Olympics drive boom for curling clubs as sport draws increased interest, investment

In a typical year, the St. Louis Curling Club hosts around one class a month during its season, totaling four or five classes a year. This year, the club has sold out six classes in February alone, according to Zach Folk, the club’s public relations chairman.

Missouri-based curling clubs are trying to use the Winter Olympics in Italy to grow their clubs and the sport as a whole. That uptick in local interest in curling comes as participation nationally has increased in recent years, and there is even a blooming professional scene.

The Kansas City Curling Club, which was founded in 1987, completed construction of a dedicated curling facility in Blue Springs in 2021. It is the only dedicated curling facility in all of Missouri.

Read more from Missouri Business Alert.