering and wanted to try. Three learn-to-curl sessions, each giving interested participants about two hours of instruction and ice time, were organized at URI's Boss Arena. This event drew nearly 100 attendees and was followed by a spring curling league at URI from April to June 2010.

After two years of curling in Middletown, the club relocated for the third season to the "bubble rink" at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Cranston. Since moving to the west-bay, the club has experienced steady growth in the membership and in 2019 relocated to Smithfield Municial Ice Rink in Smithfield. 

While OSCC is still a relatively young curling club, it is already one of the oldest continually operating arena curling clubs in the GNCC. The Grand National Curling Club, or the GNCC, is the regional curling association for the Eastern US. Arena curling clubs are clubs that rent ice time from hockey arenas. Only the arena clubs in Lake Placid, NY (1981), Rutland, VT (2007) and Woodstock, VT (2008) have been curling longer. There are now about 35 arena curling clubs in the GNCC and over 50 arena clubs throughout the US.

History of Curling in Rhode Island

Although new to most Rhode Islanders, curling is not at all new to the Ocean State. Curling in Rhode Island dates back to the late 19th century. In 1896, both the Westerly Curling Club and the Niantic, R.I. Curling Club were established by groups of local Scottish granite quarry workers. Curling between the two clubs was played in the winter on frozen ponds in the Westerly area. Although little is known about the fate of the Niantic Curling Club, the Westerly Curling Club survived, in various incarnations, for nearly 100 years, still drawing a crowd of curling enthusiasts as recently as the late 1980's. Click Here for a copy of an article on the Westerly Curling Club from the Sept/Oct. 1986 issue of Tidings magazine. The article's opening line reads "The great international sport of curling is generally characterized by its fraternal and social aspects, as well as the enthusiasm engendered in the hardy souls of its devotees." A warmer climate and more mild winters, however, have prevented the Westerly club from getting the opportunity to curl more recently. The club continued its affiliation with the GNCC until the mid-2000's.

While the Westerly Curling Club was the most well established and longest surviving curling club in Rhode Island, it was not the only club. In addition to the Niantic, R.I. Curling Club, the Highland Curling Club in Harrisville existed from 1950 until about 1963. More recently, the Brown Curling Club made its home at Brown University from about 2000-2006.

Ocean State Curling Club is a non-profit, fully 501(c)(3) recognized organization dedicated to the promotion and expansion of awareness of the Olympic sport of curling in Rhode Island. We are a volunteer-run organization funded primarily by membership dues. All members, whether new to the club or long-time club members, are encouraged to volunteer in any area that they take an interest. We are a social club for anyone interested in recreational curling in Rhode Island. Our club curls at Smithfield Municipal Ice Rink (101 Pleasant View Avenue in Smithfield, Rhode Island). For more information on our club or to inquire about how to curl with us, email us at the address at the bottom of the page or click the Membership tab at the top of the page.

Mission

Ocean State Curling Club is dedicated to the enjoyment, fellowship, and promotion of curling in Rhode Island. We believe in building a strong community through the sport of curling by providing a welcoming environment for athletes of all ages and skill levels, creating the opportunity to improve skills while having fun.

Values

Ocean State Curling Club holds the following values as being important:

• Creating a positive atmosphere
• Providing an environment that is fun, friendly and welcoming towards others
• Achieving the highest level of sportsmanship
• Providing an affordable curling experience for the entire community
• Maintaining honesty and integrity in all aspects of the curling club

Goals

Ocean State Curling Club is focused on achieving the following objectives:

• Increasing public awareness of the sport of curling
• Growing club membership
• Increasing active member participation in the operation and activities of the club (volunteerism)
• Establishing long-term financial sustainability
• Giving back to the community through service and youth opportunities
• Plan for and fundraise toward a dedicated curling facility

"In the Hack"

Get to know some of our amazing members at Ocean State Curling - as featured in our newsletters and on our social media pages. 

BRIANNE STRAUS

TONY MORETTINI

JAMIE (BRIDGES) KENT

Committee Contacts:

Social Events: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Social Media / Communications: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Finance: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fundraising: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Facilities & Equipment: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bonspiel Organization: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Training & Learn-to-Curls: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Marketing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All Other: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Here you will find links to a variety of curling related organizations and websites where you can find out more about curling, get information on bonspiels you might want to attend, get information on elite curling events you can attend as a spectator, learn more about international curling or watch live and archived curling events.

• United States Curling Association (USCA)
• Grand National Curling Club
• College Curling USA
• Canadian Curling Association
• The Curling News
• CCA - YouTube Channel
• 12th End Sports Network
• TSN Coverage on ESPN3 (Live and archived games)
• World Curling TV on YouTube
• World Curling Federation
• World Curling Tour
• Olympics 2018 - Pyeongchang
• Olympic.org/Curling
• 2015 USA Curling National Championships - Kalamazoo, MI
• 2015 World Women's Curling Championships - Sapporo, Japan
• 2015 World Men's Curling Championships - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Our 2023-2024 League days and times are listed below! And you can always check on our Facebook page for additional information or updates. 

Scroll down for our currently available Learn to Curl dates. 

Our leagues for this year have recently been updated. We have mini (6 week) and full-season (9 week) leagues in Winter and Spring. Click on any open league to sign up!

• 9-week Winter League 1: November 30th through January 25th (Thursday night @ 8:30pm) - FILLED
• 9-week Winter League 2: February 1st through March 28th (Thursday night @ 8:30pm) - FILLED
• 9-week Spring League: April 4th through May 30th (Thursday night @ 7pm) - FILLED
• 6-week Spring Mini League: April 14th through May 19th (Sunday afternoon @ 2pm)
  • if you previously signed up for a 4-week Mini League we will be in touch with you

All league play occurs at Smithfield Municipal Ice Rink (101 Pleasant View Ave, Smithfield, RI 02917).

Membership costs*: Every member pays OSCC Membership Dues ($25) that cover GNCC dues and Insurance. Separate League Fees cover each league in which you play. In our 2023-24 season, 4-week leagues are $100 per curler and 9-week leagues are $225 per curler. You can also sign up as a social curler in any season ($50 per season - winter or spring) to have the opportunity to sub. 

Full details of the cost will be included on the Membership Signup page.

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions about our membership opportunities, including to make sure a previous Learn to Curl credit is properly applied to your league fees. 

LEARN TO CURL!!!

New League Members must have attended a Learn to Curl (or have previous curling experience from another club) to join as a new member.

Our expected 2023-24 Learn to Curl dates are noted below.  

Signups are now open for most of these Learn to Curls. Click on one of the dates below, and if it's available for signup, you'll be taken to our registration page for the Learn to Curl you are interested in. If they're full, please pick another date or join our waitlist. 

• Saturday 12/16/23. 7:15pm-9:15pm - CANCELLED (apologies).
• Sunday 2/25/24. 1:45pm-3:45pm - SOLD OUT.
• Sunday 3/3/24. 11:15am-1:15pm - SOLD OUT.
• Sunday 3/17/24. 2:15pm-4:15pm - SOLD OUT.
• Sunday 4/7/24. 2:15pm-4:15pm - SOLD OUT.
• Sunday 4/14/24. 2:15pm-4:15pm - SOLD OUT.
• Sunday 4/21/24. 2:15pm-4:15pm - SOLD OUT.
• Sunday 5/5/24. 2:15pm-4:15pm - SOLD OUT.
• Sunday 5/12/24. 2:15pm-4:15pm - SOLD OUT.
• Sunday 5/19/24. 2:15pm-4:15pm - SOLD OUT.

Each Learn to Curl is $45 and participants must be 16 or older.

If you would like to purchase a Gift Certificate for a future Learn to Curl, you may do so through this link - Gift Certificate Link.

Link to all available Learn to Curls here: https://oceanstatecurling.eventbrite.com 

If you have any issues or want to be informed about upcoming Learn to Curl opportunities, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You can always stay up-to-date by looking at our Facebook page. 

You can also email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you want to be emailed when future Learn to Curls are scheduled. 

Try it, and we're sure you will love curling!

*Membership dues ($25) cover GNCC dues ($15) and Insurance ($6), plus, for new curlers - Nametag $8. Ocean State Curling utilizes the remaining $4, combined with a portion of league fees, to contribute to Operating Costs, including but not limited to Stone Insurance, D&O insurance, RI Corporation costs, tax exemption certification maintenance fees, equipment maintenance, and accounting software. Additional per-league and sub fees apply. League fees are based on $25 per draw/match. Limit one nametag per member per design revision. Replacement nametags can be purchased for $8.