GOLDEN, Colo. — With the Winter Olympics shining a spotlight on the sport every four years, local curlers say renewed attention is helping grow the game in Colorado and bringing new faces to the Denver Curling Center.
Michelle Page, who has curled since the 1990s and volunteers at the Denver Curling Center, said dedicated ice and Colorado’s outdoor attractions have helped turn the state into a destination for tournaments.
“A lot of curlers travel for bonspiels or tournaments,” said Page. “This has become much more of a new exciting destination, because not only do you have the curling, but you've got the mountains and a lot of other things that Colorado has to offer.”
David Falco, the club’s head ice technician and only full-time paid employee, said the Winter Olympic coverage and higher-profile world championships have shown viewers the skill and athleticism behind the sport.
“Being a curler is an identity on and off the ice,” said Falco. “The on-ice game is really honest and full of sportsmanship, and then the off-ice part of being a curler is full of family and community and volunteerism and people coming together for something that they really genuinely care about.”
Fans of the sport point to curling’s accessibility. Many newcomers arrive after watching the games or joining “Learn to Curl” sessions and then move into leagues after sparking an interest in the sport.
“It’s one of those sports that is fairly easy accessible to learn,” said Page. “That’s what draws people in and gets people addicted to it… It’s very time consuming, like any other sport, to perfect and get to those higher levels of competition.”
The Denver Curling Center is encouraging the public to come and learn the sport during their “Olympic Curling Experience” sessions, happening Feb. 13-16. Registration is currently open, but it is filling up fast.
The cost is $45 for adults and $20 for children. If you’d like to register or learn more about the Denver Curling Club, you can click the link here.
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