Sweeping up the ice...

Week Fourteen:Curling

Living in Buffalo, our proximity to Canada exposes us to many aspects of Canadian culture of which the rest of the United States is only vaguely aware. My personal favorites among these imports include hockey, Tim Horton’s coffee and the Kids in the Hall (Many people around here also love the Tragically Hip, but they certainly don’t make my list). However, one of the more obscure Canadian traditions that has always interested me is the sport of curling. I’ve spent many boring weekend afternoons watching this fascinating sport, trying to understand the different rules and ambiguous scoring system, almost to the point of obsession. Therefore, when I started planning the concept of Fifty-two to Thirty, curling was one of the first activities I decided to include.

For those of you who are unfamiliar or completely unaware of this noble game, curling can best be described as shuffleboard on ice. However, such a drastic oversimplification does a great disservice to the sport. Likewise, if I went into great detail to explain all the rules and subtle nuances of curling I would end up with a rather lengthy dissertation. Therefore, I will try to sum it up as quickly and neatly as possible.

A curling match includes two teams of four squaring off on a long sheet of ice with a set of concentric circles at each end. Each player takes two turns sliding a granite curling stone towards the opposite end while their teammates attempt to adjust the speed and direction of the stone by “sweeping” the ice with curling brooms. Only the team with the stone closest to the center of the circles receives points each round and they earn one point for each stone between the center and the other team’s closest stone.

With a basic understanding of these fundamentals (thanks to Wikipedia) I started looking for the nearest curling rinks in the area to test my skills. The two closest options were both over the border in Ontario, Canada – the Welland Curling Club and the Niagara Falls Curling Club. Although both locations are approximately the same distance from Buffalo, I chose Niagara Falls because I’m more familiar with the city and figured it would be easier to find. I then called to reserve a sheet ice, which can be rented in two hour intervals, requiring a party of eight people at $15 a piece. Also, the only extra equipment needed for curling in addition to the two forms of I.D. required to cross the border, is a pair of sneakers with clean bottoms, so as not to harm the ice surface.

My next step was to determine who would join me on this adventure and, trust me, there was no shortage of eager participants. Obviously Jackie was the first choice followed by my brother Pat and his wife Carrie. Then I put the invite out to various other friends and family members and, after much shuffling and several cancellations, the party was rounded out with four of my closest friends: Terry, Ryan, Nick and Gene. Overall, a pretty solid crew.

Upon our arrival at the Niagara Falls Curling Club we were greeted by the only person in the facility at the time, an older gentleman named John. After introducing himself, John helped each of us apply tape to the bottom of our left shoes, transforming them into our “sliding” foot. The other foot, meanwhile, is used to keep traction on the ice so we can push ourselves in the direction or our sliding foot - thus producing a sideways gliding motion. Once we were all properly outfitted John took us ice level to review the basics of the game including how to properly shoot the stone - which requires pushing yourself out from track-and-field style starting blocks. After about fifteen minutes of Curling 101, John wished us luck and left us to our own devices.

Naturally we had decided our teams should be divided between family and friends, therefore it was Jackie, Pat, Carrie and myself against Terry, Ryan, Nick and Gene. “Team Godwin” took the yellow stones and “Team Friends” were left with the red stones. Also, the order of shooters is very important in curling as each one has a specific job with varying levels of importance. Ryan and I were elected “Skips” of our respective teams, so that determined we would shoot last each round. However, besides maintaining the shooting order, our main concern was learning how to play so we didn’t put too much importance on these roles (Terry, however, was determined to receive guidance from his Skip).

Finally, with instruction complete and all necessary logistics determined it was time to play. Ryan and I took our positions as Skips at the opposite end of the ice to direct our teammates and the stones started flying. At first, we had some difficulty as each stone either stalled out halfway to the target or smashed into the wall behind it. The process of simply releasing the stone was another early challenge as some people would lose their balance and tip over after letting go and Carrie even forgot to release it several times. However, Pat and myself were the only ones to actually take a full spill on the ice, thanks in large part to our inherited levels of coordination (for the record Pat fell twice, I only fell once).

After surviving these early challenges, however, we all got the hang of it pretty quickly and that’s when things got competitive. In fact, rounds 2 through 5 were hotly contested and, much to Terry’s excitement, we even had to utilize the specially calibrated measuring tool to review one call. Everyone’s aim and touch improved greatly as the game progressed, to the point where most of the stones were left in play by the end of the later rounds and it became much more difficult to accurately place them in the target circles. This added challenge only enhanced the excitement of the game as we painstakingly positioned our shots in and around the other stones scattered across the ice. Defensive strategy also came into play at this point by aiming for the other team’s stones in an attempt to knock them from scoring position or completely out of play.

However, despite all this fun and excitement, the contest quickly turned one-sided after the fifth round. Team Friends pulled ahead and never looked back as they laid down a well-rounded thumping on Team Godwin. I have no reasonable excuse for our poor showing aside from one little conspiracy theory: Gene is married to a Canadian. That’s right, by marrying Yvonne, Gene somehow gave his team a decided advantage before the game even began. I’ll be sure to take this into consideration the next time we play.

Overall, my first curling experience was truly incredible. I think I can speak for all involved when I say we had a ton of fun and can’t wait to try it again. Unfortunately, curling is a seasonal sport and we are quickly approaching the end of winter. Niagara Falls Curling Club with be closing its doors in just a few weeks and they will not reopen until October. Despite all that fun, however, I have no problem waiting out a long, hot summer. We’ll get a rematch eventually.

POP CULTURE UPDATE

Listening to: Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreaks
Reading: Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer
Recently Watched: Some Like it Hot