Rolling Stones... Gather No Ice: Learn2Curl in Chicago

I have to admit that my expectations for a sport played on sheets and with a broom were not particularly high. And the name itself, "Curling", didn't sound terribly promising either. Isn't that something women do with their hair? Who wants to play a game that seems to revolve around common household items?

But curling is now a Winter Olympic sport and in Canada draws a larger audience than hockey. So last spring I joined my sports-addict buddy Tim when he said he was going to attend the National Club Curling Championship that was being held at the Chicago Curling Club in Northbrook, Illinois.

Much to my surprise, the matches were both exciting and fascinating. The competition between the eight teams was intense, graceful, and highly sociable. Perhaps two hundred fans were in attendance and it seemed like each was more than happy to explain the game and its somewhat confusing scoring system to a couple newcomers. In fact, they appeared delighted to have some newcomers to show off their sport. We were encouraged to come back and participate when the season started up the following autumn.

One's initial impression of curling might be that it's shuffleboard on ice, but curlers chafe at this description. In practice it's much more like chess and billiards on ice. Technique and balance, as opposed to speed and strength, are the primary physical attributes required, but strategy and tactics play the most important roll. Curlers slide a 42-pound granite rock, known as a "stone" down a 150-foot long sheet of ice toward a target area with a 6-inch center called "the button." Two teams of four compete, rolling eight stones per "end" (like an inning in baseball) with a team scoring a point for each stone it places within the closest stone of the opposing team.

Tucked away just west of the Edens Expressway off of Dundee Road the Chicago Curling Club is one of just three curling facilities in the Chicago-area and the only one devoted exclusively to curling. A membership organization founded in 1948, the facility includes four "sheets" of ice (the playing area for curling), men's and women's locker rooms, fully equipped kitchen, bar (like another Scottish import, golf, the drinking of fermented beverages is a traditional social element of the game), and extensive lounge area and viewing gallery.

During the curling season Chicago Curling Club sponsors regular Learn2Curl workshops in which newcomers are introduced to the game and given a chance to try out the sport. On a recent Sunday afternoon Tim and I returned to the club to try our hands at "The Roaring Game." About fifteen other prospective curlers attend -- a mix of men and women, young and old. The age range appears to be from about mid-twenties to perhaps seventy. Curling indeed is a sport that can be played by people of all ages and is often a multigenerational family sport.

Club coach Stan Slabus gives us a brief introduction to the history of the game and the club. This is followed by a video shown on the club's large screen television set. The video explains the scoring and demonstrates some of the techniques we'll be attempting shortly. After the video a club member leads us in stretching. And then it's on to the ice.

Each participant is given a Teflon strip that attaches to the bottom of the shoe and a broom for sweeping. The curling broom is not dissimilar to an ordinary kitchen broom, but is designed for melting the ice ahead of the rolled stone to increase speed and subtly affect its course.

Our first exercise is to slide down the sheet on our Teflon bottomed shoes. Not having skated in perhaps thirty-five years I am a little concerned about this, but manage to make it up and down the sheet without falling, as does the rest of the class. We then break into groups of four and take turns pushing off of the hack, which is similar to what sprinters use to start a race. Instead of pushing into a running position however, we start grasping two of the 42 pound curling stones, one with each hand, and slide perhaps ten yards down the sheet. We each do this a couple times and then remove one of the stones and replace it with a plastic frame called a stabilizer. We do this because soon we'll be releasing the stone and sending it down the sheet toward the button on the other side. This makes it more difficult to remain balanced and in control. I feel a little like Scooby Doo with his paws flailing while trying to run. At least I manage to avoid belly flopping on the ice!

Finally we're ready for the real thing. Our foursome takes on the adjacent foursome. As curling etiquette dictates, we shake hands and wish each other "Good curling."

The game truly is a blast. Time permits us to play only two ends, but we each get four chances to take a shot, getting a feel for the stone and the ice. Strength is all but irrelevant. Balance and technique are what counts. Some shots are too long, some too short, and a few find their way into the "house" (the scoring target area) only to be bumped out by a later shot. Each player gets a chance to sweep, which is not easy since your sliding backwards, trying to keep ahead of a 42 pound stone, trying not to trip over a previously placed stone, and of course doing this all on ice. While I can't say I develop a feel for the game, I certainly enjoyed it and look forward to trying again.

Chicago Curling Club offers Learn2Curl workshops regularly during the curling season (October thru March). Registration is required and costs $10. Since a couple drinks are included with the $10, this is a bargain! Loose-fitting, warm clothing and gloves are recommended. Temperature is maintained at about 40-degrees in the curling room, but you will work up a sweat fairly quickly.

Upcoming dates for Learn2Curl open houses are:

Sunday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007


Reserve a spot at Learn2Curl@hotmail.com.

The Chicago Curling Club is located at 555 Dundee Road, Northbrook, Illinois. Their phone number is 847-564-9877. They can be found on the web at www.curlingchicago.org.

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To see curling in action at a world class level visit the Canadian Broadcasting curling page here.

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