Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’ve fallen
IN my minuscule kitchen I am furiously brushing the floor with a broom. Not to clean, though. Instead I am frantically preparing for a lesson in the new cool sport of curling. The world is opening its eyes to this unusual, but captivating, ice sport thanks to the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Even Mr T, remember him from The A-team, has fallen for the ancient pastime, tweeting: “Now see, you might not like it but you have to admit it; Curling is cool Fool! Grrr”
Team GB’S women’s curling team is through to the semi in Pyeongchang after a great performance against champions Canada on Wednesday.
But, as it turns out, practising brushing the kitchen floor was pointless, apart from giving it a much-needed clean. Even calling it “brushing” is incorrect, as I soon learn. In curling it is known as “sweeping”.
So I sweep up to Scotland, home of the sport and where all Team GB’S curling athletes hail from.
At the Edinburgh Curling Club, professional curler Frazer Shaw inducts me into a new world of stones, sheets, grippers, houses and a lot of falling over. Though maybe that’s just me.
Curling is rich in history, as one of the oldest team sports, originating in 16th century Scotland. Today it is played on “sheets” of ice, but back then it was on frozen ponds and lochs. It may seem simple but that is deceptive. Huge effort is put into even making the “stones” – or curling rocks.
Frazer, 20, who has represented Scotland, explains: “They weigh 20 kilos and come from an island between Ireland and Scotland called Aisla Craig. The Olympic-standard stones all come from this island and are made from two types of granite.
“Only eight stones are made per day and that is with seven people working on them.”
The sport gets its name from the aim of manoeuvring a stone so it curls into the “house”, or target. Stepping on the ice, a fear of slipping over quickly sets in. Working up the courage to head away from the flashbacks skating part clinging on t dear life. Surprising my ‘grippers’ put over the s shoes to stop yo is actually quite on the surface. Curling ice has a peb unlike ice for ice sk hockey. Reassured I shuffle towards the ta the ice in a similar fashion to that sce A group of retired ladies playing on make it look a lot of fun... I wonder, ‘H it be? Surely it is like bowls but on ic Wrong. Not only does it require gr than I boast, this game is all based aro with many rules and techniques to f Essentially, you score by sliding the the ice and getting as many as possibl centre, the house. Strategy plays a b Frazer says: “You’re trying to force your opponents rather than making People don’t realise how much strate The Olympic athletes in Pyeongch look so easy, gracefully sliding acros releasing the stone, sending it with pi racy to its destination. My first at