Curling
While it’s occasionally been reduced to a demonstration (rather than competitive) Olympic sport since being introduced to the roster in 1924, curling remains one of the most novice-friendly sports in the Winter Games line-up. Invented by 16th-century Scots, this quirky winter sport akin to shuffleboard on ice is currently played by some 3000 Americans in Bemidji, Minnesota (pop. 13,000) and its environs. The local Bemidji Curling Club has produced over 50 state and national titles in its 70+ year history; you can learn the ins and outs of the sport that’s part bowling, part ice sweeping, and no parts skating, from club managers (and, if you’re lucky, US Olympic team coach Bob Fenson) here between November and April. The club’s six 150-foot-long indoor rinks (or "sheets" as they're called in curling) also serve as training facilities for both men’s and women’s Olympic teams; even if you’re not keen to hit the ice yourself, you can still cheer on the pros, beer in hand, from the in-house lounge.
