Is curling just shuffleboard on ice?

[panader0]

Where's the teams of retired folks from Florida? The geriatric team?
To be honest, I don't get curling as an Olympic sport.
Do they just sweep the ice to influence the path of the 'curl'?
It seems like a good bar sport. In the old days there used to be shuffleboard tables in bars, with steel pucks and sawdust.
Then again, I live in a desert state, no curling here.

[lob1]

1. Curling...the sport of beauticians.

[Electric Monk]

2. Here's a decent FAQ to help get you started

http://blogcritics.org/sports/article/what-the-faq-is-curling/

[Electric Monk]

12. LOL @ the Team USA curling FAQ

http://curling.teamusa.org/pages/99

FAQ

FAQ Text









© 2009 United States Olympic Committee. All rights reserved.

[Patsy Stone]

3. Yes

The ice is pebbled, and the sweeping smooths it out to control the speed and direction of the "curl".

[mwb970]

28. In addition, the sweeping raises the temperature of the ice.

Curling is the only sport where the trajectory of the projectile can be influenced after the stone has been released. Players sweep the ice in front of the stone to momentarily increase the temperature of the ice as the stone passes over it and reduce the friction between the stone and the ice.

(From The Sports Science Of Curling: A Practical Review)

[lazarus]

4. it's tougher than it looks

They interviewed Wayne Gretzky at a curling match this weekend. He's tried it, and says it's surprising how athletic you have to be to do it.

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. kinda reminds me of shuffleboard

[LiberalFighter]

6. Drafting is important in controlling the path.

It may be on the same level as horseshoes more so than shuffleboard.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Competitive Curling is definitely a sport

If you play three of four ten-end games a day, you end up walking more distance than a golfer.

Sweeping is a lot more tiring than it looks. And those rocks weigh 40 pounds. It's no so easy to deftly manoeuvrer such a weight to a target over 100 ft. away, accurately.

Not too many people over 50 in the top ranks of professional curlers.

[stray cat]

9. Sweeping is definitely work and takes finesse and strategizing

its like making fun of bowling when you are incapable of getting anything more than a gutter ball. Have you ever picked up a large split?

[Canuckistanian]

10. No, but I've been a competitive curler

Not professional, but I won a few championships and bonspiels. I can tell you right now, I wouldn't be able to keep up that pace again.

[cherokeeprogressive]

20. More distance than a golfer? I must be missing something here.

Ten ends. Does that mean "one end" means walking the length of the ice two times? I might be totally wrong in that, and if I am, please correct me. If I am right...

The length of the curling sheet is max 150 feet. That means each "end" should be 300 feet, right? Ten "ends" would mean 3000 feet. Three games would be 9,000 feet, or 1.7 miles.

The golf courses I play average about 6500 yards. That's 19,500 feet, or a hair under 3.7 miles.

That said, I believe that yes, Curling is MOST DEFINITELY a sport.

[pokerfan]

21. each team throws eight stones per end

so multiply your numbers by 8.

[cherokeeprogressive]

29. Okay, if you say... 1.7 miles is what I figured. Multiply that by 8 and you get 13.6 miles.

So you're saying that during a curling match of ten ends each individual covers 13.6 miles, 150 feet at a time.

Maybe you missed the point of my question... which was how far does a single curler travel in a ten end game.

[pokerfan]

34. Three of four players walk the length for each stone

the shooter and two sweepers. So it's probably something like 0.75 * 8 * 10 * 150. On the other hand it's not really walking; it's gliding on teflon. I'm not arguing that curling is some kind of marathon of endurance. But is it a sport? Sure. At least it's not judged on style points. It has The Great One's endorsement and that's good enough for me.

[stray cat]

8. No definitely not - unless you are able to change the shuffle board in the middle of a throw

[Guilded Lilly]

11. It's close. But I wouldn't say *just*'

Because that tends, somewhat,to invalidate shuffleboard as well.

I am a newly born fan of curling!

I got hooked. It most definitely takes a lot of finesse, nuance and control. Just because it isn't accompanied by speed and a time clock doesn't make it any less a sport.

[Electric Monk]

14. There's a time clock. In international competition each team gets 73min to throw all their stones.

http://www.slideshare.net/CompeteAt/curling-101-the-basics-of-the-sport-of-curling-presentation

[Guilded Lilly]

19. I wasn't clear in my statement...

a speed time clock, as in the best time wins. :)
peace,
Lilly

[-..__...]

13. It's like more bocce ball...

only different.

[1620rock]

15. If you grow up in Canada or here on the border it is a great sport.

[Johonny]

16. There aren't that many Winter sports

It has enough appeal and heck why not have it in the games. It's a little harder than shuffle board. Basically it's all about how hard people try to get things into the Olympics. I mean Golf is still not in and oddly the PGA doesn't really want it in. Clearly the Curlers want it in and fight hard to keep it. They just made a lot of new fans this Olympics I think.

[Bitwit1234]

17. I think they are different

In curling you move the brush before the puck of what ever it is to make it move on the ice. In all the shuffleboard I have played you push the puck down the board to the spaces to score on the other end. Lot of difference.

[omega minimo]

18. When I visited BC and locals told me about curling, I didn't believe em

:rofl:

[NNN0LHI]

22. Most curling courts have beer holders cut right into the ice

I heard a commentator who was covering the game mention that.

Don

[blueamy66]

36. That's funny!

A curling commentator!!!!

[lonestarnot]

23. And to think that crap preempted KO and Rachel reruns.

:thumbsdown: I hate cox!

[rug]

24. Curling is as much of a sport as golf.

[Dappleganger]

25. More like chess billiards. nt

[TexasObserver]

26. No. The sweeping and the fact that it is on ice make it different.

If you notice the rocks used and the manner in which they're thrown, there is spin put on the rock by the shooter. The speed of the rock and nature of the spin are two big factors in the movement of the rock. Another is the role of sweepers, who can make the rock slide further, or move to one side or the other. It's called CURLING for a reason.

[TexasObserver]

27. FYI - Curling is Scottish and over 500 years old.

It predates many of the sports we watch in the Olympics.

If you think sliding a 40 pound rock with accuracy down an icy lane is as easy as shuffle board, give it a try. Notice that you're supposed to spin the handle as you push it off, to put a proper spin to influence the movement of the stone.

[Occulus]

33. The History of Curling, by John Kerr (1890):

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/curling/

Fascinating.

[TexasObserver]

37. Got Cliff's Notes for that?

[pipi_k]

30. Give 'em mops and a pail and they're scrubbing the kitchen floor. n/t

[SidDithers]

31. Spoken as someone who's obviously never tried the game...

many sports look easy to the armchair athelete.

Sid

[Lance_Boyle]

32. it has elements of billiards and snooker as well as shuffleboard

and some bocce thrown in for good measure. Not to mention the ice.

[Romulox]

35. There's way too much curling in these Olympics. It's a sport with a strictly parochial appeal. nt