Let’s face it. Some things about the Winter Olympics are just bizarre…and we’re not talking about the questionable hotel rooms. Tune in at an off-peak hour and you’ll find athletes from all over the world competing for the Olympic gold medal by pushing a broom, trying out ballroom dance moves on ice, and shooting a gun while on skis.
But don’t mock the athletes from your sofa. Across the U.S., you can get into the Olympic spirit by trying your hand at these wacky events. Here are five opportunities to experience the most unique of the Winter Olympic sports.
1. Curling
You might not know this, but curling is everywhere. This shuffleboard-on-ice sport has more than five levels of clubs in 42 U.S. states. For this Winter Olympic sport, the goal is to get your 44-pound stone as far as possible to the other end of the rink in the opponent’s house, while also trying to hit one of your opponent’s stones. Players manning curling brooms work to speed up or slow down the stones. To give curling a try, visit the U.S. Curling Association’s map of local clubs.
