All About Curling

Written by: Natalie Yao

What is Curling?

Curling is played in two teams of four, and the objective is to have the highest score after 8 to 10 rounds, or ends. The game is played on a 150 foot by 15.58 foot slab of ice, where there is a target, also known as the house, on one side. Players will slide granite stones, which weigh 20 kilograms, across the ice to try and get the stone to stop in an optimal spot. Points are awarded based on the stone’s position on the house, and if the stone is placed in the very center of the house, the team who slid it gets the most points. 

In order to get the stone in the best placement, athletes will have a brush to guide the stone after another person has slid it, or curled it. This is to reduce the friction the stone has with the ice, allowing it to travel farther. Additionally, the direction the athlete brushes against the ice determines what direction, and what speed the stone travels. Another piece of equipment used in curling are the special shoes that are used. Unlike typical shoes, each singular shoe has a sole with its own purpose. On the non-dominant foot is the sliding sole, which allows players to slide alongside the stone. On the dominant foot there is a gripper sole, which gives players traction for stability and movement.

History

Although curling is a lesser known sport, it is by no means a new one. The origins of the curling date back to the early 16th century in Scotland. The first evidence of the sport was through paintings by artist Pieter Bruegel. The first written evidence came later in 1540 in a book written by notary John McQuhin. In these records, it is reported that the game was played on frozen ponds and lakes as a fun pastime during severe winters. When Scots began moving to countries like Canada, the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Norway, the sport started to become popularized. Since then, there are now international curling competitions, but unlike its original location on ponds, they take place on carefully controlled indoor rinks. The sport made its Olympic debut in the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix, France, but was not an event where players could receive medals. It was only until the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics did it become a medaling event.