OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — Omaha's curling community is growing. Membership in the Aksarben Curling Club has doubled over the past five years thanks to Omaha twice hosting the Olympic curling trials and continued exposure of the sport during the Olympics. Now, the club is looking for a dedicated space to play.
- Learn more about the Aksarben Curling Club
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY BELOW
"We are the largest curling club in the country that plays on hockey ice," said Nic Swiercek, president of the Aksarben Curling Club.
Swiercek says there are approximately 300 people who play every week in Omaha.
The club currently operates at Baxter Arena, where it must share ice time with hockey leagues and figure skaters. This scheduling challenge limits the programs the organization can offer.
"Having our own space will allow us to expand our programming, offer regional and national events," Swiercek said.
A dedicated facility would enable the club to introduce additional programming such as wheelchair curling and after-school programs.
Omaha City Councilman Pete Festersen, who grew up curling at the old Aksarben ice rink with his family, supports the expansion as part of the city's recreational offerings.
"And that's one of the great things about the sport is anyone can play. We have very young players and we have older players, too," Festersen said.
The councilman emphasized that recreational sports contribute to community building and quality of life in Omaha.
"So, we're working on that together with the club here. We do think that would be a great diversity in terms of our sporting opportunities for families in the city," Festersen said.
The sport's accessibility attracts college students from the University of Nebraska Omaha and Creighton University. Students Liliana, Andre and Payton joined their university's curling club without prior experience and are now preparing for national competition.
"It's very friendly, it's very welcoming. There's very little barrier to entry," said Liliana Delgado.
The club offers Learn to Curl events through the end of March for newcomers interested in trying the sport.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
