To most, curling may appear as an unconventional sport. The sport you watch at the Olympics, the sport with the rock, the broom. Many people don’t know the ins and outs of the sport, and even fewer know that there is a Curling Club right here in the Triangle—Durham, to be exact.
It may come as a surprise that curling is a sport present in North Carolina. While curling is more popular in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, the sport is growing across the country and North Carolina is no exception.
Located in Research Triangle Park, the Triangle Curling Club is one of three Curling Clubs in North Carolina. The club was established in 1995 and built its dedicated facility in 2014. This was also the year the Triangle Curling Club established its junior program.
A great part of the sport of curling is their bonspiels, a competition in which multiple teams compete against one another, and ultimately, one team comes out victorious. Bonspiels can be for a variety of skill and interest levels and range from recreational to competitive. The Triangle Curling Club hosts multiple bonspiels in a year, including bonspiels for juniors—events that cater to curlers under the age of 21.
The U18 National Championships are one of two main national championships for Juniors, the other one being the U21 National Championships, held annually in April. This year’s U18 National Championships were held on Jan. 9 through 12. This event was located at Rock Creek Curling, a curling club in Lafayette, Colorado, just outside of Denver.
In order to compete at the U18 National Championships, teams must qualify at a playdown event. Playdowns span multiple days, with both boys and girls teams represented. Each region within the United States holds its own playdown event. Last year the Triangle Curling Club was the club of choice to hold the playdown for their region. This was the first time they had hosted a playdown in three years.
A three-day event, Triangle Curling hosted their playdown from Friday, Dec. 6 to Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. Four Boys teams and three Girls teams competed at this event, with the winning team from each group advancing to the national championship.
In addition to the U18 playdown in December, the Triangle Curling Club also hosted its annual Triangle Junior Bonspiel. A less competitive event, this bonspiel was held on Jan. 4 and 5 and attracted curlers of all skill levels.
“The annual Triangle Junior Bonspiel is a fun, semi-competitive spiel where new curlers and experienced curlers can play either to learn or to compete, based on their goals,” says Gracie Whitaker, a junior curler of eight years. “It’s a fantastic spiel for those who have just started curling and want to try the tournament experience, but it’s also great for those who want to practice with a competitive team.”
While curling is a small sport, the community is strong. People travel from other curling clubs to participate in the Triangle Junior Bonspiel. “Curling isn’t a popular sport in the south, but the small community allows relationships to be formed and strengthened,” explains Whitaker. “The small sport community of curling has given me remarkable opportunities that would never be possible in a large sport.”
An unconventional sport, Curling can be tailored to any skill level, or any competition level. The sport is versatile, and whether you are looking for a fun pastime or a competitive team, you can find that in the Triangle.
The Triangle Curling Club has a strong Junior program that is quickly expanding. While it is a sport that not many people know about, curling is growing across the Triangle.
