Dakota Curling Club in Burnsville received 64 granite curling stones last week, made available through the United States Curling Association’s lease-to-own program.

With the surge of public interest in curling over the last few years, rocks have been in very short supply, making it difficult for new clubs to open even though demand is high.

“We were very fortunate last year to be able to borrow stones from the Owatonna and Cambridge curling clubs, but that was only a short-term solution,” said Paul Ellarby, president of the Dakota Curling Club.  "Without the USCA Program, we would have had a difficult time finding another source for the rocks we needed this year."

To participate in the program, the Dakota Curling Club had to pay the shipping expenses to bring the rocks from Scotland all the way to their home at the Burnsville Ice Center at 251 Civic Center Parkway in Burnsville. The rocks can be used by the Dakota Curling Club for two years at no charge, after which time the club can either return the rocks or begin a 5-year payment plan to purchase them.

Curling stones are highly specialized equipment and new stones typically cost about $500 each.  Now that the Dakota Curling Club has secured its rocks, several leagues aimed at bringing new curlers to the ice are scheduled to begin in early March.

Three “Learn-To-Curl” leagues have been created, each lasting 7 weeks. The league fee of $150 per player includes instruction and use of all necessary equipment. In addition, curlers may also register for one of three full-season leagues, which begin in early March and continue through the end of June.Dakota Curling Club was founded in February 2006 and public response was immediate and very positive.

“When we opened registration for our first season last year, we were full in less than 2 weeks,” said Paul Ellarby. At the conclusion of the first season, the curling club had 150 regular members and had succeeded at putting more than 450 people on the ice through leagues, open houses, and special events.

“We are expecting our second season to be just as popular, and have expanded our league offerings to accommodate a larger member base this year,” said Ellarby.

Registration for the upcoming season is currently open, but league spots are filling fast.  Registration will close February 15th, or when leagues fill, whichever comes first.More information about the Dakota Curling Club can be found at the club’s Web site at www.dakotacurlingclub.org [1] or by calling 612-695-5999.