Curling is a sport played on ice.

The game was developed in Scotland in the 1500's as a winter sport for gentlemen-lords. It has a rich history in the Duluth area. It is enjoyed by tens of millions worldwide. In Canada, it is more popular than hockey. It's is very popular with women and families.

Two teams of four players slide polished granite rocks toward the center of a 12 foot diameter circle (the "House"). They try to get their rocks closer to the center than their opponents, while hitting their opponents rocks ("counters") out and protecting their own "counters". Each player on each team throws two rocks in a preset order, alternating with the other team.

Rocks traveling down the ice follow a predictable curved path ("curl"), hence the name "curling". Considerable skill is needed to give the rock the proper speed ("weight") to make it stop at exactly the desired distance, while aiming very precisely and allowing for the curl. 

16 rocks is an "end".. After all 16 rocks (8 per team) have been thrown for an end, the team that is closer to center, scores points for every rock that is closer than the opponent's closest rock.  Strategic wisdom is required to determine how to place and/or hit rocks to prevent your opponents from getting the closest ("count") rock, while maximizing your own count.

There are 8 ends in a game.  A game takes about 2 hours

Scoring

Only one team can score in an end, with the usual score being 1 or 2 points. 

After all 16 rocks (8 per team) have been thrown (an "end"), the team with the closest rock (the "count rock") to center, scores one point for each rock closer to the center than the opponent's closest rock (each "counter" ).  Thus in the picture, red has three counters closer to center than the closest blue rock, and so has scored 3 for this end. The two red rocks in the outer circle don't score, and blue scores nothing.

The team that scores in an end, has to throw the first rock in the next end. The team that has last rock ("the hammer") has a big advantage. They are expected to score 1, and have only won the end if they score more. If the non-hammer team scores, it is called a "steal". The strategy of positioning rocks as the end develops is extremely subtle, and is what makes curling a lifelong obsession for some people.  It has been called "chess on ice".

The most any team can score in one end is 8, which would mean that ALL their rocks were closer to center than ANY of the opponents rocks. An "8-ender" is a very rare!

There are eight "ends" in a game. 

The Curling Rink

The curling rink (a "sheet") is 140 feet long and 15 feet wide with 12-foot diameter bulls-eye-like targets (the "house") at both ends. 

The ice surface is specially roughened ("pebbled") unlike smooth skating or hockey ice.  The rocks glide more smoothly on the slightly roughened ice, in fact it is difficult to throw the rocks very far on perfectly smooth ice..

Pebbling is a sprinkling of water droplets that freeze and create bumps on the ice that make the rocks glide easier. The pebbling wears off during the game, so players must adjust the weight of their throws.  Pebbling also affects the amount of curl a rock will take.

The Duluth Curling Club has eight "sheets" of ice and is one of the largest clubs in the United States. It can be expanded to 13 sheets for large tournaments ("bonspiels") 

Handle and Weight

Rocks are intentionally rotated slightly (given" handle") when thrown. One full turn in 20 seconds is ideal. The rock will curve two to three feet ( "curl" ) as it slides down the ice, in the direction it is rotated (i.e.; clock-wise handle makes the rock curl right) 

Rocks thrown faster (with more "weight") will curl less. Rocks thrown with too much handle will also curl less.  Maximum curl results from the least amount of handle, but.... 

If a rock is thrown without enough handle, it will lose the intended handle or pick up handle on its own and curl randomly, or sometimes even S-turn, causing an unpredictable shot.

Come down to the club and watch a couple of shots and see if you can guess where the rock will stop!

Skillful curlers can stop a rock within a foot of their intended distance, and within an inch left to right. 

Sweeping the ice in front of the rock is done to fine tune the distance and curl. 

The rock is thrown down the ice starting from a toe-brace set in the ice (the "hack")  It is important to start the rock in precisely the intended direction. Weight can be fine-tuned when the rock is released, but skillful curlers set the weight by the force with which they come out of the hack.

The rock must be released before the "hog line", which is 33 feet from the hack.

Balance and precision are necessary skills in curling. Flexibility allows a more graceful and advantageous delivery position, but is not necessary. .

Teams may only sweep their own rocks, except that the opposing skip may sweep a rock that has passed the center of the house. Actually touching a moving rock is not allowed.

Originally, when curling was an outside sport, sweeping with sturdy straw brooms was necessary to clear debris and frost from the ice. Today, the ice is kept spotlessly clean and temperature and humidity are controlled.  Now sweeping is done with special high-friction brushes.

Above all else, curling is game of  skillful execution of strategy. The team with the hammer will aggressively try to place and defend counters, while the other team defends the house. Defense is done by positioning rocks in the way ("guards") and/or bumping rocks out of the house ("take outs"). Strategy is very complicated and subtle. Multiple rock combinations ("raises", "rolls", "doubles" and "triples", "freezes", "ticks", "draws", and "port shots" ) are frequently called for, and are difficult shots. The likely consequences of a missed throw must always be considered, and "Plan B" is a common necessity. 

The Team

Teams (also called "rinks") are made up of four players. Each player throws two rocks, alternating with the other team, in a set order.  

The team leader is the Skip, who is usually also the most skillful. He/she figures out strategy, monitors the ice conditions, and determines if sweeping is necessary to adjust aim. The Lead and Second throw the first four rocks, do most of the sweeping and determine if the thrown rock has the right weight.  The Vice Skip handles strategy and calls sweeping while the Skip throws.

...Team 1 (red) has scored 2 points (the number in the middle row) in the first end (the number in the top row), and 2 in the third, for a total of 4 points after the 3rd end, and Team 2 (yellow) has scored 2 points in the second end.  The total score as they play the fourth end, is 4-2 in red's favor.

Only the Scots would have invented something like this!

Curling is, like golf, a game with strong traditions of courtesy, sportsmanship, and fellowship. Curlers greet each other in traditional language. They acknowledge each other's good shots, avoid distracting the thrower, and politely fail to notice bad shots. They call their own fouls. 

The teams will usually share refreshments after a game, a tradition called "broomstacking".  

Despite the vigorous and competitive nature of the game, curling is a refined pastime, and poor etiquette is not tolerated.

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Copyright, Duluth Curling Club - 2004