Where to Try Curling in Central Florida

While the 2026 Winter Olympics just ended, did you know there is a place in the Orlando area where you can continue the spirit of the games year-round? I recently joined some friends at the Ice Factory of Central Florida (2221 Partin Settlement Rd., Kissimmee) to take a “Learn to Curl” class with the Orlando Curling Club. It was a “cool” experience to learn the sport of curling and play a few “ends” that I would love to share with you!

Orlando Curling Club “Learn2Curl” class

There are several learners’ programs, including a blacklight, “Glow Curl,” hosted by the curling club. We chose the 2.5 hour “Learn2Curl” class. We started our session in a classroom to learn the history of curling, starting in the 1500s in Scotland, and the current state of the sport. There are curling clubs in all 50 states in the U.S., with four in Florida: Orlando, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, and Tampa.

We also learned the terminology of all the paint marks and how to safely walk on the sheet of ice. I had no idea that they spray water on the rink to make a pebbled texture to make the ice less slippery! We finished the classroom session with learning how to score each end (what games or rounds are called) and techniques to use with our brooms to make the stone curl more one way or another.

We then took our knowledge out on the ice! We worked in groups of two to four with an instructor to practice throwing the stone across the ice, sweeping the ice to change the speed or direction of the stone, and standing on the back line to direct a throw. One of our shoes wore a slip-on gripper to keep us steady on the ice while we had a slider pad to rest the other foot on when throwing the stone. The only time I fell was when trying to get out of my crouching position but luckily, I was already so low to the ice that I could just sit down!

The final portion of the class is to play a full game! A team is made up of four players, so my group of six improvised a bit with some of the instructors joining our team. A full “end” is throwing eight stones per team. After both teams’ combined 16 stones, the team color with the stone closest to the pin earns a point for that team. If that team has multiple stones closer to the pin than an opponent, they can earn multiple points. For my group, we were tied 1-1 after two ends, so we went into a “sudden death” round: one last throw to determine the winner…and my team won!

Learn to Curl in Florida

I had a lot of fun learning about curling and love how supportive and communal the members of the sport are. There are shelves out on the ice to hold your beer while you play, just like at a bowling alley, and it is club tradition to say, “good stone!” after a throw and share a drink after the competition. You will need to register for classes in advance online and I cannot recommend it enough. Find more info at CurlingOrlando.com/Learn2Curl. Happy curling!

Have a story idea for Cassie? Reach out to her directly at Cassie@ECCToldMe.com — she’d love to hear from you!