CLUB's HISTORY

The birth of the Club

The Finnish national curling team’s silver medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics, led by Markku Uusipaavalniemi, sparked great enthusiasm for curling in Finland — although the national interest lasted only a short time.

Two friends from Naantali, Anssi Reunanen and Henri Tanila, became passionate about curling after the Olympics. They tried to play at the local Kuparivuori ice rink, but their first attempts failed due to lack of experience and knowledge of the game’s rules.

At the time, Hyvinkää was the main curling hub in Finland. Reunanen and Tanila attended courses taught by Tero Tähtinen, an experienced curler. Later, they convinced him to join their efforts, and Mika Äikiä and Ari Lehtonen also became part of the group.

The group decided to found their own club, choosing the old Kuparivuori rink in Naantali as their home base. This marked the birth of the Copper Hill Curling Club (CHCC).

Improvements over time

The club established itself in Kuparivuori but faced a lack of ice time; however, it succeeded in building local partnerships and organizing promotional activities.

The club gradually improved its performance, advancing to the 1st Division and playing one season in the national men's championship.

Due to poor ice conditions, the club sought alternatives and considered building its own facility, but no suitable location was found.

Thanks to the WCF project, the club managed to build its own curling rink in Impivaara in 2017.

The new rink brought a revival: membership grew, and the club became recognized as one of the most active curling clubs in Finland.