Area curlers taught newcomers like Ryan Botsford, at right, some of the basics of curling at a “Curling 101” session at the Red Baron Arena and Expo on Sunday. Part of the game of curling involves sweeping the ice with brooms to help control how the curling stones move.

MARSHALL — There was some slipping and sliding going on at the Red Baron Arena and Expo last weekend – but that was all part of learning the sport of curling, area residents said.

For a lot of the people gathered on the ice, it took a few tries to get a 45-pound curling stone moving without falling over.

“I just slid on my stomach,” Olivia Carlson said of her attempts.

Even if you keep your balance, it takes practice to control the stone. “It’s really hard to get a feel for the exact speed you want,” said Ryan Botsford.

Carlson and Botsford were among the people who attended a “Curling 101” session at the Arena and Expo on Sunday evening. More experienced area curlers showed newcomers some of the basic techniques of the game.

Organizers estimated around 50 people got out on the ice to learn more about curling.

“It’s a fun game, and anybody can play,” said Rob Anderson, one of the area residents teaching curling basics.

Anderson said curling league play has been held at the Red Baron Arena and Expo since 2018. Area teams play on Sunday and Wednesday nights in the fall and winter. Some players come from communities as far away as Slayton and Renville.

Anderson said numbers of players have been steady, but local curlers hoped that the Curling 101 event would help build interest for new teams to form.

“We want to grow,” he said.

In curling, teams of players “throw,” or slide, heavy stones across the ice toward a bullseye-shaped target called the house. With practice, players can also get the stone to “curl,” or travel in a curved path, Anderson said.

“The first thing we teach is throwing the stones,” Anderson said. “Once you get that, everything else comes right along with it.”

The aim of the game is to get your team’s stones closer to the center of the target than the opposing team’s. Players can sweep the ice in front of moving stones with brooms, to affect how the stone travels.

“It’s chess on ice,” said Rev. Zachary Peterson. Peterson was one of the area curlers helping teach newcomers the basics last Sunday. Part of the game was figuring out your team’s strategy, he said.

Peterson said he first got interested in curling after seeing it televised as part of the Winter Olympics. “I had never seen anything like it before, and I was just captivated,” he said.

When Marshall first offered a chance to learn to curl, Peterson was assigned to the Catholic parish in Minneota. He went to the curling class together with a couple of other people, and they all went on to join the curling league.

While area curlers can get competitive while playing, the atmosphere is still friendly. “You get done, and it’s like, ‘Good game. Let’s go get a beer,'” Anderson said.

People who took part in Curling 101 came from a lot of different backgrounds. The Southwest Minnesota State University swimming and diving team and coaches came to the session as a group.

“We were looking for something fun to do” as a team, said head coach Marty Wahle. The student athletes were back on campus several days before the start of spring semester classes. “I think it’s fun to show them some sports other than their own,” Wahle said.

People at the class said they were having fun, although getting the hang of throwing the curling stones could be a little tricky.

“My body doesn’t bend that way,” Andrew Bach said. But he said the experience of curling was interesting.

“I had never done anything like it before,” Olivia Carlson said. “I think we might have to try this again.”

Peterson said it was good to see the interest in curling at the 101 session. “Hopefully some of these people will want to join league,” he said.

Anderson said the winter curling league season in Marshall starts the week of January 14. Teams that are interested in signing up can contact Marshall Community Services at 507-537-6767.