Olympic loving

Ok having this time off was timed perfectly for   the Olympics. I got to watch during the day as things were happening. The rebroadcasts just aren't the same. I see TVs on when I go to the bank, to larger stores. Folks were gathered around in the mall the other day watching the shootout for hockey.

We have one connection that gets TV feed at school so tomorrow, it is quite likely that the TV will be on in the Library whenever there aren't classes in there who need quiet. It will absolutely be on for hockey and for curling. During the last Olympics we gathered to watch those finals with students.

For Jonesie- curling :-)

In small town Saskatchewan, folks grow up with curling, just as they do with hockey. While the popularily among young folks has dwindled a bit since I was younger It is still there. Both my sons curl though DS2 does more regularly. Three of my nephews were on 'fancier' teams and made it to provincial finals. Kinda in the blood.

There are four members per team: lead, second, third and skip. Usually third and skip have more experience with different plays. The coloured rings are called 'the house' and the center is called 'the button'. The goal is to get more of your rocks closer to the button than your opponents. One point per rock.  If I have two rocks near the center of the button and one on the very edge of the rings, I have three in the house. If you have one of yours between my outside one and my two inside ones, then your rock prevents my third outside ring rock, from counting. I would get two points for that round, which is called an 'end'.

The brooms... well I curled back in the day when the brooms were long and narrow and made of straw or cloth and it took a lot more coordination to sweep without falling over yourself LOL. Brooms help keep bits of debris from catching on the rock and halting it's movement. That's called 'cleaning the ice' and if you see the two sweepers moving down with the rock and one is just sliding along and the other is lightly sweeping, that is what they are doing. Heavier broom use can help increase the speed of the rock, or keep it going in a straight line as it's heading right where you want it to be.

When the thrower lets go of the rock they will twist their hand lightly either clockwise, or counter clockwise so that the rock gently curls in the target direction. This can let it move around some of the opponent's stones which block where you want to go.

It's actually harder to curl than it looks. There are so many technical things ones doesn't know until they play: How hard to throw the rock to get the results you want - knocking out another one or gently gliding into a spot; how much twist of your wrist to give it so it doesn't end up too far to the left or right of where you want it to be.

It is more fun to play than to watch, to be honest. so if you ever get a chance, do try it :-)

Thanks for asking!