About Us

 

 

Between them, Darcy and Paul Ellarby have nearly 60 years experience in curling and over the years have been deeply involved in almost every aspect of the sport. Beginning with their starts in 1983 (Paul) and 2002 (Darcy), the pair has worn almost every hat there is including club curler, competitive player, club founder, certified instructor, certified official, coach, and ice maker!

Together and individually, Darcy and Paul have had competitive success at the regional, state, and even national levels, with Darcy skipping a women’s team to Gold Medal victory at the 2013 Arena Nationals and again to a Silver Medal victory at the same event in 2016.  Other competitive wins include the MN State New Clubs Championship in three successive years (2009, 2010, and 2011) and a first event championship for Paul at the Raymond Kaiser Memorial Bonspiel in 1985 (a GNCC-wide competition).

Beyond competition however, Darcy and Paul are most well known for their long-standing involvement in the development of our sport at the grassroots level.  In 2006, Darcy and Paul founded the Dakota Curling Club playing at the city ice arena in Burnsville MN.  After 11 years on arena ice, the Ellarby’s successfully led the club’s transition to dedicated ice in the nearby suburb of Lakeville MN.

As club founders, Darcy and Paul have intimate experience with nearly every aspect of club operations.  With their experience in founding and growing curling clubs, Paul’s extensive ice-making experience, and Darcy’s on-ice curling and coaching experience, they have a lot to offer clubs, teams, and individual curlers.

In 2018, Darcy and Paul had the good fortune to purchase Dakota Curling Supplies from George and Lucille Phillips, who had built this successful business over the prior 30 years from their location in Langdon North Dakota.  After relocating the business to Lakeville, Darcy and Paul have invested heavily in modernizing and growing the business to better serve curlers and clubs across the nation.  Major changes include a modern e-commerce website, four mobile pro shops serving the mid-west and GNCC regions, and a well established wholesale program supporting smaller regional curling suppliers and pro shops all over the US.

For those curious about the name overlap between Dakota Curling Club and Dakota Curling Supplies - that was in fact purely a coincidence that now looks a bit like foreshadowing in hindsight! When the Ellarby’s founded their curling club in 2006, they named the club after the county in which it is located, unaware of the curling supplies business with such a similar name. Dakota Curling Club and Dakota Curling Supplies are in fact two completely separate business entities with nothing else in common other than a connection to Darcy and Paul!

Darcy and Paul are both extremely dedicated to supporting curlers at every level from club curler to competitive player and every curling facility, whether arena, dedicated, or on the pond in your back yard. 

George and Lucille built their business on friendliness and a personal touch that has endeared customers for decades.  You can be assured that this tradition will be upheld as Darcy and Paul take this business forward into the future!