Growing interest in the sport of curling

Building a dedicated curling facility was a dream of Curling Club Zemst for a long time. One of the objectives in building the facility was to grow the interest in the sport. A curling rink would build interest in the sport, but they needed enough interest in the sport to find a “willingness to invest.” In 2013, the members of Curling Club Zemst took the challenge to grow the sport of curling in Belgium. In the following two years, two additional clubs started (“Campina Turnhout” and “Curling Club Gent”), and together they tripled the number of active players.

The challenge of getting funding

To get enough funding to build a facility, the organization received a loan from the World Curling Federation. Furthermore, the organization started a successful reward-based crowdfunding campaign that generated a lot of media attention. Thanks to the media attention, the organization managed to gather a subsidy through the local government.

The first curling facility in Belgium

Based on their specific needs, Curling Club Zemst contacted several suppliers to finalize the concept. Ice-World was selected as the supplier of the ice rink system and the official curling sheets. All of the curling rinks from Ice-World are approved as official competition rinks, as temporary or permanent ice skating rinks. The ice rink is built on a concrete floor along with thick insulation of 25 cm. An advantage of this insulation is that it helps to lower the energy costs. At the beginning of 2016, the concept was finalized to include a building with steel construction and a 3-sheet curling rink, including a cozy bar with a nice view over the ice that is also accessible for wheelchairs. QLoods is the supplier of the roofing and interior facilities.

The facility officially opened in September 2017 and is now used for competition, training, and recreational purposes. Curling Club Zemst organizes competitions and events such as “curling afterwork” and the “New Year’s Cup.”