LA emerges as a vibrant and unexpected hotspot for curling
LOS ANGELES -- Tucked in the shadows of Vernon, California, home to king-size warehouses and smoke-belching factories that produce hot dogs, hot sauce and hot pants, is a place aspiring to be the coolest hang in Los Angeles.
Thirty-two degrees cool.
Like Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, or Bemidji, Minn. — and, these days, Beijing — L.A. is now a hotspot for curling.
Every four years, when the Winter Olympics come around, TV viewers stop and notice men and women in funny looking pants furiously sweeping in front of what looks like a giant teakettle sliding on ice. And many wonder: Couldn't I do that?
In the land of the Dodgers and Rams, the answer is sometimes yes, and it's a diverse group that assembles at the Southern California Curling Center. Like many in California, a good number are transplants from other states and countries. They compete in leagues and bonspiels (tournaments), but most agree that
