Learn to Curl
Many members of the Missoula Curling Club didn't grow up curling. They watched it during the Olympics — usually — and found themselves wanting to try. If that's you, you're in the right place.
Our next Learn to Curl is Friday, October 10 from 3:00–5:00 pm.
Or email us at [email protected] with any questions.
What to Expect
A good time, first and foremost. Curling is a sport where you yell encouragement, sweep ice furiously and slide 42-pound hunks of granite down a sheet of ice with surprising precision. It is competitive and strategic, but also genuinely fun — and you don't need any prior experience or athletic background to enjoy it.
There is no skating. You show up in warm, comfortable clothes and rubber-soled shoes, and within 15 minutes you can be throwing rocks. Within half an hour, you'll be playing a real game.
Who Can Participate?
Anyone. We have curlers aged 8 to 80 in Missoula. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Participants under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign a waiver before taking the ice.
How Hard Is It to Learn?
The basics come quickly. Getting good takes longer. But having fun? That starts immediately. You don't need to know strategy, terminology, or anything about the sport to show up and enjoy yourself. Our volunteers will walk you through everything.
Ways to Get Involved
Formal Learn to Curl events are held throughout the season — typically in October when the ice goes in, and again at various points during the year. These are structured with experienced instructors, group sessions of 8 curlers per sheet, and a goal of getting you delivering and sweeping stones within the first 15 minutes. Check the Upcoming Learn to Curl page for dates.
Open Curling runs on Friday mornings once the outdoor ice is in — typically 10am to 1pm. It's the cheapest and most casual way to get on the ice, practice your delivery, or join a pick-up game. Check the club calendar for current open curl dates.
The Olympic League is designed specifically for newcomers, with experienced club members coaching participants through the rules, etiquette and strategy of the game as they play. It runs during the winter season on Saturday evenings.
School and community events — The club regularly brings curling to Missoula schools and community events, including multi-session learn-to-curls for Sentinel and other high schools, introductory sessions for younger students at schools like Sussex, and large public events like the Olympic Try Day at Glacier Ice Rink. These are a great low-stakes way to try the sport before committing to a league.
Some Fun Facts
- Curling is generally agreed to have originated in Scotland in the 16th century, played on frozen marshes and lochs.
- It was first an Olympic medal sport in 1924, then returned to full medal status at the 1998 Nagano Games — and has been must-watch TV ever since.
- World Curling now has 74 member associations, with the sport growing on every continent. Wikipedia
- The modern curling stone weighs about 42 pounds and is made of a specific granite quarried almost exclusively from Ailsa Craig, a small island off the coast of Scotland.
- Sweeping can extend a stone's travel by up to 15 feet — which is why the yelling matters.
- At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Canada won gold in men's curling with Great Britain taking silver and Switzerland bronze. Wikipedia
- Switzerland won the 2026 World Women's Curling Championship and Sweden's Niklas Edin won the 2026 World Men's Championship — right here in the U.S., in Ogden, Utah. WikipediaWikipedia
Many of the members of the Missoula Curling Club didn’t grow up curling. They saw it on the Olympics — usually — and found themselves wanting to try out the sport.
We will occasionally hold formal learn to curls, but if you want to learn email [email protected] and we will work to find a time to get you on the ice.
What to Expect
Well, to have a good time. This is a sport where we yell a lot and sweep ice and slide around 40-some-pound hunks of granite. So don’t expect us to take ourselves too seriously. True, it is a competitive and really strategic game, but it is also totally fun. So we don’t expect you to have any knowledge of the sport or experience. You don’t have to know how to skate (there isn’t any skating) and you can show up in casual street clothes, although dress kind of warm, it is on ice after all.
Who Can Participate?
Anybody. We have people aged 8 to 80 curling here in Missoula and so all ages are welcome. Those under 18 have to have a parent sign a waiver on site, but other than that feel free to come.
How Hard Is It To Learn?
Well, I think it is like golf (not that I know how to golf, but how I imagine golf to be). It is pretty easy to get the basics down and start playing. It is a lot harder to be good at it. But it’s pretty darn easy to have fun out there.
So, needless to say, experience is not required to come out and try the sport.
First some fun facts:
• It is generally agreed that curling was developed in Scotland in the 16th century on frozen marshes.
• Curling was first an Olympic medal sport in 1924, but did not obtain full medal status again until 1998.
• Curling is played in 48 countries worldwide. Canada leads the way with around 1 million active curlers.
• The modern curling stone is round, made of granite, and weighs about 42 pounds.
• The first known U.S. curling clubs were located in New York City, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Portage, Wis.
• Sweeping can help a stone slide up to an additional 15 feet.