BILLINGS — As athletes compete on the world stage at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy, the impact is being felt thousands of miles away inside the Centennial Ice Arena in Billings.
Watch Billings residents try curling for the first time:
With Team USA earning its first mixed doubles curling medal and a 54-year-old alternate on the men's team, Rich Ruohonen, becoming the oldest U.S. Winter Olympian, interest in the sport has surged locally. The Billings Curling Club hosted a Valentine’s Day “Learn to Curl” event on Saturday that drew 45 people, which is more than double its typical membership of about 20.
Organizers said the timing is no coincidence.
“We took advantage of the fact that the Olympics are on right now," said Jamie Connell, treasurer of the Billings Curling Club. "Hopefully, we'll gain some new members for the club.”
For many first-timers, watching the sport on television sparked curiosity.
“It kind of helps that the Olympics are going on right now and you see curling as one of the sports, and then you see it advertised to try it and you're like, 'Yeah, I want to try that,'” said Jessica Kersh, who attended the event with her husband and friends.
Jen and Joe Dillabaugh were among those who decided to swap their couch for curling stones.
“It looks super easy on TV, I'm not going to lie, but it's a lot of fun and not quite as easy as it looks," said Jen Dillabaugh.
“We watch it on TV and have no idea what they're doing, so it's fun to get out here and learn," added Joe Dillabaugh. "The instructors are super fun, super helpful."
Participants learned how to slide across the ice, deliver a 40-pound granite stone, and sweep to control its speed and direction, skills that often appear effortless when Olympic athletes perform them.
Chip Dawson drove from Nye to take part in something he said he had always wanted to try.
"It's not as easy as it looks," said Dawson. "But it's a lot of fun, and we've had a great time. We've been laughing.”
Connell said that the combination of strategy, athleticism, and social interaction often surprises newcomers.
“I think it just shows you that the sport of curling can be very tactical, it can be extremely athletic, and it's fun," said Connell. "When the stakes get as high as they are at the Olympics, people, they dig in, and they're very serious about their sport. But it's still a blast.”
Connell and fellow club member Mary Johnson experienced that intensity firsthand in October when they competed in Las Vegas at the USA Curling Arena Club National Championship. The team was the first from Montana to qualify for the event.
Related: Montana curlers make history with first-ever national tournament qualification
"It just goes to show you can start this sport when you're a little bit older and still do very well and compete in some amazing events," said Connell.
Club vice president Jayme Green, a Level 1 instructor with USA Curling, said the Olympic spotlight helps introduce the sport to new audiences, but it’s the welcoming atmosphere that keeps people coming back.
“Even watching those high-level curlers, it gets intense, it gets crazy, but it's at the end of the day, we're all doing the same thing. We celebrate great shots, we high-five,” said Green. "Everybody's having a great time, and that's the biggest part. It's not about how well you curl, it's just coming out here, having a good time with your friends.”
Green said curling’s accessibility, with a mix of competition and camaraderie, also draws people in.
“It's such an odd sport, sliding down the ice in a weird way, throwing a piece of rock, it's not necessarily a normal game, so it puts everyone on the same playing field," said Green. "Anyone of any age, of any type of ability, can play."
As Olympic competition continues overseas, the Billings Curling Club hopes the surge of interest will last long after the closing ceremony.
“If you have any interest, give it a shot. If nothing else, you kind of get the feel for what's actually going on and how bad you are compared to the Olympiads," said Dawson. "Come try it. Curling's cool."
For more information on the Billings Curling Club, click here.
