Not too many years ago, if anyone spoke of curling, New Englanders might have assumed they were talking about hair, rather than a team sport played on ice. Today, most people are aware of the sport, although they may still find it a little odd to use a broom to move a granite stone across the ice toward a target.
It turns out that curling is not new at all, but a sport that dates back to the 16th century, when players in Scotland and the Netherlands competed on frozen ponds and lochs. The stones were not uniform in those days, as they are today, having been formed by nature. The players used besoms — a bundle of twigs tied to a stout pole — to clear snow and debris from the path of the stones as they glided across the ice.
As played today, the game has two teams that take turns sliding granite stones toward the circular target known as a “house”. Often referred to as “chess on ice”, traditional curling involves teams of four players, although there also are mixed teams with one female and one male. Women’s, men’s, and wheelchair curling teams also may have a fifth player, known as the Alternate.
In team curling, each team has a set of eight stones of the same color. Each player delivers two stones, in consecutive order, alternating with an opponent. The aim is get your stone closer to the center of the house than your opponent, gaining as many points as possible in 10 rounds, or “ends”. To achieve that involves strategy, finesse, and strength, but the game also promotes respect and honor, with rules governing how the teams meet and part ways after the competition.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to By The Way to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.