When walking the streets in any province in Canada, you could strike up a conversation about the sport of curling with just about anybody. This enthusiasm, however, doesn’t quite carry down to the streets of Wilmington or even the Southeast region of the United States.

Tony Jacobs, a local engineer, hopes to change that.

Jacobs, with the help of Dick McCartney and several others, has brought Wilmington its first curling club with aspirations of taking the city by storm. The Coastal Carolina Curling Club (CCCC) has officially joined the short list of curling clubs in North Carolina with weekly games played at the Wilmington Ice House.

“The league gives interested people the opportunity to socialize in a different setting,” said Jacobs. Socializing is only a part of the experience had by all participants. With room for multiple matches to be played at once, as well as introductory lessons given to all in need, the CCCC offers people of all ages a great experience in an environment that might otherwise go unnoticed.

While the sport of curling might seem foreign to many Americans, it has proven to be both fun and exciting. With matches set up similarly to the nine-inning format of a baseball game, curling employs strategy and concentration with elements of bowling and shuffleboard. Positions in curling include both the curler who throws a “rock” towards the target area and the sweepers who sweep the ice in front of the rock in order to alter the path or speed of the rock.

Those with no previous curling experience need not be shy, as the CCCC currently operates with only a handful of experienced curlers. One of those curlers, Dick McCartney, has been hooked for over 30 years.

“I didn’t have anything to do on a snowy night in Albany, New York, and a guy asked me if I’d like to try curling,” said McCartney. He has been playing ever since. McCartney and Jacobs hope to give this same passion for the game to Wilmington citizens.

With the capabilities for four games to be played simultaneously, the CCCC would like to average 32 curlers per night. The club meets almost every Friday at the Wilmington Ice House, and the fee is $20 per participant. It is required that all participants wear athletic shoes while on the ice.

“Chess on Ice” as it has been nicknamed, will offer great laughs and entertainment while also presenting everyone with friendly competition and a unique experience.