olympic curling

[cert]

Watched some of the women's curling on tv this morning. USA and the Dutch I think.

Would someone please explain the game to me?

[cowsense]

cert; You'll have to track down Northern Rancher.......he's our board "expert" on everything to do with ICE

[Mrs.Greg]

Yes cert,Let Northern Rancher explain it to you,Greg was born and raised in this country and he still asks me to explain curling to him! Its an aquired taste but once you get it ,its addictive

[Northern Rancher]

Cert you'll just have to come up to Canada and learn.

[cert]

[jigs]

isn't it like shuffleboard on ice?

[PPRM]

I actually enjoy curling, but it has been to long for me to remember the specifics. All I know is you are trying to get that saucer into a specific spot and several folks try to influence the flight on the ice by sweeping it. When I watched it, it was kinda like watching wrecks on ice. You know how they generally are slow developing and you seeitcoming, but just hold you breath hoping it won't?

PPRM

[Northern Rancher]

Well cert if you wear skates on a curling ice were in big trouble-my middle daughter is off to the provincial finals in 4H curling today so she's kind of excited. If you've never skated on ice you better give it a try-there's a reason why hockey is the greatest sport lol. You can come up and curl in our critter bonspiel-one event wins live animals and one event wins hams and turkey's and stuff-it's alot of fun.

[Kato]

Curling 101

The aim is to end up with more rocks closer to the button than your opponent at the end of the 'end'. For example if one team has 6 rocks in the circle, and the other team pops one on the button, that team will score one, and win the end. If the second team blows it and their rock goes out the other side, the first team will score 6.

The name comes from the fact that if you turn the rock inside or outside (left or right spin as you let it go), it will actually curl a bit either way as it travels down the ice. You can influence the way the rock goes a lot with the proper use of a broom. Good curlers will make a rock go around one of the opponents and land in behind where it's hard to hit out.

Two teams of four players. The leader is called the Skip. He/she always throws last rock, and is the one at the other end with the broom pointing to where the rock should go, and hollering directions on how hard or not to sweep the rock.

When the game is over, you shake hands and go upstairs at the rink for a beer.

There are lots of other finer points to the game, especially when you start realizing the strategy that's involved. I'm not even a curler, but just being from Manitoba means I have assimilated at least this bit of knowledge. It's very hard to avoid the game in this province. Everyone knows someone who curls, if they don't themselves. I do mean everyone!

Now, if some hockey player could please explain icing to me???? My brothers have been trying for many years, and I just don't seem to be able to get it straight.

[cert]

Thanks for the instruction Kato. Now I can watch with a little more knowledge.
Northern Rancher...I saw the ice and assumed they had skates on. Should have looked closer. Best of luck to your daughter, I'm cheering for her!

[Mrs.Greg]

Thats why Greg says he hates curling ...can't wear your cowboy boots on the ice,and you have to use a broom!

[Northern Rancher]

Icing is when you shoot the puck from your side of center ice and it crosses the red line at the opposing teams end before one of your players touches it. I played 3 on 3 with AA Bantas for 3 hours today-there were alot of icings lol.