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The country’s best curlers are in town this week, throwing rocks and sweeping ice as the 2017 USA Curling national championships continue through Sunday at Xfinity Arena in Everett.
Players from 14 different states, including 11 U.S. Olympians, are competing across 10 men’s teams and eight women’s teams, first in a round-robin style tournament and then in the finals over the weekend. The top teams will be crowned national champions and those in top three spots will earn an invitation to the 2018 USA Olympic Team Trials.
Curling is a game of quiet concentration and skill, but the silence of the arena is punctuated by calls of “Hard!” or “Off!” from each team’s skip, or captain, directing teammates on how hard they should sweep the ice in front of the rock in order to land it perfectly in the “house,” a target-like ring at the end of the ice.
Charlie Anthe, the event’s marketing chair and member of local c0-hosting organization Granite Curling Club, is excited to have the tournament so close to home this year. Six players from Granite Curling, which is located in Greenwood, are competing this week.
“Our team has been the home of more U.S. national championship players than any other club in the country,” said Anthe.
In addition to cheering their favorite teams on, spectators are invited to learn how to curl themselves on a practice sheet of ice on the competition floor. There will be other family-friendly activities available throughout the week. Tickets are $10 per day for adults, $5 for kids during round-robin play, $25 and $20 during the weekend finals.
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