Curling: What You Should Know About This Winter Sport

Curling is a winter sport that is very easy to learn for everyone. Read on to learn more about the history and practice.

With the beginning of winter, when the temperature and precipitation conditions are suitable, the possibilities for certain activities increase, for example for  curling .

Along with skiing, ice skating and snowboarding, curling is one of the so-called winter sports. However, you can also train on specially designed artificial ice rinks.

It requires a little strength and a little skill, but a lot more team spirit, precision and strategy. It is not called “winter sports chess” for nothing.

Another interesting point is that any type of physical activity in winter brings benefits as the body uses extra calories. It is also a time when people tend to sit more and therefore move less.

A little about the history of curling

There is no consensus on the origin of the name curling . It can be related to the verbs to curr ( purr in English ) or to curl  ( curl up in English). It was called roaring game ( howler game in English) . However, most sources agree that it originated in Scotland.

Although there is no exact date of its origin, it is believed to be sometime in the sixteenth century. Several indications were found in this regard. For example, there is a curling stone with the year 1511 engraved on it.

The first document mentioning the sport is from 1540. With an annotation in Latin by John McQuhin. Scenes from a similar game can also be found in paintings by the Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Ä. to see.

The game was played on a frozen pond or lake. In 1716 the first ice rink was built at the Kilsyth Curling Club in Scotland. The size and weight of the stones ranged from 2 to 10 kilograms.

Curling came to America in 1807 thanks to Scottish emigrants who founded the Royal Montreal Curling Club in this Canadian city . In the 20th century it was promoted to an Olympic sport.

Also read: Why do flu outbreaks happen in winter?

How do you play curling?

Curling is a team sport that is played  on a rather narrow, rectangular ice surface. It is about 45 meters long and four and a half meters wide.

Two teams of 4 players each face each other. Eight stones are thrown in each round, two for each player. You can help each other with a broom and wipe it to change the flight path of the throw.

The principle is similar to bowling, because the goal is to push the stones so that they come as close as possible to the goal ( called the tee ), which is at the other end of the lane.

The members of each team throw in turn, taking turns with the members of the other team. To achieve their goal, different types of throws can be performed:

• Bring the stone as close as possible to the hit position ( draw ).
• Hit the opposing team’s stones to get them out of the scoring position (t akeout ).
• Place the stones so that they protect their own stones so that the opposing team cannot hit them.

For the evaluation, the stones that are closest to the center are counted. However, if the next stone after the stone in the middle belongs to the other team, it is only counted as a goal.

The game is played in a certain number of rounds or ends . A game can have between 8 and 10. The winner is of course the one who scores the most points. However, if there is  a tie at the end of the ends , the teams must play an additional round.

There is currently a time limit for the throws. In this sense, each team has a maximum of 60 minutes.

How do you put together the curling teams?

In curling , each team consists of 4 members. However, the players are differentiated according to their specific function:

Lead

The leading player is the one who throws the first and second stone in the first round. Therefore it can be said that his throw is easier because there are no other stones on the field. However, the rest of the game then also depends on its placement.

As soon as the lead has finished his throws, he must help his fellow players by wiping with the broom to make the stones easier to slide.

Second

As the name suggests, this is about whoever has the second move, so he throws the third and fourth stone. Then he also wipes the throws of the teammates who follow him or helps them with it.

Third or vice skip

He not only throws the fifth and sixth stone and wipes for the first player, but also marks the moves and helps shape the strategy.

He’s something like the vice-captain of the team. When it is his turn to throw the skip , it is the vice-captain who acts as the captain and directs the wipers.

Skip

Skip is both the captain and the key player. He is usually the most experienced. During the ends he defines the strategy with the team and specifies the game and the wipers.

Since he is responsible for the last two stones, he has to make the most difficult throws, as the lane is already very full and he has to be extremely careful.

What do you need in curling?

In addition to the stones and brooms, you need a few things for curling :

• Stones: They weigh about 20 kilograms. There are 2 sets with 8 stones each in different colors. They are made from solid granite. In the upper part they have an angled handle.

• Brooms: Used to wipe the surface on which the stones slide and help with their displacement, speed and direction.
• Slider : This word can be translated as “sliding insert”. It is an insert that is placed under the player’s shoes to slide.

There are no rules or guidelines in the official rules about what each player should wear. Only at the championships should there be a certain degree of uniformity.

Are there any disadvantages to curling?

Curling is above all a game of strategy. In fact, there are studies that define decision making as an important factor in it.

There are no age restrictions or other conditions. It is a game for everyone who enjoys not only the physical aspect but also the psychological benefits of the sport.

However, as with any sporting activity, precautions must be taken to avoid injury. This sport can lead to falls because the surface is slippery. You also have to be careful with heavy stones.

In some rarely occurring situations, one does not recommend  curling off. One of these cases is if you have acute lumbago, for example, as bending over to push the stones puts strain on your waist.

Also, according to several studies, asthmatics and allergy sufferers should be careful when exercising in winter as they may be at a higher risk.