Curling stones are made from a special type of granite. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The curling women’s round robin is in full swing on Wednesday, with the men due up later at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing — colloquially known as the Ice Cube during the Winter Olympics.
But what exactly is curling and why has it become must-watch TV?
What is curling’s format? Curling is a team sport — either men’s, women’s or mixed — played on ice.
Two teams take turns sliding the granite stones across a 150-foot long,15-foot-7-inch wide sheet of ice towards a target which is known as the house.
Traditional curling teams are made up of four players, with mixed teams featuring two males and two females or one male and one female if it’s mixed doubles.
In team curling, each player slides two consecutive stones, alternating with an opponent, in each round — known as an end.
When did curling start? Although its exact origins can’t be accurately traced, curling is a sport believed to have originated in the 16th century. While an exact date can’t be pinpointed, according to the World Curling Federation, the sport was played during its early stages on frozen lochs and ponds in northern Europe.
It wasn’t until 1992 that the International Olympic Committee granted medal status to men’s and women’s curling. It was introduced to the Winter Olympics in 1998 in Japan and has gone on to be a regular inclusion.
What is needed to play curling? Curling stones are made from a special type of granite and weigh almost 20 kilograms (about 44 pounds).
Each curler has their own brush and a specific type of shoe specialized for the sport. In each pair of shoes, one sole grips the ice, while the other is more slippery — called a slider — allowing players to slide with the stone when they’re playing it.
The brush is used by players to sweep in front of the stone to warm its path, allowing it to travel further if desired.
How do you score points? At each side of the playing surface, there are a series of rings similar to a target — the house. This helps players determine which stones are closest to the center.
Once an end is completed, a team scores one point for each of its stones in or touching the house that are closer to the center than any of the opposition team’s stones.
A curling game is competed over 10 ends and the team with the most points wins.
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