Let me regale you with a tale of a most noble of sports; Curling. It is similar to Bocce, which I’m now realizing probably isn’t the best comparison to make because Bocce is an equally obscure sport, if not more so. So, some basics. Curling is a Winter Olympic sport, and is most commonly played in Canada.
The rules of Curling are as follows: two teams, each with four players, who take turns throwing granite rocks down the curling sheet (a rectangular sheet of ice) towards the target. Points are scored by having your rock closer to the center, with teams trying to get as many in a row and closest as possible. Each team has eight rocks which they throw in turns. At the end of each round the points are counted each game consists of 8-10 rounds. Curling’s unique style of movement, sweeping, allows for different patterns and aiming than other such sports. Sweeping creates friction in the ice slowing down the curling rock which at 42 pounds has a lot of weight behind it. Curling rocks need to be thrown very fast to compensate for their weight and sluggishness.
The closest place for you to do curling is the Philadelphia Curling Club. It has existed since 1957 and is still going strong. At just twelve miles away in Paoli, it is the premier curling destination near you. The club was started by a group of friends who rented the ice rink in Villanova until March of 1958 when they finally got their own place.
Oliver Angert ’24
