When it comes to sports on ice, the LA Kings rule. But other local contenders are vying for a championship, whose game is nothing like hockey, but every bit as cold and loud. We’re talking about curling.
David Hernandez plays for the Orange County and Hollywood curling clubs, and has been practicing for the 5-and-Under National Championship in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“My goal is to represent SoCal curlers. It's tough because we don't have dedicated ice. So I'm going to give it a good show and just try to make our region proud,” he says.
The OC and Hollywood clubs established their own rink in Vernon in 2020, but it lasted a short time before closing during the COVID pandemic. The teams now rent out rinks in Panorama City and Lakewood, which are usually dedicated to other sports.
Before curlers get on the ice, there’s a process of spraying water, known as pebbling. Hernandez explains, “It's gonna freeze down and basically create little bumps on the ice, a nice path for rocks to slide over. [It’s] almost similar to sand on a shuffleboard that’s gonna help the stones just slide nicely across these ice sheets.”
Granite stones are being prepared for curling practice at The Rinks in Lakewood. Photo by Shaquille Woods.
The art of curling is complex and requires a good eye, dexterity, and strategy. Players slide a 40-pound granite stone over ice, spinning it so they curve one way or the other. Thus, the name curling.
There are no skates, like hockey or figure skating. You wear curling-specific shoes, which may come with special attachments.
Veronica Huerta is competing for a spot as a curler for Team Mexico at the Olympics.
“It's my third now, but it's my first pre-Olympic qualifier, which I … never thought I would get to that point,” she says.
Winning would be a dream come true for Huerta. But inspiring the next generation of curlers is her ultimate goal.
“We are all in our 30s and up. We need to find the teams of pre-teens, get them going so they have a good shot at the Olympics 12 years from now.”
Curling isn’t as popular as other sports in Southern California, such as surfing, skiing, ice skating, roller skating, and skateboarding. But diverse talent and ages keep inspiring the local community of curlers to grow.
“I don't have the stamina for soccer. I'm not good at basketball. All those traditional sports that kids have access to — if you're not good at those, that’s totally fine. There is something for you, and this can be it,” says Huerta.
As Hernandez puts it, curling is a sport for everybody: “The other thing that's so great is the accessibility of the sport, right? Wheelchair curling, deaf curling, blind curling. You name it, we can access it. And that's honestly probably my favorite part of it — is this community that I found. I'm very lucky to be a part of it.”