So What's Curling All About Then?

The Roarin' Game

Curling is a sport which is a bit like bowls on ice, and must be one of the friendliest sports around. It's played with two teams of four players, and the purpose of the game is to put your stones closer to the centre of the "house" (the circles drawn on the ice surface) than the other team. Each player delivers two stones, alternating with his / her opposite number in the other team, for a total of 16 stones per "end". After the 16 stones have been delivered, the team whose stones are closest to the centre of the house gets one point for each stone that is closer than the best stone of the opponents. After eight ends (game time about 2 hours) the team with the most points wins the game.

Like the bias in bowls, the stones do not move in a straight line across the ice. They are thrown with a turning motion and they move along a curved path. Sweeping the ice surface makes the stone run farther before it stops, and also straightens the curve. So curling is very much a team game - if you're not delivering the stone, you will be sweeping or skipping. The efforts of the entire team are needed whenever it's their turn to play.

At the highest levels of the game, the skills involved can be very impressive. Take a look at the shot played by skip Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ontario to win the match against Joel Jordison's team from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in round 8 of the 2009 "Brier" (the Canadian men's national curling championships, held in Calgary, Alberta.) Howard has last stone at the last end, his opponent is lying two shots, well separated with one of one of them well hidden, and his team is trailing by two shots - he needs a really outstanding shot to win the match. Boy, did he produce one!.

The skills in the women's game can be just as impressive. Check out the shot played by skip Jennifer Jones to win the 2005 Scott "Tournament of Hearts", held in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada. At 4 - 6 down going into the final end, and her opponents' stone lying right on the "button", completely hidden by four "guard" stones, she played as fine a shot as any achieved by Glenn Howard to win the match.

A nice aspect of team spirit and friendliness in the sport comes after the game - you adjourn to the bar, but unlike most sports, it's a tradition that each member of the WINNING team buys his opposite number in the LOSING team the first drink. A little compensation for losing that you'll never find in golf!