In Chattanooga, winter sports don’t include snow, skates, toboggans or skis — they revolve around cast iron skillets (and that’s not a typo!). This scenic Southern city, which rarely experiences a snow flurry or blizzard and has no history of ice sports, has transformed a public downtown ice rink into one of the most unusual and zany competitions in the nation – skillet curling –with the annual games slated to commence January 29, 31 and February 1.
Loosely inspired by the Olympic sport, this version has competitors sliding heavy cast iron skillets across the ice toward bacon-shaped targets, resulting in clangs and bangs on the rink with cheers and laughter from the crowd. Skillet curling takes place at Ice on the Landing, a seasonal rink in the heart of downtown, where locals and visitors gather to watch cast iron slide across ice in a city better known for Moonpies, Little Debbie Snack Cakes and whiskey rather than snow sports and blizzards. It is a distinct Southern solution to typical winter culture: inventive, communal and a little whacky— but always in service of something meaningful.
It’s not only loud, ludicrous and wildly popular; it also has a significant impact within the community. …