Northwood’s Adventure – Curling Picking Up Popularity In Brainerd Lakes Area

What features large stones that slide across a sheet of ice towards an even larger bulls-eye? The answer; curling. Curling became an Olympic sport in 1998 after a 74 year hiatus. It has since grown in popularity and now is treated as an amateur sport with clubs popping up all over the United States.

There are now over 15,000 curlers and 135 clubs in the U.S. alone, with the majority of them in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The sport isn’t really sweeping people off their feet, but the game known as chess on ice has a certain allure to many, as its popularity seems to keep growing.

Brainerd features it’s own curling club, and this week is their championship week for their men’s and women’s amateur programs. They also feature lessons for those who may want to try the sport.