Portage Curling Club

About Portage Curling Club

Portage Curling Club: 175 Years of Curling in Columbia County

Portage Curling Club traces its roots to 1850, making it the second-oldest curling club in the United States, and in 2026 it marked its 175th anniversary. The club is the curling home of Portage in south-central Wisconsin and one of five clubs in Columbia County, the highest concentration of curling clubs of any county in the country. It plays on four sheets of dedicated curling ice.

Youth curling is the backbone of Portage’s success. More than 40 years ago Vietta Kampen started a junior feeder program that has turned out state champions and Olympians: the club’s girls’ high school team won the state title in 1974, the boys followed in 1983, and the program helped develop four-time Olympian Debbie McCormick. That track record in youth and college curling earned Portage the right to host the 2027 USA Curling College National Championship, set for March 11–14, 2027.

The volunteer-led club runs competitive leagues, beginner classes, bonspiels and adaptive bonspiels, and it turns big curling moments into community events, with watch parties for Team USA during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.