Arts & Entertainment
Team USA Made History in Curling at the Winter Olympics. Here’s How and Where to Curl in the Chicago Area
Team USA’s mixed doubles curling team made history at the Winter Olympics this week.
Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, affectionately known as “The Coreys,” won a silver medal Feb. 10. It was the third Olympic Games to include mixed doubles curling, and the first time Team USA podiumed in the event.
On top of that, Thiesse became the first U.S. woman to ever medal in Olympic curling.
But you don’t have to travel to Italy to experience the sport. The Chicago area is home to at least four curling clubs: Chicago Curling Club in Northbrook, Exmoor Curling in Highland Park, Waltham Curling Club in Triumph, and Windy City Curling in Villa Park.
“I think for the Midwest, that’s on the low side, but that’s because we’re surrounded by Wisconsin and Minnesota,” said Windy City Curling Vice President Amanda Pizarek, who noted some parts of the U.S. have a curling club in every couple of towns.
“But we’re really fortunate to have that much dedicated ice in the Chicagoland area,” she said.
Windy City Curling was established in 2013 and opened its dedicated curling space in 2019.
The facility has three sheets, or rinks, for its 170 members. Pizarek said leagues play every day between September and July, and first-time players are invited to join the club’s rookie leagues.
But Windy City Curling President Joshua Richardson said don’t be fooled — the sport is harder than it looks.
“It takes a lot of work,” Richardson said. “It’s a lot of balance. It’s a lot of strength. It’s a lot more physical than most folks think.”
However, the objective of the game is easy. Pizarek said players want to get their stone closest to the center of the house, called the button.
“Ideally you want to get more of your stones closer than your opponent’s closest stone so that you can get multiple points,” Pizarek said.
Curling games are played in 8 to 10 ends, depending on the level and type of team. “Ends” are similar to innings in baseball, with each taking about 15 minutes to play.
Pizarek said teams are usually made up of four people: a thrower, two sweepers and a skip. During the Olympic Games, spectators will also notice two-person mixed doubles teams, just like Thiesse and Dropkin.
The skip stands at the opposite end in the house, a position that gives them a clear vantage point of where to sweep the stone for good scoring position, which the skip then shouts to the sweepers.
Richardson said sweeping can accomplish one of two things: increase distances or impact the direction of the stone.
“The elite-level sweepers that you see in the Olympics can add 8 to 12 feet by sweeping (the stone), so they can really get it to go further,” Richardson said.
A crucial element to sweeping is how the sheet ice is prepared, Pizarek said. In a process called “pebbling,” warm water is sprayed across the sheet to create friction for sweeping.
Pizarek said pebbling also helps players stand more easily on the ice. But to help them slide across the sheet, players wear specialized shoes outfitted with Teflon.
“Contrary to popular belief, it’s not an ice skate,” Pizarek said.
Another element of curling is the 40-pound stones, which all come from the Scottish island Ailsa Craig.
In honor of the Winter Olympics, Windy City Curling is offering 30-minute curling introductory classes, dubbed “Olympic Curling Open House.” Sessions are $20 per person and take place Feb. 21 and March 1.
“The goal is really just to get people out here,” Pizarek said. “We all watch it on TV. We all think, ‘Man, I could probably do that.’ We want people to get that experience of, you absolutely can do it, and we would love to have you join us.”
