I don’t recall precisely where I first saw a reference to using bowling pins on the ice with young Little Rock curlers – but it probably came from one of the several resources for Little Rock curling that comes from the Canadian Curling Association. But I immediately grasped the idea’s appeal – bowling is a very popular sport with young children. Moreover, it is common for young curlers to struggle with throwing a stone hard enough – but putting a set of bowling pins in front of them is akin to waving a red blanket in front of bull. Voila – we have take-out weight.
But where to get the pins?
My first attempt a couple of years ago was to try with real (wood) bowling pins, but because of their hardness damage to the ice was inevitable. I eventually settled on a less-than-satisfactory solution using a toddler’s bowling pin set that I found at Toys R Us. That solution was less than ideal because the pins are too small and too lightweight – though better than nothing.
I stumbled across the illustrated bowling set in London, Ontario this past spring when my boys were playing in London at the Oakridge hockey tournament. At London’s White Oaks Mall, where we dropped in on the way back to our hotel, there was a children’s play display throughout the mall, demonstrating various playground equipment for schools, clubs, and daycare facilities. The pins shown above were one of the displayed events, and featured the complete set with bumpers and a “lane” made of rubberized carpeting. For curling, the pins are ideal.
The pins are regulation 10-pin size, hollow, and constructed of rigid vinyl. They also have weighted bottoms – the pins contain a small quantity of sand – so that they stay put once they’re placed on the curling sheet. I also purchased the rubber, children’s sized bowling ball so we can use the set in the club lounge for party games.
The pins are available from S&S Worldwide in Colchester, Connecticut, who do offer shipping to Canada.
I can’t wait to start using these in the forthcoming season.