ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — A St. Pete motel is bringing a popular cold-weather sport to the beach. The Postcard Inn has set up a curling court for people of all ages and abilities to try.
“I need practice, definitely,” said guest Porsche Lococo.
“The first one was a bullseye. I think I’m a natural,” countered fellow guest Brian Anocona.
Lococo and Anocona are visiting from Sarasota. They expected to see volleyball and surfing, but the opportunity to curl was a pleasant surprise.
“I’ve seen it on TV, never played it before, just wanted to check it out,” said Anocona.
“We thought it would be great to bring the winter sport to St. Pete Beach, give our guests some fun activity to play," Post Card Inn general manager Jeremy Dasilva. "We got some great winter-inspired cocktails around this sport."
Dasilva said they not only provide the court and the equipment, but they’ll also teach you how to play the game.
“Right there in the center in that bullseye is called the kitchen so whichever stone is closest to that kitchen is worth the point,” Dasilva explained to some guests.
The stones weigh 40 pounds, but they also have three-pound ones for the kids, like 12-year-old Wyatt Mackui.
Mackui is from Canada, but this was also his first time throwing a stone. He said he was never really interested until he saw it in Florida.
It’s also important to mention the court isn’t made out of real ice.
“This is a high-grade synthetic plastic. We bought it from the Canadians. They know what they are doing," Dasilva said.
The court is expected to be up until March. You don’t have to be a guest to play, but it is recommended that you book a time in advance. It costs $20 per 30 minutes.
