The Spirit of Curling

Two NorthWestern Energy employees created a curling league in Helena, Montana.

By Erin Madison

Prior to 2018, Jordan Tollefson and Andy Welch had next-to-no experience with curling.

“I had stepped on the ice a few times in college,” said Jordan, who works as NorthWestern Energy’s Water Quality Specialist in Helena, Montana. “I knew the sliders were really slippery, and that’s about it. I had no idea what I was doing.”

Andy, NorthWestern’s Manager of Hydro License Compliance, had never curled before, but both Jordan and Andy were glued to their TVs watching curling during the 2018 Winter Olympics.

“That was the first Olympics it was really aired much,” Andy said.

After watching the sport on TV, Andy and Jordan were itching to try it for themselves. At the time, Helena, where they both live, didn’t have a curling club. The closest place they could play was about 70 miles south in Butte, Montana. In fall 2018, they signed up for a learn-to-curl event in Butte, and they were immediately hooked.

Andy and Jordan joined a curling team with friends and made weekly trips to Butte through the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 curling seasons. Driving back and forth, they started talking about the possibility of launching a curling club in Helena.

In fall 2020, Jordan, Andy and several of their curling teammates officially began the Last Chance Curling Club. Jordan was elected as the club’s board chair, and Andy serves as vice chair.

The biggest hurdle for any new curling group is typically the stones. Each stone is made from solid granite, weighing in at about 45 pounds. A game of curling requires a set of 16 stones, and a set costs about $6,000.

“It’s a huge investment,” Andy said.

Last Chance Curling was able to purchase four sets of stones, thanks to donations, lease-to-own agreements and all the board members putting up their own cash.

The second major hurdle was getting ice time. The Helena Ice Arena is typically booked solid from about 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day during hockey season. However, the rink was willing to work with the newly formed Last Chance Curling Club and cut them a deal on ice fees to help get them on their feet.

NorthWestern Energy’s Jordan Tollefson, second from right, and Andy Welch, right, pose with their curling team, The Sultans of Sweep.

In winter 2021, Last Chance Curling hosted a learn-to-curl event as a way to recruit players for a curling league.

Last Chance Curling Club started its first league for the 2020/2021 season. The only available ice time was 10 p.m. to midnight, but they filled the league with eight teams. The next year, the club was able to purchase a fifth set of stones and expand the league to 10 teams, two nights a week.

Now, two years since launching Last Chance Curling Club, Jordan estimates there are about 100 regular curlers in Helena. Through all the learn-to-curls, leagues and other events, Last Chance Curling Club has allowed 300 to 400 Helenans to try the sport.

“We’ve just gotten such a great response from the Helena community,” Jordan said. “When we took the leap to start a club, there were a lot of people who jumped with us.”

During the first league, about 95% of the players had never curled before.

“Now our leagues are pretty darn competitive,” Andy said. “It’s been absolutely amazing to see people, one, just loving it, and, two, see their skill level increase exponentially.”

NorthWestern Manager of Hydro License Compliance and Last Chance Curling Club Vice Chair Andy Welch’s favorite thing about curling is that no two games are ever the same.

Unlike other sports – hockey, for example – you can become a very skilled curler, even if you come to it later in life.

“With curling, all it takes is a year or two, and you’re going to be relatively competitive,” Jordan said.

Andy’s favorite thing about curling is that no two games are ever the same.

“The strategy changes for every game and every shot,” Andy said. “I don’t think there are many games that are as dynamic as curling.”

An added bonus has been the community Andy and Jordan have met through curling. “The spirit of curling” is something that’s commonly talked about on the ice. There are no referees, so players are expected to be fair and honest. That spirit also extends to supporting those who are just learning the sport and to supporting new clubs. The Missoula and Butte curling clubs were both instrumental in helping Last Chance Curling Club. Clubs from as far away as Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and Aberdeen, South Dakota, have supported the Helena club.

“The spirit of curling goes way beyond the ice,” Jordan said.