Last winter, I set out to feature Central Otago’s small curling clubs on my sports show, and it turned into one of the most fascinating and educational experiences.

Hearing the wonderful history and role these clubs had both back in the early days and the present: Blackstone Hill, Lauder, Manorburn, Oturehua, Cambrian, Garibaldi and the Arrowtown Curling Club to name a few of the many I came across. 

The Garibaldi Club from Ranfurly – what a great name! They could be a mafia mob for all we know with a name like that. 

Curling was brought to the region by Scottish gold miners in the early 1860s. The Idaburn Dam became a popular venue for bonspiels, so long as the ice was thick enough.

The Oturehua Curling Club has a proud history connected to the local dam, where bonspiels have been held since 1932. It originally began as a winter sports club offering curling, ice skating and ice hockey. The famous Wilson Cup, presented in 1947 by the Oturehua Hotel owner, is still played for in a one-day bonspiel when the ice conditions allow.

There’s far more history than I can share here, and I’m sure many of you reading this know even more than I do about the legacy and history of these clubs.

Quite a few years ago, I was invited by well-known Arrowtown local Evan Dennison to join a group of local scallywags on the ice at the Arrow Curling Club. It was my first experience of the sport, and I didn’t last long – I got kicked off the ice after answering my cellphone between ends.

Ev quickly made it clear: “You don’t do that. Piss off the ice, take your mate and go sit in the hut with a drink.”

Lesson number one: don’t answer your phone while curling.

To cut a long story - with many twists and turns - short, the night only got longer from there. After the game, we huddled around the potbelly stove in the small hut, sharing stories under the clear night sky and a full moon.

As an early-morning radio host, I had to crawl out of bed at 4am, with about three hours of sleep to go in and do my show.

Ev never invited me back – but what a night it was.

I’ll never forget the crystal-clear night, curling under a full moon, banished to the shack with a drink in hand, looking out at Ev, his brother Bob and the others still curling in the distance, the Beach Street sign showing the way. It was a magical sight.

It made me think about the early pioneers of the sport here. The boost and joy curling must have brought to communities across the region. It’s great to see that tradition is still alive and well in Central Otago today.

That’s my view from the sideline.