"Olson Family helps Heather Curling Club Reopen Kitchen"
(Sheryl Olson, the skip of the Heather Curling Club kitchen.)
As the Curling Capital of Minnesota, Mapleton guards many traditions but none so much as its Scottish heritage. During the recent celebration of Burns Night, curlers both young and old participated in the annual bonspiel and noticed something different about the…house. No, we’re not talking about the area at the end of the sheet, we’re talking about the building itself, the Heather Curling Club’s rink, a home-away-from-home for many who’ve grown up in the area. Since first being built in 1950, the Heather Curling Club has seen generations of stewards who’ve kept the sport alive and thriving. Following the 2018 Olympic gold from Mapleton’s own John Landsteiner, curling suddenly had become a “hot” sport, but then Covid sent the club a wobbler that left the kitchen in hog line violation (translation: the kitchen closed).
Fortunately, a new generation of skips stepped up to join the curling board. Eric Magalee, Sheryl Olson, Mackenzie Drager, Jared Moore, Derek Moore, Nathan Mooore, Alec Bair, and Lori Feldman agreed updates needed to be made to the club, so prior to the season, they primed and painted the viewing area, updated technology, and reinvested into the kitchen. For board member Sheryl Olson, the timing was right for her to help run the kitchen. ““Basically, the kitchen is something the club members have always enjoyed,” Olson explained “It’s been closed down for the past few years, so it kinda worked out for timing. I’m farming full time, so the winter is low key, and I knew how much the community enjoyed it in the past.”
Fortunately, the kitchen equipment was already in good shape and simply needed “some elbow grease” to get it up and running again. Another major change was the construction of a wall that separates the kitchen from the dining area. This new feature created a serving window and extra storage for supplies.
Larry Barrot, curling guru and frequent patron, believes that the return of the kitchen now makes the experience complete. “You can come and curl and sit in the back room and have food with your friends.”
For Olson, running the kitchen has been a learning experience. Offering menu items such as frier foods (fries, onion rings, chicken strips) as well as burgers with all the fixings requires prep and management of inventory. “I have experience cooking for family and friends,” Olson explained, “but the actual taking orders and timing things out properly was probably the biggest learning curve.” The kitchen is open on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights from 5:30-9:00 as well as weekends during scheduled bonspiels. The club offers plenty of seating for visitors to dine-in, but it also offers take-out for folks who want to call in orders. Olson credits good help from family and friends during busy hours since “Members here just can’t get enough cheeseburgers.”
Along with restoring the kitchen, the curling board has made several other improvements to the club. Cosmetically, it received a fresh coat of paint, but many significant improvements have been made to the technology. Thanks to upgraded software and website, the Heather Curling Club offers livestream feeds of curling events. Eric Magalee and Alec Bair help manage the system that allows viewers from all over the world to watch the happenings out on the ice.
To sustain the curling tradition in Mapleton, the aging ice making equipment will need to be addressed in the near future. Logan Krengel, Jay Byrum, and Alec Bair help keep the existing equipment running, but to bring curling to the next generation, the club needs to offer more than just curling. From family events to bridal showers, the facility offers a unique meeting space to all sorts of groups. During weekdays, corporate events are often held to create team building as well as a fun time. Many area schools, including Maple River, bus students down for phy ed units involving curling. However, Larry Barrot believes there is an obvious solution: “We could use some more members.” Currently, Thursdays are set aside for open curl, so for folks raised on burgers instead of haggis, the Heather Curling Club can provide both dining and entertainment. The curling season traditionally ends in late March.
Heather Curling Club board member Eric Magalee manages the livestream during the recent Robert Burns Bonspiel.
Members of the Johnson family enjoyed a meal during their recent visit to their hometown rink.
The addition of the new kitchen wall helps with ordering and storage.
A fresh coat of paint and new technology make watching a bonspiel a fun experience.
Grillmaster Tony Bach lends a hand during busy days at the Heather Curling Club.
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