MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. — Curling at the Olympics always seems to captivate the world, but at the Pittsburgh Curling Club in McKees Rocks, it’s far more than something that comes up once every four years; it’s a way of life.
“Everyone’s intrigued by it. It’s a weird-looking sport. You’re running on ice, you’re bent over sweeping a giant rock that’s sliding down the ice. It’s like, there’s nothing else in the Winter Olympics that’s even close to it,” Pittsburgh Curling Club Dustin Devine said.
That often sparks curiosity far beyond the Olympic village.
“Pretty much everybody in America that does, is we watch curling on the Olympics and we’re like, I can do that,” Devine said.
That’s how Dustin Devine got hooked, during the 2014 games.
His search to get started led him to the Pittsburgh Curling Club.
“You make that first shot that actually, you know, you slide out and actually make that first shot, boom, you’re hooked,” Devine said.
The club hosts tournaments throughout the year, often drawing teams from across the country and Canada.
Every winter Olympic cycle brings a familiar surge of interest, one Devine says means everything for a sport that doesn’t see much airtime outside of the games.
“So we’re hoping that eventually changes. I know that the curling community and some of the curling organizations are trying to change that to make it more visible, you know, in mass to the country. But until then, whenever the four years come around, this Olympic time, we just really ramp up and get ready for that and get set to welcome another group of Olympians-at-heart.” Devine said.
If the sport looks like a lot of fun to you, the Pittsburgh Curling Club is beginner-friendly. They offer learn to curl classes and leagues throughout most of the year.
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