KC Curling Club offers an Olympic opportunity on the ice

The rules of curling are simple. Deliver the stone to the center of the house by mastering the hog-to-hog speed just in time to win the bonspiel. If this sounds like a drunken Scottish stupor, don’t worry, the KC Curling Club will teach you the terminology. Just in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, this volunteer-run curling institution is spreading the word that ‘the sport you only see every 4 years’ is opening its arms to your curiosity.

And this non-profit’s proverbial arms are toned from aggressive ice-sweeping.

What began in 1987 as a club hobby enjoyed at local hockey rinks has transformed into the region’s lone curling sanctuary. Once just a flicker on the curling map, it now shines as Kansas City’s dedicated facility, attracting enthusiasts eager to delve into this nearly 500-year-old sport. With the nearest similar facility hundreds of miles away in Minnesota, the club stands as a monument to the sport’s growth in the Midwest.

The Rules of Curling

Let’s start with the basics. If you’ve played shuffleboard or the table-top bar variety, you are almost caught up on the rules. Two teams face off on a 14’ 2” by 142’ surface of ice (a sheet), each side centered with a bullseye (the house). Each team begins on the same side with 8 large pucks (stones) each. The teams take turns sliding the 20kg puck (a delivery) to get as many of their team’s stones within the house – a team scores a point for each stone that is closer to the center of the house (the button) than the other team’s stones.

The players’ restrictions are marked by a thick black line on the ice, known as the hog line, where the granite puck must be released before crossing. Most notably, to help the stone travel farther (by reducing friction on the ice), teammates will vigorously ‘sweep’ in front of the stone’s path. Now you are ready to take turns with your opponents and try to score as many points as possible in a certain number of rounds. If your eyes start glazing over at the sight of game instructions, here is a cartoon to assist:

The words that kept coming up during Monday night’s 5-under league (for players with less than 5 years of experience) were ‘finesse’ and ‘strategy’. In organized curling, adapting to your opponent and putting a bit of “English” on your deliveries are key to taking home the gold medal. Luckily for the instructionally challenged, the Kansas City Curling Club offers hands-on instruction, leagues, and tournaments (called bonspiels) to hone your skills at any level.

A League For Everybody

As the 2026 Winter Olympics continue in Milan, take note of the athletes gliding on the ice in warrior pose, propelling the large granite rock, sourced only from Scotland’s Ailsa Craig island. What keeps these participants coming back to the ice, especially at the KC Curling Club, where maintenance only allows operation from October to May? It’s the community and camaraderie they build that transcends the seasonal limitations. Even during the off-season, members engage in social events that keep the spirit of curling alive.

It’s encouraged to live out your Olympic dreams by beginning with the “Curling Experience”, where trainees will be guided through the basics in a 2-hour session. If you can’t keep yourself off the ice, the Monday night league offers an encouraging community to practice with – ranging from parent and children teams, high school students, or retired Midwesterners. Whether you choose a flashy team name – like the “trash pandas” with costumes to match – or let your skills do the talking, the best tradition in all of sports is the closing curling tradition: broomstacking. Broomstacking ensures everybody goes home a winner, where the winners buy the losers a beer (or any drink) after the match.

Between shouting commands to their teammates, people on the ice ensured the effort was harder than it looked. While stability on the ice is not a common challenge, participants do have to keep a consistently-paced side step while ‘mopping’ like a madman. 

A workout, a drink, and a strategy wrapped into a show on ice, what’s not to like?

Around the fully stocked bar in Blue Springs, friendly faces are eager to include you in the no longer gatekept winter sport in Kansas City. Come for the niche sports curiosity and stay for a newfound passion in sweeping.