F-M CURLING CLUB

1938

The club began as the Fargo Curling Club on outdoor ice on the Red River, eventually renting a sheet of natural ice at what was called the Fargo Arena, where the Island Park Pool is today.

1940s

If you’re from the area, odds are you have at least heard of the sport, especially considering Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota produce some of the top players in it, but you may not realize just how large the sport of curling really is. Since 1938, the F-M Curling Club has been supporting the steady growth of the sport, and they have the records to show their success.

ur local curling club currently has around 400 to 500 hundred members, including both youth programs and leagues, as well as adult leagues. The majority of these numbers are made up of people from the Fargo-Moorhead area, and a few from outside the community come to town to participate. Virtually any night of the week you will find leagues on the ice inside the facility. Adult leagues are held Sunday through Thursday nights, and the youth leagues are held on Sunday afternoons.

After being part of the community for almost 90 years, The F-M Curling Club has made some impressive moves in its history.

The club held multiple locations in the downtown area on natural ice sheets.

1959

After years of unpredictable winters, the club avoided dependency on natural ice and built a new space with two sheets of artificial ice, located where North High School is today.

1960

The club hosted its first bonspiel.

1967

The club moved west a block to the corner of 10th St and 17th Ave N in a new, much-improved building with four sheets of artificial ice.

1967-2007

For 40 years, the club navigated membership and team organizing, board decisions, tournament hosting and attending, building maintenance, club growth and much more.

2007

The decision was made to start funding and scouting for a location to build a new home for the club.

2013

In time to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the club, the new facility opened its doors after great fundraising efforts. The club’s building is currently located on 23rd Ave S, between the Cornerstone Bank Arena and the Tharaldson Baseball Park (south of the Red River Zoo).

And those are just the physical moves the club has made. The club has had the chance to host national championships right in Fargo. In order to accommodate the size of the audience the tournaments would bring in, they partnered with Scheels Arena and set up there for the 2011 and 2018 Men’s and Women’s National Championships and the 2013 Olympic Trials.

The club’s facility hosted the 2015 Men’s and Women’s Club Nationals, 2017 Men’s and Women’s Junior Nationals and 2022 College Nationals. They also host many local and regional tournaments there throughout the season.

Its members have proven themselves and the teams throughout the years at local, regional, national and international showings.

The F-M Curling Club National Championship teams include:

• 1966 Men’s National Champion and World Bronze Medalists – Team Roberts

• 2017 Women’s Club National Champion – Team Podoll

• 2018 Mixed National Champion –Team Workin

• 2019 College National Champion –NDSU

• 2022 U18 Women’s National Champion – Team Scheel

• 2022 Junior Women’s National Champion – Team Scheel

Whether a team heads overseas or attends league every weekday night, they are a part of the history of the club. Frank Podoll was first introduced to curling right out of college and joined the club in 1974. He curls every Monday night.

“The biggest memory is the people you meet and then get to know quite a bit…” Podoll said. “I actually met my wife through curling. We curled many years together. I have two daughters and a son who all curled. My two daughters still curl quite a bit competitively.”