LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — It’s a winter Olympic sport sweeping the nation and played on ice. No, it’s not hockey, it’s curling which is one of the oldest team sports in the world. It started in Scotland hundreds of years ago and is gaining popularity in southern Nevada.
Now, the first-of-its-kind dedicated facility in Las Vegas will offer the sport of curling to visitors and residents across the valley. The sport involves players sliding granite stones on ice towards a target known as the house. Players also sweep the ice to help guide the 42-pound granite stone.
The non-profit CurlVegas — with nearly 100 volunteers — raised more than $1 million to make the new facility a reality. It took five years to make it happen said club president Brad Whitrock,
“First of all this curling ice does not have any skates on it allowed ever and that’s because the curling stones are si sensitive to any marks or cuts in the ice. We actually pebble this with water, we sprinkle it with water, and get little tiny dots on there which is what the stones slide on. If we didn’t do that the stones would only go about five feet.”
Prior to this new facility, curlers used arena ice at a local hockey rink. Now they can use this facility to play on ice solely dedicated to curling. The icehouse is kept at around 40 degrees which will keep players, and the ice, cool during the hot summer months.
The facility held its grand opening on Thursday, May 2, with an official ribbon cutting, bagpiper, and ceremonial first rock throw.
The public is welcome to try curling during an open house on Sunday, May 5, from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. at the new facility located at 3525 E. Post Road, Ste 110, Las Vegas, NV.
You can find more information on curling and the new facility at this link.