Let's Learn to Curl!

Contributed by: Trish Gau, The Hive Overland Park

Curling?! Of course I’ll try it! It is the one sport, we used to joke, that my husband thought he would have a chance to win an Olympic medal in (we joked about this 20 years ago - the odds against that happening keep increasing). I never really understood the rules of curling, but I’m always willing to learn something new and it looks like a great time. Plus, if we form a team, we can wear some cute and funky pants once we hit the competitive circuit - I tend to get ahead of myself pretty quick. I knew I was game.

Well, curling is fun, but so much harder than it looks! There were 13 of us that braved the cold, traveled to Blue Springs, MO and learned the basics of curling from the instructors at the KC Curling Club. We were informed that it is the only dedicated curling facility in a 350 mile radius. The space is very inviting – you walk into a large room with plenty of tables, games and a long bar with a large window overlooking 4 full curling sheets. They even have real locker rooms. . .they are serious about curling.

We changed into our fresh shoes (they try to keep the ice as clean as possible) grabbed a broom each and split into groups (the lefties got their own instructor). We were given some basic safety instructions and then learned about the curling stones, the components of the ice sheet, the house and the positions on each curling team. The basic gist of this “Chess on Ice” is to get your stone closest to the center of the house – in my mind it is sort of like bocce and shuffleboard on a slippery surface. It is a very courteous and honorable game that begins with a handshake to the opposing team and everyone saying, "Good Curling" to each other.

The starting position and release of the stone were a little hard to get used to; it required a lot of balance and some definite core strength. They had some tools for helping keep your balance and those of us who didn’t want to get that low to the ground were still able to participate by using a special pole to push and release the stone. Shockingly, the sweeping was one of the most difficult parts - you had to vigorously press your broom to the ice, moving it back and forth in front of the stone without touching it, to curl it into position. The team’s Skip, who stands at the opposite end of the sheet, oversees telling you (yelling) where to aim, which direction to curl the stone and when to sweep or stop sweeping. There was A LOT to remember. I may need more than one lesson.

We ended our time with a short game and came to a few conclusions:

1. Curling is a lot of fun.

2. It will take a lot of practice to get the hang of it.

3. Don’t be afraid to try something new in this middle-stage of life!

For more info on curling, go to the USA Curling Association.

When did you last try something for the first time? Comment below!