Curling News Roundup: Olympic Tickets, Bonspiel Champions, and Why Curling Is Having a Moment
It is Monday morning, the coffee is hot, the ice is freshly pebbled (in our dreams), and that means it is time for the Curling News Roundup. The last week delivered a little bit of everything, Olympic drama, grassroots bonspiel glory, junior champions on the rise, and the kind of results that remind us why curling culture is quietly one of the best corners of the sports world.
If you missed anything while broomstacking or arguing about hog line violations, do not worry. We have you covered.
Team USA Women Punch Their Ticket to the 2026 Winter Olympics
The biggest headline of the week belongs to Team USA Women, who officially qualified for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics at the Olympic Qualification Event in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Skipped by Tabitha Peterson, the U.S. women delivered a composed 8–4 win over Norway in a must-win matchup. No panic, no drama spiral, just smart calls, solid sweeping, and execution when it mattered. It is the kind of win that makes curlers nod quietly and say, “Yep, that’ll do.”
This qualification locks in the U.S. women as one of the teams to watch heading into Milan. It also means curling is about to get a whole new wave of attention from Olympic viewers who suddenly remember that yelling at a rock is, in fact, a sport.
If history is any guide, Olympic buzz means:
- More Learn-to-Curl events
- More league sign-ups
- More people Googling “curling rules” at 11 p.m.
Mixed Doubles Chaos Continues at the Olympic Qualification Event
While the women were locking in their Olympic berth, mixed doubles curling was busy doing what it does best, delivering tight games, weird angles, and scorelines that make no sense until the last stone stops.
Recent results included New Zealand edging Spain 6–5 and Germany handling Latvia 6–4, with every game carrying Olympic implications. Mixed doubles continues to grow as the fastest-moving and most spectator-friendly curling format, and it shows.
From a curling culture standpoint, this format is doing real work:
- It brings in new fans
- It highlights athleticism and strategy
- It creates stars people actually recognize
Holiday Bonspiel Energy: Kringle-Jingle Winners Crowned in Wausau
Not every great curling story comes with TV cameras and Olympic rings. Sometimes it comes with ugly sweaters, themed draw prizes, and a trophy that may or may not smell like mulled wine.
At the Kringle-Jingle Bonspiel in Wausau, Wisconsin, the two-person title went to Harley Davison (Wausau) and Ron Wagner (Portage). This event delivered exactly what holiday bonspiels are supposed to deliver, competitive curling wrapped in festive chaos.
These are the events that:
- Build clubs
- Keep people coming back year after year
- Turn casual curlers into lifers
If you have ever attended a holiday spiel, you know the uniform. Matching team gear, inside jokes printed on shirts, and at least one team that commits way too hard to the theme. That is why curling team gifts and custom merch quietly dominate bonspiel weekends.
Youth Curling on the Rise: Team Miller Goes Back-to-Back at U18 Event
Over in Alberta, Team Miller claimed their second straight U18 men’s title in Lacombe, finishing undefeated and edging Team Myker 5–4 in the final.
Youth curling stories like this matter more than people realize. These are the teams filling future club boards, coaching pipelines, and yes, national programs. Strong junior programs mean strong clubs, and strong clubs mean curling survives and thrives.
Also, junior teams are some of the best dressed teams in the building. Just saying.
Provincial Champions Named as Scotties Picture Comes Into Focus
In New Brunswick, Mélodie Forsythe’s rink captured the provincial women’s championship and earned the right to represent the province at the upcoming Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
As provincial championships wrap up across Canada, the Scotties picture gets clearer, and curling fans everywhere start planning their viewing schedules like it is a personal obligation. Because it is.
This is peak curling culture, tradition, rivalries, and provincial pride all rolled into one.
Why This All Matters (And Why Curling Is Fun)
From Olympic qualification to local bonspiel wins, this past week is a reminder of what makes curling special. It is elite competition and grassroots community living in the same ecosystem. It is serious strategy paired with deeply unserious locker room conversations.
And honestly, it is why curling merch works. Curlers buy shirts not just because they look good, but because they signal membership in a very specific, very friendly club.
If you are looking for:
- Funny curling shirts
- Curling team merch
- Curling gifts for bonspiels, leagues, or that skip who already owns everything
You already know where to go. Browse the collection over at CurlingIsFun.com, where the designs are built by curlers, for curlers, and tested in the wild between ends.
Internal reads you might also like:
- If Dogs Curled: The Bonspiel Would Never End
- Why Curling Is the Most Festive Winter Sport (and Always Will Be)
- A Very Curling Christmas: Stones, Sweaters, and the Spirit of the Season
- The Year in Curling: Funny Moments We’ll Never Forget
- Learn Why Curling Can Be Seriously Addictive
Curling is having a moment. Olympic season is coming. Bonspiels are stacking up. League nights are full. If there was ever a time to lean into the joy, the humor, and the slightly unhinged love of this sport, this is it.
Good curling.