The weirdest event in the Winter Olympics is about to get a lot more exposure in Charlotte. And we call it an “event”, because we’re not quite sure it qualifies as a sport.
There’s already interest in curling in the Charlotte area, in fact, the Charlotte Curling Association regularly gets together for good old-fashioned curling fun. And this week, the group moved forward with a huge new facility in North Charlotte, at Sunset and Old Statesville Roads near the Metrolina Fairgrounds. It should be ready by fall.
Now, in case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, curling is that unusual Olympic event in which one person slides a stone accross the ice, and teammates brush the ice ahead of it as they aim for the target on the other end. It’s not something that takes an athlete who’s in tip top shape to compete in. And it’s something Americans really suck at. We’ve only ever won a medal once, and that was a bronze back in 2006.
It’s great that the Curling Association is opening a new center, but just because an event involves competition, does that make it a sport? We hit the streets to find out…
