Curling may see a resurgence in popularity next month as the Winter Olympics open, but Iowans won’t have to travel to Milan, Italy, to try it themselves.
Emily Nelson, spokeswoman for Cedar Rapids Curling, says they’re offering several 90-minute “learn to curl” training sessions over the next several weeks.
“You can learn the basics of curling in a couple hours,” Nelson says. “Curling is an easy sport to learn. It’s a hard one to master. You can learn it really quickly and then you can spend the rest of your life trying to master it.”
The Winter Games open on February 6th but the international curling events actually start a few days earlier, on the 4th.
“Curling is the sport in the Olympics that people see and then say, ‘I could do that,’ and anyone absolutely can curl,” Nelson says. “What I love about curling is that it’s very accessible and it can be very adaptable for each person. If you want to make curling a good workout, you can absolutely do that. If you aren’t as physically fit, or you just want to go out and have fun, you can make it that way, too.”
The sport reportedly began on the frozen lochs and marshes of Scotland during the early 1500s. The modern version of curling still involves sliding large stones across the ice toward targets, and while it may look easy, Nelson assures there’s an abundance of skill involved.
“I think if you’re watching it on TV the first time, it might seem kind of confusing, but in reality, the rules are pretty easy to learn. You can pick it up pretty quickly,” Nelson says. “Obviously there’s lots of nuances and you can spend years learning all those, but the basic rules of curling are very easy. You just want to get your stone closer to the center than the other team’s stone, that’s the biggest thing.”
Regular curling leagues are underway in Cedar Rapids with about 65 members, ranging in age from pre-teens into the 70s.
Learn to curl events are scheduled for February 17th and 24th, and March 3rd and 7th. For details, visit www.cedarrapidscurling.com.
