The Wausau-based team of Wes Wendling (skip), Jackson Armstrong, Chris Kirsch, and Kevin Tuma brought home the coveted first-place trophy from the U.S. Junior National Curling Championships, held at the Broomstones Curling Club in Wayland, Mass, in early April 2023.

Wendling and Kirsch are Wausau West graduates, Armstrong is from Appleton, and Tuma is from St. Paul. All are currently attending college.

The Wendling rink went undefeated through the tournament and bested the rival Hebert rink from Eau Claire in the final match, 8-5 in nine ends.

“I’ve been curling for 13 years,” says Wes, “and this is my greatest achievement so far. He attributed the victory to good play by his teammates and a good strategy. “It made the game and my shots a lot easier when we set up the house well. I would have to throw easy shots like guards instead of run-backs against a couple of points.”

Wendling, who’s twice finished second in the Under 18 nationals, and won two Wisconsin High School state championships, is getting ready for the next challenge. They’ll be representing the U.S. at the World’s next spring, but first, they’ll be participating in the World Junior Bs in December 2023.

“To prepare for this, we will be joining the national team program,” he explains. “That includes a physical fitness program at the Training Haus located at the Vikings practice facility in Minnesota, along with more opportunities for more ice access throughout the summer in the Twin Cities, and some competitive US and Canadian bonspiels.”

Rinks from Ardsley, NY, and Denver, CO, Won the USA Curling Club National Championships in Wausau

Wausau, WI, 3/19/23

The Politano rink from Ardsley, NY, won the women’s competition, and the Mansell rink from Denver, CO, won the men’s at the USA Curling 2023 National Club Championships at the Wausau Curling Center.

The Politano rink defeated the Swisshelm rink from Detroit, 8 to 4, completing a 6-2-0 record for the four-day tournament and taking home the women's gold medal. The winners laid five stones in the second end to take a solid lead. The rink included Sere Politano, Megan Stopera, Amber Will, Elizabeth Harmon, and coach Bill Stopera.

In the men’s division, the Mansell rink defeated the Ward rink from Eau Claire, WI, 5-3 in a close match, to go undefeated throughout the tournament and claim the gold. On the Mansell team were Elliott Mansell, Aaron Johnson, Simon Jarrett, Cameron Cabrera, and Sean Franey.

Twenty-four men’s and women’s teams competed in the tournament beginning Thursday, March 16 and curling in pool play through Saturday, March 18. Tie-breakers, semi-finals and finals were Sunday, March 19.

Scottish Women and US Curlers Compete in Wausau

Release:  10/28/2022

Curling came to America from Scotland, and on October 27, 2022 the Scottish Women’s Curling team came to Wausau.

The Scots curled morning and afternoon matches against U.S teams made up of women curlers from the Wausau Curling Club, and clubs in Rice Lake and Madison. Competition was keen, with teams essentially breaking even in the 10 games played.

More important than games won or lost were the points accumulated by each team. The Scots are on a tour of 14 U.S. curling clubs from Denver to New England. If they score more points across all matches, they’ll win the Marguerite Roberts Quaich, a shallow vessel that is a symbol of trust and friendship.

Junior Women earn Gold, Junior Men earn Bronze

Wausau’s junior curlers brought home medals in the National Junior Curling Championships which concluded Saturday, April 30, at the new Sentry Curling Center in Plover.

The women’s Team Tamboli, with Wausau West High School curler Amelia Hintz, defeated the Sophia Ryhorchuk team from Minnesota, 9-8. The gold-medal game came down to the final end as Tamboli—leading by two—took out the opponents’ second rock with the final shot, limiting them to one.

Others on the winning team were Jordan Hein of Portage, and Miranda Scheel and Tessa Thurlow from North Dakota.

It was the second close win over the Minnesotans. Team Tamboli edged them 6-5 in the playoff game on Friday.

In the men’s competition, the Wes Wendling team from Wausau, with John Wilkerson and Chris Kirsch also from Wausau, took the bronze medal. After advancing to the final four, they lost 5-4 to Team Sampson from Fargo, N.D., Saturday morning.

Sampson won the championship with another nail-biter over the Kauffman team from Blaine, Minn., 9-8.

Fort Wayne, IN – The Wendling rink from Wausau earned silver medals in the National U-18 curling competition in Fort Wayne, Ind., March 30-April 2, 2022.

Congratulations to team members skip Wes Wendling, third Chris Kirsch, second Carson Kirsch, and lead Nolan O’Keefe.

After winning their first two matches in the early rounds, Wendling lost to St. Paul in the 13^th draw, 12-3, then came back strong two draws later to score two in the seventh end and defeat Lowell, Mass., 6-4.

The win set up the championship match, once again against the St. Paul team. They lost 9-2, but the climb into the final draw earned them a second place and the silvers.

According to coach Jim Wendling, two of the team members—Wes Wendling and Chris Kirsch—will be participating in the U21 (under 21) competition in Stevens Point at the end of this month.

Good Curling, Matt!
All the best to Matt Thums, skip of the USA Wheelchair Curling team, at the Paralympics March 4-13, 2022 in Beijing.

Matt is a member of the Wausau Curling Club and a resident of Weston, Wisconsin.

He and the team of Dave Samsa of Green Bay, Steve Emt from Connecticut, Pam Wilson from Denver, and Batoyun Uranchimeg from the Twin Cities are taking on the world’s best wheelchair teams in the “Ice Cube” used for curling at the recent Olympic Games.

You can follow Matt and Team USA on NBC, Peacock, and USA TV. First games are Saturday, March 5. See the schedule below.

Go Matt and Team USA!

Teams skipped by Kim Susens and Ann Werth won the first and second events, respectively, at the All American bonspiel at the Wausau Curling Center over the January 15 weekend.

The first event winning Susens rink included Lisa Schroeder (lead), Brooke Ewert (second) and Maureen Noteboom (vice).

First event runnerup was the team skipped by Lisa Landon, with Chrissy Kaupie (lead), Judy Fries (second), and Patti Todd (vice).

The second event winning Werth rink included Kimberly Taylor (lead), Annette Esselman (second), and Samantha Diedrich (vice).

The Jane Christianson rink was second event runnerup, and included Kat BeBeau (lead), Tracey Manock (second), and Valerie Gorichs (vice).

The next major event at the Curling Center will be the curling competition at the Badger State Winter Games, Jan. 29-30.

Caught up in the Olympic curling action?  Want to get on the ice and learn the game?
Registration is now open for our special 3-week Beginner's Curling League.

Monday nights beginning February 28, 6:30 - 9:30pm.

Wausau West high school rinks won both the boys and girls championships at the Tietge High School Curling Championship Bonspiel held January 8-9, 2022 at the Wausau Curling Center.

The Wendling rink was the boys winner and the Hintz rink won the girls competition.

The Tietge is the largest and longest-running high school Bonspiel in the United States and is named for former Wausau high school curling coach Dennis Tietge.

The Wausau Curling Club is extremely excited to be hosting this year’s 2020 U18 Curling National Championships. 

The popular Tietge High School Bonspiel returns to the Wausau Curling Center Friday and Saturday, January 7 and 8, after a year off because of the pandemic.

It is the largest high school curling bonspiel in the United States, and also is the longest-running, according to event coordinator Jim Wendling. It is named in honor of retired Wausau High School curling coach Dennis Tietge.

Well over 100 student curlers are expected to compete. “We have 36 teams signed up, from 15 different high schools,” said Wendling.  “There will be 20 girls’ teams and 16 boys’ teams.” The teams from Wausau East and West and D.C. Everest high schools will be among the participants. 

Competition will begin Friday morning and continue through to the final games on Saturday evening. Due to COVID restrictions attendance will be limited to players and coaches. Some of the competition will be viewable on the Wendling Rink page of Facebook.

Located on Wausau’s southeast side, the Wausau Curling Center features eight sheets of ice and is one of finest curling facilities in the United States.

A team from the Wausau Curling Club won the third at the U.S. Women’s Curling Association’s Senior National Championships December 1-5, 2021.

Skipped by Lisa Landon, the team members included Terri Gleason, Valerie Gorichs, and Kim Susens.

You’ve watched it on TV during the winter Olympics, now try it with your friends, family, or co-workers.

The Wausau Curling Club holds public Learn-to-Curl events multiple times a year to introduce “Chess On Ice” to people of all ages. Whether you are a skilled athlete or someone who wants to give it a try, we will ensure that you have a great time learning the game of curling. We are also a great team-building activity for your business or organization.

If you, or your group, wants to get out on the ice and give it a shot, we host two different types of “Learn-to-Curl” events.

Public, Large-Group Learn-to-Curl Events

Several times during the season, our club offers learn-to-curl events to the general public to teach the basics of curling. When you attend a learn-to-curl event you’ll get instruction from our members and you will learn:

1. The history of Curling, the sportsmanship that drive the game, and some of the terminology used when playing.
2. How to be safe when walking on the ice and delivering a stone.
3. Proper delivery technique.
4. How to put the “curl” into curling.
5. How to sweep a stone.
6. How to score an end.

You will also learn how to become a member and the leagues that are available to new curlers.

If you cannot get low and deliver a stone like an Olympian, do not worry! We also can teach you how to stick-curl!

Our upcoming Learn-To-Curl Events are:

Saturday, October 12, 2024, 8:30am - Noon
Saturday, October 19, 2024, 8:30am - Noon

Registration is now open for our 2024 Learn to Curls!  Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Groups of 4 or more should sign up as a group to guarantee they are placed together.  

For more information, contact Tucker Diedrich at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 715-573-1959

Private, Small-Group Learn-to-Curl Events

We are happy to host your group for a private learn-to-curl event.  These have been popular as corporate outings or team-building events.  These can be scheduled during the season (November – mid-March) on weekdays, weeknights or Saturdays, pending ice availability.  There really is not a limit on the number of people in your group, pending ice availability.  Find more info here.  If you have questions about fees and available times, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

What to Expect

Age

Curling is a sport that can be enjoyed by players of all ages.  At the Wausau Curling Club, we have members ranging in age from 8 to 80 years old.  Minors are required to have an adult sign a required waiver on their behalf before stepping on the ice.

Instruction

All participants will learn the basics of safely getting a rock from one end to the other, sweeping, and scoring. We will then play a few “ends” of curling to simulate match play. 

Hospitality

Hospitality and camaraderie are hallmarks of curling, so the Wausau Club has a large hospitality area.  For private events, we will discuss whether food and refreshments are part of your plans. 

The Ice

Unlike hockey or skating ice, which is smooth, curling ice has a pebbled surface. This is necessary for the stone to be able to travel the length of the sheet of ice.  It also makes the surface less slippery for the curler.

The Rocks (a.k.a. stones)

Each rock weighs 42 pounds, but don’t worry, we never pick them up. They slide with ease on the ice surface. If any participants have difficulty bending down, we can instruct them using a stick delivery. The stick has extended curling careers by decades, and they are regularly used in leagues and tournaments.

Clothing

The temperature inside the ice house is 40 degrees. Wear layers and comfortable, flexible pants. Bring a clean pair of athletic (rubber-soled) shoes to wear on the ice. Street shoes are not allowed on the ice. 

Equipment

All necessary curling equipment will be provided by the club.  If you wish, you may choose to wear a bicycle helmet while on the ice.  A limited number of helmets are available at the club.

Waiver

All participants will be asked to sign a waiver prior to stepping on the ice.  You can download and print the waiver here.

If you want to learn the basics of curling, check out our Curling 101 page.