Curling an annual part of winter for Morrisville club

Monday, 02/15/10 2:03pm

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For most of us, curling is a sport that comes around every four years during the winter Olympics. When you might find yourself watching grown men and women throw granite stones across the ice and yell at each other to sweep harder. But for a hearty group of Vermonters, based in Morrisville, the sport is an annual part of winter.

The Green Mountain Curling Club formed about 5 years ago with a yearly trip to Canada. Now the club has some 40 members, and many attend weekend tournaments around the region, called bonspiels. The club also offers "Learn to Curl" clinics.

VPR's Sarah Ashworth recently sat in on one, led by Jericho resident Mike Sitko, to learn the basics of the sport.

The Vancouver Olympics are in full swing. VPR is keeping an eye on the games and the Vermont athletes competing. Listen for stories and features during VPR News and Vermont Edition. Here are a few photos from Vancouver and some shots of those competing.

Check out the VPR/NPR Olympics coverage page

: United States' Johnny Spillane, silver, left, and United States' Bill Demong, gold right, celebrate after the Men's Nordic Combined Individual event from the large hill at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, Thursday, Feb. 2
: Lindsey Vonn of the United States races to the finish of the downhill portion of the Women's super combined Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)
: Shaun White of the USA competes in the men's halfpipe final at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010. AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky
: Torah Bright of Australia, center celebrates becoming Olympic champion with runner up, Hannah Teter of the USA, left and third placed Kelly Clark of the USA, right, in the women's snowboard halfpipe Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Marcio Sanchez)
: Kelly Clark of the USA finishes her final run to win bronze medal in the women's snowboard halfpipe at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Marcio Sanchez)
: Silver medal winning US team, from left, United States' Brett Camerota, United States' Todd Lodwick, United States' Johnny Spillane and United States' Bill Demong celebrate. AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky
: Gold medalist Bode Miller of the United States reacts during the flower ceremony of the Men's super-combined at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
: Canada's Ryan Getzlaf, left, celebrates after scoring past Russia's goalie Evgeni Nabokov (20) in the first period of a men's quarterfinal round ice hockey game. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
: Nikolay Morilov, right, from Russia, leads the pack out of the start of the Men's Cross Country team sprint freestyle final in Whistler, British Columbia, Monday, Feb. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
: Sweden's Marcus Hellner, right, skis ahead of France's Emmanuel Jonnier, center, and Czech Republic's Martin Koukal on the last leg of the Men's 4x10k relay Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010. AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky
: A volunteer looks into the fog prior to the women's snowboard cross on Cypress Mountain at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)
: Lindsey Jacobellis of the USA during the ladies snowboardcross qualifications at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
: Alexandre Bilodeau of Canada, center celebrates becoming Olympic moguls champion nest to runner up Dale Begg-Smith of Australia, left and Bryon Wilson of the USA, right, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)
: The track is reflected on the helmet of Armin Zoeggeler of Italy as he gets ready to start the third run of the men's singles luge event. Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Krupa)
: USA goalie Ryan Miller reaches back to catch a puck during men's ice hockey practice at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
: Bode Miller of the United States reacts after completing the Men's downhill at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
: United States' Elizabeth Stephen carries teammate Morgan Arritola on her shoulders after the Women's 10k Cross Country race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
: Shinsuke Tamaya of Japan is stopped by a pile of foam at the finish area during a training run for the men's skeleton at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
: Gold medalist in women's moguls Hannah Kearney of the USA reacts during the medal ceremony at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
: Olympic champion in women's moguls Hannah Kearney of the USA, left and third placed Shannon Bahrke of the USA, right on the podium during a flower ceremony at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Feb. 13, 2010. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
: Lowell Bailey of the U.S. collapses on the finish line after the men's 10 km biathlon sprint event at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010. AP Photo/Andrew Medichini
: Snowboarder Kelly Clark, left of the United States attends the Opening Ceremony for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Canada Hockey Place, Friday February 12, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. AP Photo/John Gichigi, Pool
: USA's Jeremy Abbott practices at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
: Raindrops fall on a window at the Main Press Center at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010 (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
: The new U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team from left; Hannah Teter, Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, Shaun White, Louie Vito, and Scott Lago stand before the beginning of a news conference after they were announced at the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix finals
: Athletes work out at the Olympic Village at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
: The downtown skyline is seen in the early morning hours at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Friday, Feb. 12, 2010. AP Photo/Marcio Sanchez
: Female Biathlon athletes train in heavy snowfall at the Biathlon track at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus
: U.S. biathlete Tim Burke takes aim during a training session at the biathlon track at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
: Hannah Kearney, of Norwich, Vt., skis through the women's Mogul Olympic Trials skiing course in Steamboat Springs, Colorado AP Photo/Nathan Bilow
: Cross country skiing competitor Andy Newell, AP Charles Rex Arbogast
: Pierre Ochs of France, goes airborne during a practice session at the Cypress Mountain snowboard and freestyle ski venue during a training session AP Photo/Odd Andersen
: USA's curler Chris Plys plays a guitar on the roof of the Olympic Village at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Marcio Sanchez)