So, a few weeks ago, I had a chance to try curling. Yes, the amazing, unique sport that errbody loves in the Winter Olympics! I have wanted to try for years but had not found the time or a place to do it. Well our local club (yes! curling club!) threw a few 'learn how to curl' group lessons after the Olympics. Brilliant. I jumped on that bandwagon eeeeee-mediately.
Ye Curlers of Yore
Curling originated in Scotland, also famous for giving us another Gentleman's Sport known as golf. While today's game is a bit more sophisticated, it's still very much a gentleman's sport. There is a 'ref' but there aren't actually any rules to enforce. They're just kind of there to moderate in an official capacity.
I signed up. I showed up. A few of my high school classmates were there as well (of all places to run into each other). There was an open bar and it was a great, casual and fun environment!
First things first. We got our shoes. It was like the beginning to a night of bowling. Except the shoes are very comfy, almost like nursing shoes? They were all generic black with a velco panel that covers the laces. My coach had an amazing pimped out pair that looked like chucks. Note to self: check out the upgraded shoe options. WANT! These were my sexy borrowed kicks:
Of course. OF COURSE. The rule portion of the lecture started out with 'Who here is left-handed?' to which I was the only person who raised their hand. He told me I'd have to do the opposite of all of his instructions. How is this news. This has been my entire life since I am a person of handedness (though, it did allow me to take the ACTs spread out at a desk with a rolley chair instead of crammed into a lecture hall desk). He also said I had to change up the bottoms of the shoes. Say what?! If you'll look at the shoes above. See the shoe on the right? On the bottom of the sole there are 2 rubber sole pads that enable you to walk comfortably. See the one with the red bottom on the left? That is called a gripper. That slides over that shoe when you want to be able to walk and not die. Take that off and it reveals 2 teflon sole pads. Teflon. As in 'non-stick'. They look like this:
So the gripper pads went on my left foot and the teflon went on my right. The teflon shoes is your shoe of betrayal. Step on the ice with that foot first without the gripper cover and you will eat ice.
The Sheet
The stones are actually concave on the bottom only touching
the ice around a thin ring.
The game itself is kind of complicated. It is played on a 'sheet' of ice that is textured or pebbled to allow the stones to move across it. The stones themselves are 42 lbs. There are 8 stones for each team. The colored portion of the sheet that looks like a target is called the house. This is where you score points. The object of the game is kind of like shuffle board on ice, you want your stones to be closest to the button, or the center of the house. The score is how many stones you have that are CLOSER than your opponents. If you have 3 each that are tied. Then 2 of yours are closer, then you score 2 for that end (btw, each 'inning' is called an end). My coach told us there is never ever a tie, because one stone will always be closer. But the very next day at world's in Canada there was a tie that could not be broken with the measuring stick (it anchors to the middle of the button and swings out around in a circle) or with the laser measure. So... obviously he was wrong, but I don't think that's a common occurrence.
Note the pebbled texture
There are 4 people on each team. The Skip is the captain and also the one that yells the instructions for the thrower and for the sweepers. There is so much to remember about this game, it's complicated and it is WAY harder than it looks on tv. To release the stone you put your dominant foot (my left) on the hacks that are the little rubber starting blocks. The stones will freeze to the ice if left more than a few seconds, so your entire release happens in one motion. In my case, I pulled back and up on the stone sliding it back towards me a bit, the right leg with the teflon shoe comes back and then swings forward, the broom is in my right hand, the stone handle in my left. Then the right leg comes forward and you push off of the hack with your rubber grip shoe and you're sliding! You have to release the stone (you just let go, there's no push) by the time you hit the line across the ice down the sheet called the hog line. You hit that, release and the rest is up to the stone. Depending on the stones that have already been played, you can angle the stone with a simple twist left or right of your wrist before you release. That puts more spin on the stone. The sweepers have two jobs, 1) to reduce friction and allow the stone to travel further an 2) change the curl of it. It is an absolutely fascinating study in physics! (I might have excelled at physics in high school if we got to use examples like this to learn by!) I still have so much to learn on what exactly the spinning does. We were just concentrating on staying upright and getting the stone to go further than 10 feet. Like I said, it is complicated and much more difficult than I anticipated.
This is how I imagine my game face looks
We spent the better part of an hour working on our techniques. We simulated games. The hockey guys on the sheet next to us were getting into it with 'haaaaard! haaaaaaaard!' chants when they'd release. It's important to have the correct form so you're not leaning on your broom or the stone or when you let go of the stone you're going to land on your face. When you slide into your release, it's important to have your foot out behind you, but don't drag it because it'll slow you down. Same with not leaning on your broom, lean on it and it'll create friction which slows you down as well. Balance is key! Also working on our sweeping techniques. You always want to be facing the direction you're sweeping in. Everyone has a side that is naturally easier and I am bound and determined to become ambidextrous in sweeping. I also think next time I'm going to try it right-handed style. I'm one of the weird lefties that isn't 100% lefty. I eat and write left handed, but I kick and throw right. So I'm gonna try. I'm also going to practice my stance at home, get a head start on the muscle memory so that I can impress when I go back.
I am so going back. I may join the club and a beginner league. I'm so excited. Curling is a blast and once it becomes habit and second nature and there's not a gazillion things to think about at every moment I think it will become even more fun. It is incredible and for anyone that doesn't think it's a sport? Go try it. You'll walk an average of 2.5 miles per game, your entire body is involved in the activity. My legs are what I expected to be sore, but it was my upper body that really got the workout! My arms the next day, shampooing my hair in the shower was a challenge. Haha!
She was a natural! She'd never done this before. I want her on my team.
Sweep it! HAAAAAARD!!
Needless to say, I am hooked. If you have the opportunity, definitely give it a try! My road to Beijing 2022 starts here!
