If you can lunge like a runner, yell, and sweep your kitchen floor, you’ve got what it takes to give curling a try.
Actually, you can curl even if you can’t lunge like a runner.
Most people hear about the sport of curling mainly during the Winter Olympics. The
Cincinnati Curling Club aims to change that with Learn to Curl clinics they offer to the general public, introducing the sport to curling novices across the city every year.
The Cincinnati Curling Club was founded in 2012 by four men who were inspired to try the sport after watching curling during the 2010 Olympics. It wasn’t easy. They had to first obtain a set of curling stones (which are made of granite and not inexpensive). Then they scrounged to find time at area ice rinks when the ice wasn’t being used by others. That usually meant late at night.
They stuck with it, and interest grew. They now have nearly 200 members, operate as a nonprofit club, and have their own dedicated ice in West Chester.
In 2019, club members worked to convert a warehouse into a curling facility. They can now host tournaments against other clubs in the region and have the time and space to offer a variety of programs to the public.
Programs for nearly every age and ability
Most people get introduced to curling by attending a Learn to Curl class. When you take one of these two-hour sessions, you’ll learn how to slide a stone across the ice, what the broom is used for, how to keep score, and you’ll participate in a competition.
You’ll also learn some great curling terminology, including what a house, hog line and button are.
Brody White joined the club in 2016 and now serves as the club board’s vice president. He likes the sport for its inclusion. He points out that curling can be played by people with a variety of physical abilities and a wide range of ages. He is regularly on the ice with kids as young as 5 and adults into their 80s.
“Curlers are a great community of people who are really supportive,” he says.
The volunteer-run club also offers instructional leagues, member youth and adult leagues, corporate curling outings and private family events.
If this sounds like fun to you, White encourages anyone interested to check it out. “We’ve got a lot of options for every skill level,” he says. “The ice is a great equalizer, but it’s a sport that doesn’t take long to learn. We can get you curling in an hour.”
Club members look forward to watching curling during the 2026 Olympics next winter. Interest in the club spikes during Olympic years, so if you’re interested, this winter would be a good time to give it a try.
Cincinnati Curling Club’s season runs from roughly mid-October through the end of April. Registration for Learn to Curl classes is open now.
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The Cincinnati Curling Club hosted a 16-team tournament last November with clubs from within Ohio and out of state. Here Eric Reardon delivers his stone while Philip Stafford and Cathy McKee follow it and are ready to sweep.
Cincinnati Curling Club by the numbers:- 2010 The idea for bringing curling to Cincinnati was born
- 2012 Cincinnati Curling Club was officially founded
- 2019 The club got its own dedicated ice where it now operates in West Chester
- 4 Founding members
- 178 Current members
- 42 Weight, in pounds, of a typical curling stone
- 146 Approximate length, in feet, of the curling ice playing surface
- 11 Miles of tubing used to freeze the ice at the Cincinnati Curling Club
To learn more about the Cincinnati Curling Club or to sign up for a Learn to Curl class, visit https://cincinnaticurlingclub.org.
Full disclosure: Kate and her husband took one of these classes last year. They had a great time and agreed that Brody White is right. The curling community was warm and welcoming.
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