Learn an Olympic sport for free on the Canal this winter
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A winter Olympic sport is sliding its way into downtown Indianapolis this season.
It’s the first year the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and Circle City Curling Club are hosting “Curling on the Canal.”
Organizers have been running it since the beginning of the year on Vermont Street Plaza, near 414 W. Vermont St.
Two synthetic curling rinks are set up with eight stones each for people on the trail to drop by and try out.
Amy Marisavljevic, the trail’s director of planning and public programs, says they took inspiration from Detroit where they had a similar program.
“Most people see it on the Olympics and they want to try it. They’re curious about it,” Marisavljevic said. “This really allows people to try it. The great thing about it is that you can be at any fitness level to come out. Everybody is a little bad their first time and gets progressively better, so it’s just a great thing for families to come out and try.”
There are a few modifications to the game to make it easier for beginners to pick up. While Olympic curling is known for the swift movements of the player holding a brush, this version doesn’t have one.
The rink’s also shorter. A full-sized playing area can be up to 130 feet long, whereas the rinks on the canal are about 30 feet long.
Finally, the playing pieces, known as stones, are a lot lighter, weighing about 5 pounds. Olympic-sized stones weigh 42 pounds.
Marisavlijevic says this is the “flag football version of curling.”
“It’s a lot easier and more approachable for everybody,” Marisavlijevic said. “We want this to make this incredibly accessible.”
On Sundays, members of the curling club, like Jessie Gross, teach drop-in classes for people looking to learn more about the game. Gross joined News 8 at Daybreak on Sunday for a brief lesson.
“It’s called curling because of the rotation you put on the stone,” Gross said. “As you release, you want to just put a rotation on it whether counterclockwise or clockwise. “
The objective is to push the stones toward a target on the opposite end of a rink called the house. Players score points depending on how close they are to the center of the house. Scoring works much like the game of cornhole or bags.
“Curling on the Canal” runs until March 3. Both open curling and lessons are free.
Curling on the Canal Hours
- Open curling: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Saturday; 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Sunday.
- Curling lessons: 1 – 3 p.m. Sundays
Hours may vary depending on staffing and weather.