Curling – A Great Way to Start Off Olympic Week!
Saturday night, Dan and I both had the opportunity to try curling!
While living in Minnesota, we have wanted to embrace all that we could – who gets to experience these what some would call “obscure” sports if you live in the south? We don’t want to take where we live for granted, so why not try curling?
On the way into town, this was the sight – pretty typical. Wide open spaces with blowing snow across the roads. Brrr…
Dan was asked to join a team for open curling night so he excitedly accepted the invitation. He (well, we both), had never curled before. His first try, he gets it in the blue circle. WOW. That takes mad skills!
He also tried his hand at sweeping (I told him that at the rate he sweeps the ice, he could have our house swept in no time!)
There actually is a HUGE science to curling – it is much more complicated than what you think. The Olympians make it look so easy, but in reality, it is rather complicated. In order to make the stone/rock curl (hence the name of the sport), you have to turn the handle a certain way. Then you try to curl it into the place you are trying to get it into. Sounds complicated and it is.
Dan getting set up to curl…he is not in a good stance here, but is probably just keeping the stone loose as it gets “stuck” to the ice if not kept moving when ready to throw.
While watching Dan curl, the people running the open curling night asked if they could teach me. I thought about it for 3 seconds and said yes! Why not? Granted I had my boots on and wool coat, but they were the right kind of sole so they said it wouldn’t matter. They showed me the stances, how to curl, and how to lunge forward. I kept curling up in a ball when I released the stone and couldn’t get it to go far enough. I tweaked a few things and voila! The last few curls I nailed them right where they should be. Making those extensions while not leaning on the stone/rock is harder than it looks. It takes balance, preciseness, and focus on your body, the stone, and the skipper, who is telling you where to put it.
We can’t wait to watch curling now, on the Olympics because we understand it much better now! We hope to try it again soon…I hear practice makes perfect! I never even THOUGHT we would curl in our lifetime and here we are! I was told that the men’s team for the Olympics is from Minnesota (I would have to check for sure), but I am not surprised! Definitely a “sport” out here!
Can’t wait to continue to find random and unusual things to try out here in Minnesota!
