What is curling?

A curling game is made up of 8 ends, or 10 in a championship and teams are made up of four players. The head of the team is called the "skip" and is the most experienced. An end consists of each team member throwing two rocks, or curling stones, down the ice towards a point chosen by the skip. Each throw alternates between the two opposing teams.

A 12-foot circle (the house) is the scoring area. For each stone closer to the center of the circles than any of the opponent's stones, one point is scored. The team scoring shoots first in the next end, giving the opponent the "hammer", or last shot of that end. The sheet of ice (playing surface) is 15'71/2" wide and 146 feet long, set up to accommodate play in both directions. The shooter must be accurate in aim, weight (velocity in delivery) and giving the rock the correct "handle" (or curl).

Each running stone curls (curves) as it proceeds down the ice depending on the twist it was given during delivery. The curl allows for better control of the stone. Team members sprint along the path of the stone and sweep with curling brooms to control the curl and the speed. Sweeping slightly melts the ice, which reduces the friction between the running stone and the ice surface. The result is the stone will curl less and slide farther.

 

Do I need any Curling experience?
Absolutely not. We all start curling at some point. Some learned as small children, some picked it up in retirement.  Just bring a positive attitude and one of many advance curlers will help you out. 

What equipment do I need to curl?
Like any sport, curling has a few pieces of curling equipment that everyone needs. Curling Shoes and a broom are the two biggest.
Clean running shoes are easy to use for beginners. We can either tape the bottom of your slider shoe or use a over shoe slider. These are both good options for beginners. We also have brooms to used for on ice and delivery at the club. 

What should I wear on the ice?
Warm clothing such as a jacket, track pants or sweat pants is a good way to keep warm. Blue Jeans are not recommended because they are cold to wear and reduce flexibility through the hips. Mittens or gloves to keep your hand warm is also an option.

 

What are the sweepers for?
The reason you see curlers running like mad after the stone is that sweeping slightly melts the ice, which reduces the friction between the running stone and the ice surface. The result is the stone will curl less and slide farther. The skip often makes the call on whether or not a rock needs to be swept, and will yell things like "hurry" or "hard" if he wants the rock to be swept or "off" if the rock is going too quickly and doesn't need any help. You may also hear the sweepers give information to the skip, saying things like "heavy" or "light" to indicate how fast the rock has been thrown and how it is reacting to the ice.

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How can I join in?
The best way is to attend one of our open houses or learn to curl clinics. These usually occur around the middle of October Check out our page here. 

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