This curiously cool sport, which originated on the frozen lochs of Scotland back in the 1500s, has been an Olympic medal event since the 1998 Winter Games. While some observers equate it to shuffleboard, Belfast’s Steve McLaughlin disagrees. “It might look the same, but it’s really not,” he says. “It’s chess on ice. The strategy is complicated.” Mount Washington Valley’s Paul Valle adds, “It’s all about what shot to make and what shot not to make. It’s very cerebral, as opposed to using brute force.”
Two teams of 4 people—or sometimes just 2 per team—play a game consisting of 8 “ends,” or innings. In each end, each player delivers 2 rounded, 44-pound granite stones down a sheet of ice, aiming for the “button” in the center of the 12-foot-wide “house,” a red-and-blue bull’s-eye 150 feet away.
When releasing the stone, a player puts a little spin on it to make it “curl” slightly while traveling down the ice. As it slides along, team members use a specialized broom to “sweep” or scrub the ice in front of it to affect its direction and speed. The ice surface is “pebbled” with tiny bumps that allow a stone to glide more easily. As the heavy granite stone travels over the little bumps, it makes a wonderful roaring sound.
For beginners who worry about falling when delivering the stone, a handle-shaped device called a stabilizer slides along with the player to help maintain balance. And if creaky knees prevent a player from getting down into the low-lunge stance, a delivery stick allows the player to send the stone down the ice while standing. The stick also makes play possible for people who use wheelchairs.
Each team’s captain, or “skip,” calls the shots, advising the person delivering the stone of the desired target and strategy, and then telling the others to sweep or not sweep as needed. Tactics include throwing a stone that blocks or “guards” the opponent’s access to the house, and one that knocks the opponent’s stone out of the house (called a “takeout”). At each end’s conclusion, the team whose stone or stones remain closest to the button scores points. After 8 ends, the team with the most points wins.
Socializing and a sense of community form an integral part of the curling experience. After the games comes “broomstacking,” an informal gathering usually enjoyed over drinks in the warm room. “It’s customary to stay for an hour or 2 after the game, talking and making new friends,” says Dean Mooney of Rutland Rocks. Many clubs also hold day- or weekend-long tournaments called bonspiels, inviting other clubs to join them in friendly competitions and other festivities.