The Art of The Curl
A few days ago embracing my règle de vie to try anything once as long as I have interest, opportunity, and it doesn't hurt anyone or any creature (including me!), I took a friend up on the offer to try CURLING . . .
You aim to hit the bull's eye, otherwise known as the button. So it's like archery. But you're on a flat sheet of ice, so it's like ice skating. Only you're wearing a slippy shoe on one foot. So it's like skiing (with a really small skii!). Only you're thrusting off a mark with a sneakered foot, and bending at the knee to slide to a line where you are supposed to hurl -- er deliver -- a 40ish pound granite puck down about forty meters of ice. Track, gymnastics, bowling. Oft times there are other rocks in the way to hit or miss. Bocce Ball. Did I mention balance is a big issue for the beginner?
There's all kinds of terminology used that distinguish the real curlers from the likes of me. The mark or rubber foothold you thrust off of is called a hack. The slippy shoe, is, yes, a slider. There's houses and hog lines, backboards and pebbles. There's stealing, blanking and hammers. You can hog your rock. You can make a crap shot. You can be the skip or a sweeper or a long guard. You hurry a lot when you have a broom in your hands. And I gather you buy your opponents a lot of drinks as you're learning the sport. (Apparently, a bar is as necessary to a curling club as a locker room is to a gym).
Oh and curling. Curling is the rotating movement of the stone that you deliberately effect by turning the handle as you release the rock so that it goes where you want it to go. Such as into or around other rocks so as to land on the foot wide button. Ah huh.
Oh yeah, and when you're not hurling rocks (that's the proper term, rocks), you're sweeping the ice right in front of one. That's when there's a possible aerobic workout moment. I didn't try it. I was too busy trying to slide to the hog line with the rock without falling on my toochis. I couldn't make it more than half-way there, but at the end of this first time out, my sensei, zmook , told me I was good enough to try a game. Even though I'll probably "make lots of mistakes," he tells me I can't truly say I was curling until I do.
Thus while I don't think I have the temperament or the keen interest to master the art of the curl, I will probably try a game at some point. I said I'd post if I had a good time that evening. Voilà. I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys trying the new. Curlers seem to be a friendly and welcoming crowd, and there are plenty of other beginners around. So no need to worry about blank ending, playing the front end, or ending up on your butt!
You aim to hit the bull's eye, otherwise known as the button. So it's like archery. But you're on a flat sheet of ice, so it's like ice skating. Only you're wearing a slippy shoe on one foot. So it's like skiing (with a really small skii!). Only you're thrusting off a mark with a sneakered foot, and bending at the knee to slide to a line where you are supposed to hurl -- er deliver -- a 40ish pound granite puck down about forty meters of ice. Track, gymnastics, bowling. Oft times there are other rocks in the way to hit or miss. Bocce Ball. Did I mention balance is a big issue for the beginner?
There's all kinds of terminology used that distinguish the real curlers from the likes of me. The mark or rubber foothold you thrust off of is called a hack. The slippy shoe, is, yes, a slider. There's houses and hog lines, backboards and pebbles. There's stealing, blanking and hammers. You can hog your rock. You can make a crap shot. You can be the skip or a sweeper or a long guard. You hurry a lot when you have a broom in your hands. And I gather you buy your opponents a lot of drinks as you're learning the sport. (Apparently, a bar is as necessary to a curling club as a locker room is to a gym).
Oh and curling. Curling is the rotating movement of the stone that you deliberately effect by turning the handle as you release the rock so that it goes where you want it to go. Such as into or around other rocks so as to land on the foot wide button. Ah huh.
Oh yeah, and when you're not hurling rocks (that's the proper term, rocks), you're sweeping the ice right in front of one. That's when there's a possible aerobic workout moment. I didn't try it. I was too busy trying to slide to the hog line with the rock without falling on my toochis. I couldn't make it more than half-way there, but at the end of this first time out, my sensei, zmook , told me I was good enough to try a game. Even though I'll probably "make lots of mistakes," he tells me I can't truly say I was curling until I do.
Thus while I don't think I have the temperament or the keen interest to master the art of the curl, I will probably try a game at some point. I said I'd post if I had a good time that evening. Voilà. I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys trying the new. Curlers seem to be a friendly and welcoming crowd, and there are plenty of other beginners around. So no need to worry about blank ending, playing the front end, or ending up on your butt!