Spending a weekend sliding rocks across ice might not be most people’s idea of a good time, but for a group of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, there’s nothing they’d rather be doing.
The University of Nebraska Curling Club is hosting its first tournament on home ice this weekend at the Breslow Ice Hockey Center. The tournament includes 14 teams from eight schools around the Midwest, with Creighton and Wayne State among them.
Curling has historically been a niche sport in the U.S., but Logun Gunderson, president of NU's curling club, said the sport is growing at colleges and communities all over the region. He said the UNL club has 26 members, with 18 on the traveling competition squad. The team practices weekly and travels to Omaha to play against other schools and a local club each week, as well as traveling to other states for tournaments.
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Gunderson said hosting the tournament was a major step forward for the club, raising awareness about the sport in Lincoln.
“It really signifies that this is a curling community,” he said.
Gunderson is originally from Wausau, Wisconsin, a hub of curling in the state, where he had the opportunity to compete for his high school team. He said he chose to attend UNL largely because of its curling team. After seven years of curling, he said it’s become a core part of his life, and a great getaway from the stress of everyday life, allowing him to meet like-minded people and do something he loves.
“We just like curling,” Gunderson said. “And that’s all that matters when you come to curling practice.”
The club is committed to growing the sport both at the university and in the community, Gunderson said. He said it hosts “Learn to Curl” events throughout the school year to create an environment for people unfamiliar with curling to try the sport, as well as supporting new members on its practice squad to help them learn curling. Gunderson said he wants to help grow the sport in the community and make it as accessible as possible for all who want to try.
“It’s not a complex sport,” he said. “Throw rocks on ice.”
Tucker Loosbrock, social chair for the club, said the club has placed second, second and fifth the past three years at nationals. While the team has a couple of members who curled before college, he said most picked it up once they got to UNL, himself included.
Loosbrock said the Huskers have a friendly rivalry with the curling team from the University of Minnesota. He said games between the teams serve as a trophy match, and the winner gets a cardigan with half Husker and half Gopher decoration that is called the "Gophusker."
Sam Lydiatt, a sophomore at UNL, said she’s been a member of the team two years, taking up curling in college after becoming interested when the U.S. Olympic Trials for curling were held in Omaha in 2017.
Getting a start in the sport wasn’t a seamless process, Lydiatt said, but she did find that the community was incredibly supportive of those trying to learn. She said the sport is fun, but one of the most rewarding parts is getting to know people and hanging out in a fun, relaxed environment.
“Honestly, curling has been one of the best aspects of my college career so far,” Lydiatt said.
Lydiatt said this weekend's tournament is a great opportunity to promote not only the team but the entire University of Nebraska.
“It brings people to the area and helps to put Lincoln on the map,” she said.
Although it may not be a common sport, Lydiatt said she’s glad she took a chance and tried something new by joining the team. She said the sport has given her a community and even helped her become more outgoing.
“When you fall down on the ice enough, you get used to being a little out there,” she said.