With the end of the Winter Olympics it means curling goes back into hibernation for another four years unless you actually play the sport. I’ve woken up to “Coffee and Curling” as Sue has called it each morning for two weeks. Although I don’t drink coffee. Coupled with questions from many who know I curl it’s been a fun couple of weeks. As I have said before I tend to get evangelical about things I like and curling is my current interest. Although I have taken it slower and am more purposeful in my choices. I’m not diving in as I did with MINI Coopers, LEGO, Robotics, or Geocaching. More carefully wading into the pool checking the temp and if there are rocks or man-eating creatures under the surface. Then again I always go back to the “give back more than you have received” ideal.
To this end I’ve been volunteering at Learn to Curl events at the club, helped out at the club’s big open house and playing Wednesday mornings after two sessions in the 5U (5 years and under of experience) League.
At Learn to Curl events it’s fun seeing people who know nothing about the sport and may have been athletic in the past give it a try. Curling being a game of finesse, more than power. It’s easier than many think to get the 42 pound stone down the sheet. This coming from someone who tends to throw light. Watching people throw/push the stone as hard as possible and thinking they “win” as it blows through the house is amusing. The strength isn’t needed in delivering the stone, it’s definitely needed in sweeping. That takes experience to understand.
The club offers a couple different introductions to the game. Our Open House was just to give people a chance to touch a stone, be on the ice and try to deliver two stones. It takes about 10 minutes once you get on the ice, if that. You get to see what’s going on in the Olympics.
A Learn to Curl Clinic is two hours and you learn how to deliver (“throw”) a stone, put a curl on it, and some basics in sweeping. You also get to play at least one end (round), probably two. This was where I started years ago.
The Learn to Curl League is four two hour sessions teaching you everything you need to start. Day one is the clinic. Day two covers how to aim which is kind of important. Day three covers the details of sweeping and communication between the Skip and the sweepers. The last day deals with weight and how to get the stone to stop where you want it. Over these four sessions you also get to play a couple ends each day to practice what you’ve learned. We all know you learn better by doing. After I retired I signed up for this experience. After the Learn to Curl League participants are more than prepared to join a club league, although the 5U (under five years of experience) League is probably the best place to start. I started with the Wednesday Morning League which is a bit more laid back and we go out to lunch afterwards. 😁
I’ve learned a few things as I’ve been a Junior Assistant Trainee Instructor for part of this season including things I’m working on and will be working on for a while. Like they said about another game -“A minute to learn, and a lifetime to master.”
Don’t throw the rock. The momentum you create pushing off is all you should need to get the stone to wherever you want. Pushing with your arm will just mess things up.
Let it go… Let it go… when you release the stone and put a rotation on it, just do that. Again messing with the momentum just causes problems. I’ve thought the stone was going too fast, so I’d pull back on the handle to slow the stone down - stupid move.
It’s counter intuitive - the stone will start to curl as it slows, the faster it goes, the straighter it goes. Same applies with the curl. The faster the rotation the less it will curl.
I keep learning more each time I set foot on the ice. I still am trying to figure out all the lingo and will need to create a glossary at some point just for my own peace of mind. One project that I’d like to do is an intro to curling comic book… that would require time, but I think it would help me wrap my head around some of the concepts I need to better understand.
I’ve put my name in for the club’s Shamrock Spiel in March… I did it when I first started - I think I’d been curling for maybe a month and really wasn’t ready. “It’s fun” they said. “It’s not competitive” they said. For me (someone who made it a point to avoid all sports while growing up) it seemed more competitive and therefore not that much fun. I saw some teams having a great time, so it was probably just me. I was raised to be hard on myself, that I’m never good enough. That said, I’m going to try it again or at least put my name in the lottery to play. I’ll find out soon if I will be playing or making a “bubble and squeak” again.
To keep up with curling after the Olympics Sue and I are thinking of heading to the U.S. Nationals in Charlotte, NC next weekend and to the inaugural Rock League (professional curling) finals in Toronto, ON in April. So maybe I am taking a more deep dive into curling than I thought. I’m still not anywhere near the level of a “below average” curler, but someday, maybe I can reach that level.
