Minnesota celebrates first ever statewide curling day
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota might be the state of hockey, but Saturday, it was the state of curling.
For the first time ever, clubs from around the state were celebrating "Curling Day in Minnesota" — an all-out blitz to showcase the winter sport.
The Minnesota Curling Association estimates there are 6,000 curling club members statewide. On Saturday, the goal was to introduce at least 500 new people to the game.
At the St. Paul Curling Club, the ice opened for first-time players — with coaches on hand to walk them through the game.
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"That's how important this game is to those who do it," said Minnesota Curling Association President Lisa Rudolph. "It was just getting buy-in from our clubs around the state and encouraging them to plan an event today. I just didn't care what it was — it was just getting curling happening."
The one-day event is the first of its kind anywhere in the United States. Canada only designated a curling day in 2022.
"I thought if Canada could do a day, we could do a day. They can do it nationwide, we can do it in one state," Rudolph said.
U.S. National Team Coach Phill Drobnick joined the festivities early Saturday morning.
"We have a passion for the sport, we love it — we just want to share that love for the sport with everyone else so they can see how great it is," he said.
Drobnick, who has traveled the world as the coach of the U.S. Olympic Curling team, says he particularly delights in watching first-time players discover a love for the game.
"They throw that first [stone] then they want to try it again, and again, then that's when you're like, 'Oh yeah, they're going to want to be back. They love it,'" he said.
While the events at clubs in Minnesota for the daylong celebration are over after Saturday, Rudolph says anyone looking to learn curling can find a club near them by visiting MNCurling.org.
