Curling Debuts In St. Cloud On Sunday

(KNSI) — Six of the nine members of the men’s Team USA Curling and six of the eight members of the women’s Team USA Curling are from Minnesota, and there are curling clubs all over the state. North Star Curling President Nathan Lee says he was shocked to find out there was no club operating in St. Cloud when he moved back to Minnesota.

“I moved away from the state for a number of years. And when I came back, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is gonna be great. It’s been, you know, 10 or 12 years since I’ve curled and I’d love to pick it up again.’ And I was moving to the St. Cloud area and I remember distinctly typing in St. Cloud curling club and nothing showed up and I just scratched my head. I’m like, ‘Well, that can’t be.’”

Lee says he grew up in Hibbing in the Iron Range, where much smaller cities supported a club, and he knows the sport can work in central Minnesota as well.

North Star Curling will begin operations on Sunday, January 8th, in St. Cloud at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center’s practice rink.

Lee says it takes a lot of preparation to turn ice into a curling sheet.

“It’s not smooth ice, it’s pebbled ice. So, it’s got a rough texture to it. Prior to gameplay we have to get out and texture the ice after the Zamboni comes through. We will texture the ice and we’ll freeze in our footholds or our hacks and bring our scoreboards out and then when we’re done, we take everything down and the Zamboni goes over it again and it’s ready for hockey.”

The club will host six learn to curl sessions on Sunday, the 15th, and the 22nd. They will begin at 5:00 and at 7:00 p.m. The cost to register is $35. All equipment will be provided, but Lee says you will need to bring a second, clean pair of shoes. He asks you to switch out boots or other footwear before stepping out on the ice, so dirt and salt do not contaminate the ice surface.

Lee says it is a game that is tough to master but easy to pick up. Still, some skills take time to develop, explaining, “When you get out there the first few times, your delivery won’t be as smooth, and we expect that. It’s something that you get with practice. Usually, one curling season, and you’re doing pretty good.”

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