You don't have to be an Olympian to curl

Sports like snowboard cross or hockey are fairly easy to comprehend.  In snowboarding, the fastest run, highest jump and wildest trick will win you a medal.  All anyone has to do in hockey is shoot a tiny puck into a net.

But how many non-curlers out there can thoroughly explain the rules of curling?  What do those rings at the end of the track represent?  Is it like darts, but on ice?  What are those brooms called, and why do teams use them?

If you're one of the more than 20,000 students here at Bowling Green State University, you don't need to look any further than the university ice rink ti find the answers to all of your curling questions.  What's more, you don't have to be an Olympian to participate.

The BGSU Ice Arena hosts open curling year-round for curlers with previous experience, or for those who hire and instructor.  But don't worry if you don't have any experience, or don't have the dough for an instructor.  The ice arena hosts educational group lessons, where anyone can grab a broom, grab a stone and get curling.  Participants don't even need their own equipment, as it's provided by the arena.

Graduate Kristi Rhoads has been curling at the ice arena twice, once with her Sociology class.  Her professor was once a competitive curler and decided to introduce the class to a sport they likely weren't that familiar with.

"I did it because I had the opportunity to learn a sport that I had really only seen on TV - during the Winter Olympics," Rhoads said.  "I thought it was enjoyable, much more so than watching it on TV would lead you to believe."

Some students take curling a bit more seriously, though.  Graduate student PJ Wolf began curling when he was a freshman at BGSU.  He started our in an intramural league but quickly became so interested in the sport that he helped create the BGSU Curling Club."

The intramural league supervisor for curling, Nik Geller, recognized Wolf's passion for the sport.

"He introduced me to a few other students that had a general interest in the sport and asked me if I would be willing to help him start a student organization for the game," Wolf said.  "And that is how the current BGSU Curling Club came to be."

Wolf served as the club president from 2007 to 2009 and is currently a board member.

The BGSU Curling Club is comprised of only BGSU students.  The club practices for two hours every Sunday throughout the season, and members pay dues each semester.  The club has been able to receive some Student Budget Committee funding, which cover the cost of rink time.

Curling is still and expensive sport, though.

"We would practice more often but ice time is very pricey so those wishing to practice more tend to do it on their own," Wolf said.  "Many members will also join the community club as well and participate in leagues but this group is often very limited due to the high cost of participation."

Wolf said these community dues hover around $300 per member per year.

The time and monetary investments have paid off for the team, however.  Every spring, the club hosts a tournament in which up to 24 teams from around the nation compete.  This past year, the BG team won first place in both divisions.  It has also take home bronze medals from another national tournament held in Chicago every March.

"We have done very well for ourselves the past few years and hope to continue the tradition for quite some time," Wolf said.

Wolf believes that each Winter Olympics brings more fame to the sport, as curling continues to grow in popularity throughout the nation.

If Wolf and the BGSU Curling Club have anything to do with the future of the sport, we can be sure that many more people will continue to grab a broom, grab a stone and get curling.