Minnesota High School Curling Championship Returns After 50-Year Hiatus
Tournament featured 24 teams and 96 curlers
DULUTH, Minn.- It only took a half of a century, but the Minnesota High School Curling Championship has returned in full force.
“We felt it was very important to try to bring this back after 50 years,” says Kerry Hadiaris, the general manager of the Duluth Curling Club. “The group started last spring trying to figure out how we could make this happen.”
“Traditionally kids get into curling because their parents curl,” says Lisa Rudolph, the president of the Minnesota Curling Association. “But by making it a high school event, we can try to bring kids into the sport from their schools rather than just their parents.”
Unlike the state tournaments in other sports, this competition was open to vets and beginners alike. “I would say it takes about a half an hour to become proficient enough to play a game in probably 10 years to get good. So, be kind to yourself,” laughed Hadiaris.
“Some try out the game just to say they tried it some, try it and they’re bit by the curling bug immediately and they’re in, they’re hooked,” smiled Rudolph.
Duluth Marshall Freshman Ella Hadiaris has three years of curling experience under her belt, but the same couldn’t be said about her teammates.
“I had three friends who had tried curling before, and they wanted to try, and so I brought them down and taught them how to curl and they’re curling for the first time this weekend.” I asked her if she had to do some convincing to get her friends to compete. “Just a little, they were kind of nervous but it’s okay,” she laughed.
Ella’s friends aren’t the only ones giving curling a shot. In fact, it’s a big reason why the Duluth Curling Club is growing in popularity.
“We’re bursting at the seams frankly.” says Hadiaris. “I mean, we have full leagues, we have full bonspiels. We, you know, we have an appetite for curling and Duluth.”
But why do these beginners continue to come back? Well, for the longtime curlers, the answer is pretty obvious.
“There’s a lot of camaraderie around the game and a lot of good life lessons involved in the game,” says Rudolph. “Curlers play to win, never to humble their opponents. And the spirit of curling is a real strong force. That could be a good driving factor for the rest of our lives.”
“Curlers are the nicest people you could meet,” smiled Hadiaris. “If you need a friend, go to a curling club, we’re just very welcoming and we want to pitch in and help each other because we all just love the game and it’s just kind of the spirit of curling.”
Click here to learn more about the Duluth Curling Club and their upcoming leauges and events.
