Curling: a game for all ages
Since 2003, USU students have been given the opportunity to participate in a class about curling, a sport originating in 18th-century Scotland. Mark Innocenti teaches the curling class at the Eccles Ice Arena and said it is a game of fitness more than anything. He said curling has been a sport in the Winter Olympics since the 1990s and became an official Olympic sport in 2002 during the Salt Lake City Olympics.
Mike Bruckner, an undeclared sophomore, is a dedicated curling player. He said he was first introduced to curling by his mother after she attended a curling open house that taught the rules and techniques of curling. She loved it so much she brought Bruckner to the next open house, where he also became addicted to the sport, he said. Since then he said he has gone to junior nationals and international curling competitions. Bruckner said curling has allowed him to travel all over the country, even through Canada, and make many lasting friendships along the way.
A curling team is composed of four people: the lead, the second, the vice skip and the skip, Bruckner said. A 42-pound polished granite stone is shot down a 146-foot sheet of ice. One player shoots the stone while two others sweep the ice in front of the stone. The skip stands at the end of the ice near the goal, which is called the house, Bruckner said. The skip directs each of the shots. Each person shoots two stones an end. An end can be related to a baseball inning, Bruckner said. He said when all the stones are thrown, the team with the stones closest to the center of the house get points for that end. Each game has eight ends.
Curling can be compared to bocci ball, Innocenti said. He said a lot of people join the curling class because it sounds different.
“There is always an influx of new people every four years after the Olympics,” Innocenti said. The class has gotten to as low as four students and has reached a high of 15, he said. The class is either passed or failed based on attendance. He said curling is rarely seen in the U.S. However, it is incredibly popular in Canada.
“The Canadians are the ones to beat,” Innocenti said.
This sport is for everyone because it does not involve a lot of strenuous activity, Bruckner said.
“It’s a sport you can continue to have fun with all your life as opposed to many other activities that we have to give up as we age,” he said.
However, this game does require some energy. Innocenti said sweeping is harder than many think. The fast back and forth motion of the sweeping is the most energetic aspect, Innocenti said. Bruckner said a challenging aspect of curling is keeping balance on the ice. When curling, Innocenti said the shoes that skateboarders wear work well on the ice.
The curling class mainly consists of games, Innocenti said. He said they start playing games pretty quickly after the basic rules are laid down for newcomers. The class teaches all the correct techniques to be successful when curling and allows time to practice shooting the stone.
There are other ways to get involved with curling rather than joining the class at USU. There is a local club called the Stone Society that practice with the USU class.
“Curling is a very friendly and social sport. You always get to know your opponents well and can even build good friendships,” Bruckner said.
–catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu