Any curling fans here?

[MyOldKentuckyHome]

Hey all -

My wife and I always enjoy watching curling in the Winter Olympics and discovered last year that through ESPN3/ESPN+ we could access the Scotties and Brier here in the US.

We watched both last year and right before the pandemic hit we actually found a curling club about an hour from where we live here in Virginia and took a class.

Anyway - the Scotties are back on and we started watching last night and are super excited for all the curling over the next couple of weeks/months.

We are also excited to join a curling club in PEI once we move in the spring!

Rooting for Team Canada - as we were rooting for Einarson as we enjoyed watching her last year but also Team PEI since they are our future neighbors (and some of the team are members at the curling club we will likely join in Cornwall).

 

[Owen Bawn]

I will watch women do just about anything. The thing I like best about curling is that the "athletes" look like normal people- they aren't bionic creatures like alpine ski racers or genetic marvels like basketball players. And that frantic sweeping kinda turns me on...

 

[Ravenonrock]

Growing up in southern Ontario, we had curling rinks in our area. It was an option in our physical education in high school. Curling was great fun requiring strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, precision and patience. Our natural tendency as high school boys was to hurl the rocks with ferocity just to see what happens. What happens is....you only get to watch. Second time around, more civilized, and the realization of just how challenging it is to glide gracefully down the ice, sweep (using brooms), listen, not fall, alter the path of the rock, get out of the way and not bump into your opponent’s rocks. Great fun indeed!

 

[MyOldKentuckyHome]

The thing I like best about curling is that the "athletes" look like normal people

Having tried it myself I can attest that no one could be at the national championships without incredible skill and some athletic prowess/endurance but yes, my wife and I were just saying it's nice to watch a sport where there are young athletic people but also sweet little old ladies and less than athletic looking people at the top of the sport.

Makes curling seem more approachable.

 

[Owen Bawn]

Having tried it myself I can attest that no one could be at the national championships without incredible skill and some athletic prowess/endurance but yes, my wife and I were just saying it's nice to watch a sport where there are young athletic people but also sweet little old ladies and less than athletic looking people at the top of the sport.

Makes curling seem more approachable.

It also requires a great amount of 'touch' and accuracy- like putting in golf or laying down a bunt, esp at the elite level.

 

[Doc4]

I lost interest 'round about when they replaced

"Sweep! Sweep! SWEEEEEPP!!!"

with

"Hurry! Hurry! HURRY HAAARRD!!!"

 

[TexLaw]

Mrs. TL and I discovered curling during the Winter Games about 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure it was the Salt Lake games, but it may have been Nagano. In any case, we immediately fell in love with the skill, strategy, and sportsmanship. Before that, it was nothing more than an answer in Trivial Pursuit (and we had no idea at all what those answers were about). We've been watching it ever since.

Is been fun to watch it at a bar. Some folks come out of the woodwork as fans. Others start with an attitude of "what's this goofy crap" and leave hooked.

We just got ESPN+ and have to look for the curling!

 

[MyOldKentuckyHome]

Mrs. TL and I discovered curling during the Winter Games about 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure it was the Salt Lake games, but it may have been Nagano. In any case, we immediately fell in love with the skill, strategy, and sportsmanship. Before that, it was nothing more than an answer in Trivial Pursuit (and we had no idea at all what those answers were about). We've been watching it ever since.

Is been fun to watch it at a bar. Some folks come out of the woodwork as fans. Others start with an attitude of "what's this goofy crap" and leave hooked.

We just got ESPN+ and have to look for the curling!

My wife is from Canada so she had heard of it but it was watching it in the Olympics that got us hooked too.

And then we took a class. When we move to PEI in May we intend to join a club as soon as they are open.

RE: ESPN+ we found out you have to have a regular ESPN subscription. We had a coupon for Sling TV and signed up for it again just for the Scotties and Brier and World Championships.

Watched the tiebreaker game today and it was INTENSE.

 

[MyOldKentuckyHome]

I lost interest 'round about when they replaced

"Sweep! Sweep! SWEEEEEPP!!!"

with

"Hurry! Hurry! HURRY HAAARRD!!!"

I was following curling Twitter the other day and a lady posted something along the lines of "Having to constantly remind people I'm listening to curling while doing my work and not porn. All they can hear are the sweepers panting very hard and loud women screaming 'Hurry, hurry, HARD!!!'"

 

[Doc4]

Having to constantly remind people I'm listening to curling while doing my work

All the more reason for the old-school "sweep!"

 

[rockthrower]

I guess my avatar is a dead giveaway . In my biased opinion, curling is one of the best grassroots sports there is. I love hockey, but in my opinion curling is right up there with it as a defining canadian sport. It has so many dimensions; the mastery of the skill, the chess-like strategy involved, the gentlemanly (ladies included) behaviours that are a tradition, and last but not least the social aspect. As you may or may not know, there is a tradition that used to be called 'broom stacking'. After a game, each person on the winning team buys their counterpart on the losing team a drink, and the teams sit down together and talk. Often the losing team reciprocates, so you get to know a lot of people quite well.

I've always lived in cities (Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa), until about 10 years ago when I moved to a small town. Fortunately it is hard to find a small town in most of Canada that doesn't have a curling rink, and I joined ours (which was founded in 1855) as soon as we moved here. Small towns can be difficult to become part of, but I found that curling really eased the transition, and I made many friends.

It is also a game for all ages. Our club has a "little rocks" program with kids as young as 7 learning and enjoying the game. When you see the pros in the Scotties or the Brier, you can bet that most of the players started out as juniors at a really young age. We also have a large number of members in their 80s, still playing the game. I'm 77, and unfortunately my knees are having problems. But, if I can't get them fixed you can bet I will keep curling using a stick.

Due to Covid we had to close our club this winter, and I can tell you that it made the winter feel much longer than usual.

So, when you get to PEI, joining a curling club is one of the best things you can do IMO. And if the Brier or Scotties ever gets to PEI or within striking distance, don't miss going to it. It's quite a party.

 

[ouchyfoot]

I miss the old beaver tail brooms.

 

[Doc4]

curling is one of the best grassroots sports there is. It has so many dimensions; the mastery of the skill, the chess-like strategy involved

I remember years ago hearing a golf tv commentator at a major tournament talking about what the greens were like. (They were very large and, apparently, very "fast".) He said it was like putting your ball down a marble staircase and getting it to stop on the second-last stair.

Some people might think that curling is just "bowling on ice". I tend to think of curling being like a version of bowling where, instead of having to knock down all the pins, you have to roll your ball down the lane and get it as close as possible to the pins and then stop without knocking over any pins. Whoever gets his ball closest without knocking over any pins, wins.

 

[MyOldKentuckyHome]

So, when you get to PEI, joining a curling club is one of the best things you can do IMO. And if the Brier or Scotties ever gets to PEI or within striking distance, don't miss going to it. It's quite a party.

The secretary at the church we will be attending loves curling and is a member in Cornwall and has already said she would take us for a visit to the club (and we did check they do have kids and teens programs).

She actually grew up curling in the same club as Brett Gallant (2nd for Team Bushie).

And if either the Scotties or Brier are anywhere in PEI, NB, or NS I'll be first in line to buy tickets!!

 

[Jan Sobieski]

No, I keep my hair in its natural straight state.

 

[MyOldKentuckyHome]

Whoever gets his ball closest without knocking over any pins, wins.

I don't know how many shots this week where the announcers pointed out they missed a shot by half an inch or less - crazy when you consider they are pushing heavy stones down a sheet of ice 150ft long.

Einarson just missed a 6-ender by about that amount today but bumped a guard.

Of course, theirs also the peel shots that show up occasionally and you get to see the rocks fly!

 

[rockthrower]

The secretary at the church we will be attending loves curling and is a member in Cornwall and has already said she would take us for a visit to the club (and we did check they do have kids and teens programs).

That's great , nice to have an intro available.

I don't know how many shots this week where the announcers pointed out they missed a shot by half an inch or less - crazy when you consider they are pushing heavy stones down a sheet of ice 150ft long.

Even crazier when you take into account the fact that the ice changes in both speed and curl throughout the game . It really is a game of inches.

Will look forward to how you're enjoying it next winter

Final starts in about 45 minutes. Should be a great game.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Gents:

I hadn't thought much of or had interest of curling...but after reading all these awesome posts about the sport...I'm gonna make sure I don't miss this in the 22 Olympics in Beijing, China.

"If curling were easy, they'd call it hockey". Author Unknown

 

[MyOldKentuckyHome]

And now it's Brier time!

I must admit though - I prefer the ladies game.

1) The ladies have fewer blank ends it seems
2) Less "let's just throw the rock as hard as we can and make everything go boom" throws in the women's game
3) Let's be honest - attractive ladies throwing a curling stone is more eye appealing than men.

 

[TexLaw]

USA certainly are looking good.

I swear. Schuster looks twenty years younger than he did twenty years ago. Not to mention that he's throwing lights out. Way to go, man.