San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club in East Oakland is home to Northern California’s first curling facility

OAKLAND, California. (KGO) — The sport of curling has found an unusual home in East Oakland. Known much more as a Midwest sport, it’s growing in popularity on the West Coast.

With the clinking of a rock, curling conquered East Oakland.

“It’s been a long time dream, I think, for a lot of people in the Northern California curling community – you know, having the first home ice facility here is just an amazing event to be officially opening it now,” said Patrick Tabuchi, hey and his husband Matthew David are longtime members of the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club.

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“My husband and I started curling in San Jose in 2003 and 2004 when there were 20 people on the ice and to watch it grow to what it is today and to see the beautiful facility is just a meaningful one Day for all of us,” said David.

“It took a lot of volunteer work and a lot of donations and people who were willing to believe in us and lend us money,” said Adriana Camarena, board member of the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club. “But most of all it needs something we like to talk about, and that’s the spirit of curling.”

“It’s a unique sport and it’s unique people who just love and are passionate, no matter where you are or where you travel, we’ve met people from all over the world,” said David.

Tara Campbell: “How did you find out about the sport of curling? It’s not the most common sport in California.”

Matthew David: “That’s very true. I have to give credit to my husband Patrick who thought it would be something fun we could do together.”

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“We started watching it at the Olympics and thought it was a different and interesting sport. And I really like the strategic part of it – it’s like chess on ice, you always have to think about the shots, different positions of the pieces.”

“We’ve been playing curling in Oakland for a very long time and this building and facility that we ended up in is just amazing for us, it’s close to public transportation, our neighbors are amazing and we’re just excited to be in this neighborhood to be. said Kate Garfinkel, president of the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club.

“I caught curling … and I want others, especially those in East Oakland,” said Treva Reid, member of the Oakland District 7 City Council.

“This is one of those sports that, honestly, is rooted in kindness, rooted in politeness – it’s rooted in just using your voice and coming alongside and working toward a common goal, and I think it’s just a beautiful way and ways in which our community can come together,” Reid said.

Aside from the funds to run the facility, countless hours are put into maintaining the ice and it’s all done by volunteers.

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“If you look at the texture of the ice, it’s what we call gritty, and it has a texture that allows our rocks to slide and ripple, and that’s the kind of environment you need to create a.” To become a very competitive curler – and that’s what we dreamed of for many years before we could build this facility.”

And with every curl of a rock, the dream continues.

Tara Campbell: “Are you hoping there will be future Olympians on this ice?”

Adriana Camarena: “It’s one of our dreams that we can help young people to get a foothold in our home.”

Here is a link to the curling club where you can get registration information.

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