NORTH CAROLINA STATE RELEASES STUDY ON CURLING IN THE UNITED STATES
Photo by: Bob Weder
[EAGAN, MN, November 16th, 2023] — USA Curling is pleased to share Curling in America: A Profile of Participants and Opportunities for Continued Growth, a study conducted by a team at North Carolina State University. The work was led by Michael Kanters, Ph.D., a Parks, Recreation & Tourism faculty member and a dedicated curler at the Triangle Curling Club in Durham, NC.
We encourage all club leaders and curlers to review the study. While it confirms many long-held beliefs about our sport, it also identifies areas for improvement. Those include increased diversity among participants and the need to have curling on television more often, especially in years when the Olympic Games are not held.
“We were pleased with the high response rate to our survey,” Kanters said. “The volume of answers means this information can be used to draw accurate conclusions and provides the kind of insight that leads to good solutions.”
Some highlights from the study include:
“Why do you curl?” was one question in the survey, and the top two responses were socialization and physical activity
Over 53% of respondents were introduced to curling by seeing it on television
Most respondents indicated they felt comfortable voicing opinions and taking social risks, but also felt their clubs could do more to improve diversity and inclusion
Curling skews much younger than the stereotype that persists among people not familiar with our sport—over 60% of participants are between the ages of 25 and 54
“Michael and his team at NC State provided a valuable look at the state of curling here in the United States, and there is much to celebrate,” added Dean Gemmell, CEO of USA Curling. “At the same time, it’s clear we need to do more outreach to encourage participation among groups that have not yet been introduced to our sport.”
The study is available for two weeks here, before it is moved to Our House, the USA Curling content platform.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Toyota, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of the World Curling Federation and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
