Plainfield Curling Club

The Plainfield Curling Club (or PCC) is a curling club located in South Plainfield, New Jersey. It owns and operates the only curling facility in New Jersey. It was founded in 1963, with the members initially using rented ice and curling outdoors. The current two-sheet structure was completed in 1967.

The PCC season runs from late October through early April. As of the 2006–2007 season, the club holds league play seven days per week, hosts five annual bonspiels, and has programs for juniors (teenagers) and “little rockers” (ages 6-12).

The PCC currently has over 160 active members. The club had a significant increase in membership for the 2002–2003 season, after U.S. television coverage of curling in the 2002 Winter Olympics increased awareness of the sport. There was a similar spike in membership for the 2006-2007 season due to the 2006 Winter Olympics television coverage.

Bonspiels

The Plainfield Curling Club hosts five annual bonspiels.

*Founders’ Bonspiel, November
*Robert Burns Thrifty Bonspiel, January
*Junior Bonspiel, "for teenage curlers", February
*PCC Stone Bonspiel, March
*"Bonsqueal", March/April "(see below)"

All PCC bonspiels are open to curlers from other clubs. The PCC Stone is a men's competition. The other bonspiels are "open" format; that is, teams may be made up of any combination of men and women.

"Bonsqueal"

Named for the popular pig roast on Saturday night, "Bonsqueal" is held on the final weekend of the season before the club closes for the summer. Each year there is a different pig-related theme "(examples: “Piggy Buffet’s Hog-aritaville,” “South Pork,” “Sow Pacific”)". There is DJ and live band entertainment on Friday and Saturday night, as well as a costume contest. Due to the amount of entries typically in upwards of 30 teams, and the limitation of only two sheets of ice, games begin Wednesday night, and are limited to six ends (finals have eight ends). This necessity to shorten games, however, has not hindered the popularity of the event. The ice is turned off for the season after the conclusion of the final games on Sunday afternoon.

Affiliations

*United States Curling Association
*Grand National Curling Club
*Mid Atlantic Curling Association "(Comprised of the Plainfield, Philadelphia, Potomac, and Chesapeake curling clubs.)"
*U.S. Women’s Curling Association

External links

* [http://www.njcurling.org/ Plainfield Curling Club Website]