“Nonut” played on Connecticut’s new curling rink

By Gerry Brodnitzki
On Saturday, March 9, 2007, 24 members of the Norfolk Curling Club participated in the Connecticut State Curling Championship at the new Wonderland of Ice complex near Route 8 in Bridgeport. Housing winter sports, including hockey, ice skating and curling, this complex was completed late last fall and is now home to the Nutmeg Curling Club, otherwise known as the Nutmeggers. The championship event, called the “Nonut”, an acronym for Norfolk and Nutmeggers, has been played annually since 1970.
After losing its leased space at the Country Club of Darien in 1998, the Nutmeggers had been curling out of Ardsley, New York, a town about 30 miles away from Darien. As a result, its membership dwindled from more than 200 curlers to about 40. The die-hard 40 began the search to find a new spot for their home ice and initiated fund-raising activities several years ago. Now, after eight years of curling at the Norfolk club for the State Championship Curling title, the Nutmeg Curling Club graciously and proudly invited the Norfolk group to join them in their new home.
Nutmeg’s three sheets of ice were pristine, its hospitality heartfelt and the benevolent camaraderie between the clubs simply permeated the atmosphere. The presidents of both clubs sat at a large round table in the warming room surrounded by their teams. The two Georges, Nutmeg’s George Bagley and Norfolk’s George Dyer exchanged fond memories of their earlier curling days. Both Georges have been monumental leaders in their respective clubs and each excels on the ice. Dyer has been curling since age 12.
It was a thrill for the Norfolkians to curl on Nutmeg’s three sheets of ice. The Norfolk home ice consists of two sheets of ice, so playing in the middle sheet was a unique experience for the visitors.
This day’s bonspiel was won by Norfolk, so the two Georges exchanged the trophy plaque. Nutmeg had won last year’s competition, but relinquished the plaque to Norfolk this year. Truth be told, Nutmeg was the big winner simply by being on home ice again.