Many of the Olympic sports you are watching take place in Beijing could be found locally if you know where to look.

The 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off last Friday night with sports like hockey, cross country skiing, and curling taking center stage ahead ski jumping and skating. Mother Nature has taken some of the fun out of the sports you can participate outside. Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay hosts its Ski-For-Free program every week, but the lack of snow has made it harder to enjoy. Local ice rinks have been able to stay open thanks to the colder than usual temperatures this winter.

One sport that always sees a post-Olympic spike is curling. The Green Bay Curling Club sees hundreds of people every four years take a new interest in the sport because of the Winter Olympics coverage. Bill Rhyme has participating in the sport for decades, winning the U.S. Senior Nationals in 2005 and 2008 and medaling at the World Senior Championships those same years. Even for someone who loves the sport, he cannot believe the popularity curling has seen over the last 10 years.

While the Learn to Curl events will take place after the Olympics, Crossroads at Big Creek. Newport State Park, and Whitefish Dunes State Park are planning their Candlelight Ski events in the coming weeks if the weather cooperates. Over 20 Winter Olympians this year hail from the Badger State.

Photo Courtesy of Josh Heimerl