Austin’s Guy Minnich picked up the sport of curling a few years ago and now he’s hoping to help it grow in town.

Minnich will host an open house for curling at Riverside Arena from 1 to 5 p.m. March 29. The event is open for anyone 16 years old or older and admission is $2. Minnich, who curls in a league in Owatonna on a regular basis, said he’d like to see Austin start a curling league of its own.

“Anybody can play this sport. That’s the beauty of it,” Minnich said. “You can have your whole family out and have a team that can play. You can be competitive in a short amount of time.”

Minnich has a hockey background, but he used to fish with a member of the 2010 US Olympic curling team. When Minnich finally took the time to watch the sport, he decided he wanted to try it out and he’s been curling for the past four years.

“I never caught onto it at that time and it never really sunk in until I saw it on TV,” Minnich said. “[Then a team I knew of] needed help, and I figured I was going to give them some help.”

Minnich remembers playing Pee Wee hockey when Riverside Arena first opened and he also knows there is an area for curling ice underneath the bleachers at Riverside. He’s hoping that area can be used to host a curling league in the near future.

Minnich currently curls with his brother and two nephews. They find the sport to be a blast.

“It’s one of those sports than anybody and everybody can be competitive at. I’m competing with guys that have been doing it for 30 years,” Minnich said. “Cheating is unheard of. You would rather lose than to win by cheating. Everyone is complimenting good shots whether its an opponent or a teammate.”

Minnich said that there really is no age limit to curling and he knew of a curler who competed until he was 94 years-old. The sport doesn’t have a lot of rules and it’s easy to take on.

The hardest part about curling may be obtaining the stones. Minnich said a new set costs up to $20,000. Minnich would like to gauge Austin’s interest in the sport and he’s hoping for a good turnout at the open house.

Anyone who attends the open house is asked to wear clean tennis shoes and appropriate clothing.

Contact Minnich at 507-438-4266 or austincurlingclub@yahoo.com for more information.