Our Club History

In 2002, America started to pay serious attention to an Olympic sport that had been fairly obscure. Curling -- stones launched down the ice by one team member while others direct its trajectory by sweeping the ice in front of it -- became a cult passion. Clubs began to spring up in parts of America that had never before heard of curling. Today, the Dallas/Fort Worth Curling Club stands as an example of how far south the appeal of this sport has reached.

Our club started in a coffee shop on St. Patrick's Day after the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. David Villegas, Keltysue Harris, Mark Parker and Dan Johnson gathered to talk about the possibility of starting a club. As the club's first officers, they plotted a course to put curlers on the ice in North Texas. They found an unlikely ally in a local radio show that had also been obsessing about the sport. Mark Davis from WBAP (AM 820) brought his colleagues and more than a few listeners into the fold.

Spreading the news about a new club is one thing. Having the facility and equipment to actually do it is another. Securing a home at the Dr. Pepper StarCenter in Duncanville, (just south of Dallas), and borrowing stones from the Houston Curling Club, we held summer open houses that gathered enough people to begin league play in the fall of 2002.

Eight successful seasons have followed as our club has grown in size and commitment. The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver has given curling a boost in popularity and visibility. Using that interest, we have increased our schedule to include three different time slots, two on Sunday and one on Wednesday.

2010-11 will be the ninth season for the D/FW Curling Club. It will be our second season at our new Home of Curling at the Dr. Pepper StarCenter in Farmers Branch. The Duncanville facility has closed. It will remain fond in our memories as it gave us seven great years of curling.

During the off season, the USCA ran a clinic at our facilities and we hosted the other At-Large clubs for three days of curling meetings and training. Our club sponsored a charity bonspiel for the Chrone's and Colitis Foundataion. We also hosted the inaugural event of the Red River Shootout by inviting Oklahoma down for a weekend of competion during the Texas/Oklahoma football weekend.

Our passion and our membership continue to grow and so does our pride as we have accomplished so much and continue to prosper.