Curling in Canada
Curling is played on ice. Two teams of four players each slide granite stones from one end of a sheet of ice towards a target painted on the other end of the ice. The team with the stone closest to the center of the target wins.
Curling, Chess on Ice
A Game of Strategy
THE GAME
The game originated in Scotland in the late 1500. Scottish immigrants brought the game to Canada where the first club was established in Montreal in 1807.Today the sport is very popular in Canada. Over 800,000 people curl in Canada and more than 3 and a half million Canadians enjoy watching the sport on TV.
The game was played as a demontration sport in the Olympics in 1924. It has been an official sport since the games in Nagano, Japan in 1998.
HOW IT IS PLAYED
Two teams compete against each other. Each team has 4 players and 8 stones, or rocks. Each player takes a turn and tries to slide the stone in position by controlling the amount of weight they use to throw the stone, the spin and the direction. Two players will brush or sweep the path in front of the ice to reduce curl and increase the distance. The fourth player holds the broom on the target.
The target is called the house, the players are known as lead, second, third and skip, with the skip acting as the teams captain.
The goal is to have your stone closest to the center of the target when all stones from both teams have been thrown. The number of points you can score during a round, called an end, is determined by the number of stones closer to the target than the stone from the opposing team.
A competition match usually last eight ends, but can be anywhere from 6 to 10.Recreational clubs are active in most Canadian communities. Many companies and organizations organize a yearly curling event for their employees and members.
