The club, founded by 35 individuals, received its original non-profit corporation charter on May 10, 1954, five years before Alaska became the 49th State. On October 29, 1956, the Anchorage Curling Club became officially recognized by the U.S. National Curling Organization.
The first club facility was a $6000, two-sheet club with natural ice located at the Forest Park Country Club on the west side of the city. The club's first organized play was on January 8, 1957. Unfortunately, the facility was short lived - a record snowfall collapsed the building's roof during the winter of 1958.
Curling survived this setback primarily through the generous support of our military. More specifically, Retired Air Force Colonel H. Roy Fisk who played a major role throughout the club's organizational period. Elmendorf Air Force Base had natural ice on an outdoor tennis court, and Fort Richardson Army Base had two sheets of natural ice in a building. Both of these military installations were adjacent to the city, so club curlers were able to utilize their ice. For a time, to introduce people to the sport of curling, a sheet of natural ice was created on the lawn areas of the Federal and Post Office building on 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage, just across from the 4th Avenue Theater.
Interest grew in the sport of curling, and eventually plans for a new club at its present location were drawn. The grand opening was held on March 3rd, 1962. During the summer of 1963, a refrigeration system was installed to provide artificial ice.
Once again, Mother Nature dealt a 'wick and roll' to the club when the Good Friday earthquake occurred on March 27th, 1964, causing severe damage. The club was restored. Later, because the original refrigeration lines had been laid in sand, the club undertook to encase the lines in concrete in September 1971.
A recent setback occurred for the club in October 2014 when the original refrigeration lines failed, causing the club to close its doors for nearly two full seasons. Fund-raising activities needed to pay for club repairs began within days of the closure. The club was able to make ice and resume curling in April 2016, although not without issues. Battles with the ice system continued and other issues associated with our aging facility presented numerous challenges.
In the summer of 2017 the club began a major renovation project to the ice making system. The original refrigeration lines were abandoned in favor of an ice mat system placed on top of the existing concrete slab. The club also took the opportunity to expand the playing surface by rebuilding the side benches and applying a fresh coat of paint throughout the rink. Other improvements include a repaired roof, replaced lines to fix the rink heater, and new dehumidifiers. Many components of the renovation project can be moved to a new, expanded facility which the club hopes will occur within the next ten years or less.
