Liz Burton-King spoke to promising young curler Cameron Harkins about his hopes for a new Glasgow Ice Centre and what it might mean for his curling career
Keen curler Cameron came to the sport after becoming fascinated watching the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics – presumably from underneath the bed covers very late at night! It was a vintage year of course, Team Muirhead won Bronze against Switzerland and David Murdoch’s team fought valiantly against an astonishing Canadian team to win Silver.
Young Cameron – still in Primary school and not knowing anyone else who played the game, asked his Mum to find out where he might learn.
He struck it lucky! The first person to give him a lesson in curling was Sarah Reid at Braehead. A championship curler herself she passed on some of her enthusiasm to the group she was teaching and Cameron came away feeling like he’d found his sport.
It wasn’t all plain sailing though. After joining the Glasgow Young Curlers Club, Cameron quickly discovered he was in a minority by not coming from a ‘curling family’. Many of the other youngsters seemed to know the rules and etiquette of the game instinctively, and several went to the same private schools and had a further advantage of knowing each other.
Coach Alan Hannah encouraged Cameron. He’d seen potential in the keen young curler and helped him through a tricky year to integrate into the club.
“Cameron has embraced all of the coaching provided at Braehead and enjoyed the Scottish Summer Camps where he has had the opportunity to meet young curlers from other areas and at the tender age of 14 played in his first Scottish Junior Championships. The future is bright for Cameron and his new teammates and I wish him all the best from the Glasgow Curing community as he strives to be a Scottish champion one day”
Alan Hannah
Now 15, Cameron is hoping to get back to curling soon and has serious ambitions to enter the curling academy and push himself to the top.
I asked Cameron how he imagines a new Glasgow Ice Centre, what would make it welcoming for new people coming through the door. His brilliant suggestions include having the ability to stream a live view of the curling rink, with good camera positions, not just directly down onto the head; and a welcoming café near the ice where everyone can hang out before and after games. A decent roll and sausage is always welcome… Can’t see anything wrong with that!
Good luck Cameron for the year ahead – everyone at Glasgow Ice Centre wishes you well
