USA Curling Moves Headquarters To Eagan
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- USA Curling is moving its headquarters out of Wisconsin and into Minnesota. It will become part of the Viking Lakes Campus in Eagan.
The state of Minnesota has become synonymous with curling, says Olympic gold medalist John Shuster.
"Curling in Minnesota, Wisconsin used to be like 'the curling capitol of the country,' and I think we've kind of tilted that scale in the way of Minnesota over the last decade," Shuster said.
The Minnesota native thinks that will only continue with the official USA Curling headquarters move to Eagan.
"It made a ton of sense. If you want your athletes, and your governing body and the people running your organization, if you can get them all in the same place, you just have a lot more opportunity," Shuster said.
USA Curling says having everything in one location, and a metropolitan area, may draw even more curlers to Minnesota.
"Because everything is here," Jamie Sinclair said.
The three-time national champion and her team moved to Minnesota a few weeks ago.
"In order to give this Olympic trial season our best shot, we really had to co-locate so we're living together, we're training together every day, we're full time athletes," Sinclair said.
The athletes train at TCO on the Vikings campus, and will continue to curl at the national training site in Chaska where competitive athletes, and others, throw rocks.
"Anybody can play. It's great for all ages and it's a really great social sport," McKenzie Johnson said.
Johnson is newer to the sport, and says news of the Minnesota headquarters is great for curling.
"Definitely brings attention to the sport, even gets people all curious and wanting explore," Johnson said.