The United States Curling Association was founded in 1958. The USCA sanctions national events for men, women, couples and for juniors age 21 and under. The organization is one of 34 members of the World Curling Federation, which was founded in 1966. The WCF sanctions world championships for men (inaugurated in 1959 as the Scotch Cup), junior men (begun in 1975), women (1979) and junior women (1988). The U.S. men participated in their first world championship in 1961. The USCA became a U.S. Olympic Committee Affiliated Sports Organization in 1986 and a National Governing Body in May 1994. Curling was approved as a medal sport in July 1992. It has been an Olympic demonstration sport four times: in 1924 in Chamonix, France; 1932 in Lake Placid; 1988 in Calgary, Canada; and 1992 in Albertville, France.

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Who Curls, And Where

Curling appeals to all age groups and both sexes. Twenty-four-pound "junior stones" are available for children under 10 years of age. Curling has equal appeal as both a social outlet and a competitive sport. Curling competitions, called "bonspiels," are organized for men, women, couples, seniors and juniors. Local clubs have regular leagues for these same constituencies. "Open" events feature curlers of all ages and both sexes competing in one competition. Curlers come from all walks of life, and value the special camaraderie the game offers to all. The United States Curling is played in 27 states, mostly across the north. Curling is a winter sport, and is rarely played in warmer climates due to the lack of ice facilities. There are approximately 15,000 curlers in the United States. Wisconsin has the largest concentration, with nearly 4,000, and Minnesota has over 3,000 curlers. The World Curling is concentrated in countries with colder climates. Canada has the most curlers of all, with nearly 1.5 million. The countries listed below have curling organizations that belong to the World Curling Federation: Canada Finland Germany Wales United States Sweden Austria England Japan Norway France Luxembourg Australia Denmark Italy Switzerland New Zealand Netherlands Scotland Hungary Russia Belgium Czech Republic Iceland Liechtenstein Andorra Mexico Bulgaria Romania U.S. Islands KoreaFor more information, call the USCA at 1-888-CURLERS.

 

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