The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: billt on February 22, 2010, 04:14:57 PM
-
I'm watching this on the Olympics, but they don't explain it. Is the surface ice? It looks like they try to slide this big, Granite "puck" into a bullseye. Then after there are a bunch of these "pucks" everywhere, they start knocking into them. While they slide they're going nuts with these "scrub brushes" that don't seem to do a thing. All I know is now the Sweden women team is up and they're better looking than the men's teams. Bill T.
-
The only thing I know for sure is that it's on TV once every 4 years. :)
-
12oz. Curling is a blast.
sorry bill ;D
-
Haha. At Knoxville Nationals (sprint car races) we had Canadians camping next to us. The female half explained the basic concept. You have to shoot the rock from the Hack (the black push offs behind the house) Bullseye is the house and the team with the closest rocks to the center (button) scores that many points. the brooms actually make the rocks slide better. If they aren't sweeping they want it to slow down. Sweeping makes it keep going, as long as it has the inertia to keep going. If you score in an "End" you the non scoring team gets the "Hammer" which is the last turn of the next "end" there is a lot of game play that I don't understand but that is the basics
-
I had to look it up to figure out the rules the other night too.
-
Curling ice is grainy, like an orange peel. Otherwise the rock would suction right too it and get stuck. The granite stone is found in a a specific Scottish quarry and weighs between 38 and 44 pounds. The brooms are to direct the stone in a specific direction in order to heat the ice in front of it and direct it's path. The more water beads on the ice, the faster the stone will travel.
I'm not sure on the scoring but think of it like shuffle board.
Google it, it's quite interesting. This year, we have a pregnant Olympian on one of the teams. That doesn't happen very often.
-
Yes...... It is my Olympic "Guilty Pleasure"....... ;D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling
-
I've actually curled - and not the 12 oz. kind. OK, that too, but the ice version is like shuffleboard, and the ice is actually pretty slick. You can goose things up even more by wearing a slick plastic strap-on sole plate to your shoe to make you slide better. I couldn't get all the way down due to a bad knee, but it is an interesting sport(?). Finesse is required on the part of the person sending the stone and the broom handlers.
-
And while the rock is sliding everyone starts yelling, HARD!!! HARD!!! HARD!!! Bill T.
-
I've only seen it a few times on tv only. I enjoy watching it. It seems to involve alot of strategy. Not much of it around here?
-
Didn't have a clue until I read the other posts and now I'm more confused than ever!!!!!!! LOL
Richard
PS: Almost like trying to understand a WOMAN!
-
Here in the Sunny part of S. Fl. we have shuffleboard, same kinda thing. When your in Scandinavia, and everything is frozen anyway, after some "nips" of your ice cold Vodka, what else are you gonna do??? ::)
The brushes can extend the range of the "puck" and also "sorta" steer it, and make it more "team" oriented.
In Wisconsin, when I was there, I thought it was better with frozen turkeys, on the frozen pond, with the Vodka... ;D
-
Here in the Sunny part of S. Fl. we have shuffleboard, same kinda thing. When your in Scandinavia, and everything is frozen anyway, after some "nips" of your ice cold Vodka, what else are you gonna do??? ::)
The brushes can extend the range of the "puck" and also "sorta" steer it, and make it more "team" oriented.
In Wisconsin, when I was there, I thought it was better with frozen turkeys, on the frozen pond, with the Vodka... ;D
You like just about anything with Vodka ;D
-
Last week I had a minor surgery and spent the day on the couch on oxycodone, watching curling. I'm pretty sure I posted on here somewhere that after taking the medication the curling was making sense to me.
Maggie and I watched some curling today, and once again it makes no sense at all. Sometimes they want to score, sometimes they DON"T want to score....go figure.
So someone needs to heavily medicate and then report back on the subject.
-
Melanie said she thought when they were yelling, HARD!, HARD!, HARD!, they were cheering for the husbands of the Swedish women's team. ;D Bill T.
-
Here in Minnesota there are several towns with curling clubs. Most of the US Curling Team is made up of Minnesotans. I went to college in Bemidji, MN and there is a curling club in town. In fact, one of the phy/ed classes was Curling. The curling clubs are sorta like bowling alleys. There are leagues, concession stands and beer. Not a bad way to spend an evening on the cold tundra.
-
There is one women on the US team that is very good looking... other then that, its shuffle board with big rocks on ice. how it became a olympic sport I have no idea.
-
I think we have lost sight of your original question: Does anyone understand curling?"
The answer is NO.
No one actually understands curling. Probably started out with some bored ice fishermen saying something like: Betcha I can knock that dude off his stool with this big rock.
Way too many clothes involved. I'd rather watch the womens singles ice skating events--pretty girls in remarkable athletic condition bending into unbelievable pretzels while wearing abbreviated clothing. Not THAT'S a sport Crusader can get behind. ;) ;D
-
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978062634&grpId=3659174697259616&nav=Groupspace
Check out Cheryl Bernard of the Canadian Women's Curling Team. Not at all bad for 44 ! Bill T.
-
I think we have lost sight of your original question: Does anyone understand curling?"
The answer is NO.
No one actually understands curling. Probably started out with some bored ice fishermen saying something like: Betcha I can knock that dude off his stool with this big rock.
Way too many clothes involved. I'd rather watch the womens singles ice skating events--pretty girls in remarkable athletic condition bending into unbelievable pretzels while wearing abbreviated clothing. Not THAT'S a sport Crusader can get behind. ;) ;D
It actually started in late medieval Scotland.
For a comprehensive overview of the game go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling
-
And that is all you need to know. It's a Scottish sport, its not supposed to make sense. Hitting a ball with a stick and chasing it. Pitching telephone poles, heaving haybales with pitchforks (backwards). If it weren't for PETA the sheep deflowering open would still be a medal sport. I'm so proud. ;D
FQ13 who will wear my grandad's kilt in honor of the occasion.
-
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978062634&grpId=3659174697259616&nav=Groupspace
Check out Cheryl Bernard of the Canadian Women's Curling Team. Not at all bad for 44 ! Bill T.
There are several hot chicks on the Olympic curling teams (US, Canada, Great Britain)
*IMO it is totally crazy that this is an Olympic sport ( BUT I personally would love to get involved with a league if I had the chance).... as mentioned earlier it is really nothing but shuffle board on ice.... Should shuffle board be a sport during the summer games? I think not.
**Exit Question: Do they test curlers for performance enhancing drugs? :D
-
ball room dancing is also a olympic sport...
Atleast curreling is not a judged event like so many others. I personally don't think there should be judges at the olympics, only reffs.
-
I wouldn't go quite that far, but any sport where you have to smile is not a sport. Lets see less grace and more jumps. I'll even take Ice dancing due the amazing athleticism, but, just show us what you've got in speed, balance and sterngth.
FQ13
PS As far as drug testing in curling goes Eric? Lkke any Scottish sport, if you don't blow at least .08 its a DQ. ;D
-
Haha. At Knoxville Nationals (sprint car races) we had Canadians camping next to us. The female half explained the basic concept. You have to shoot the rock from the Hack (the black push offs behind the house) Bullseye is the house and the team with the closest rocks to the center (button) scores that many points. the brooms actually make the rocks slide better. If they aren't sweeping they want it to slow down. Sweeping makes it keep going, as long as it has the inertia to keep going. If you score in an "End" you the non scoring team gets the "Hammer" which is the last turn of the next "end" there is a lot of game play that I don't understand but that is the basics
Think I'll stick with the 12 oz. curls. ;D
-
For those of you who have absolutely nothing else to do......
Directly from the 'why' files: Hammerfall vs. The Swedish Womens Olympic Curling Team..............................
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
Okay, I have now seen everything. A "sport" involving frozen shuffleboard with a heavy metal soundtrack? I mean Kid Rock's "Bawdidabaw" worked for the NFL, but thirty something women pushing rocks with brooms? I am lost here, but amused. ;D
FQ13
-
Okay, I have now seen everything. A "sport" involving frozen shuffleboard with a heavy metal soundtrack? I mean Kid Rock's "Bawdidabaw" worked for the NFL, but thirty something women pushing rocks with brooms? I am lost here, but amused. ;D
FQ13
You don't have to tell us your lost. WE KNOW !!! I agree on the stupid video. ;D ;D ;D
-
Well, the video is funny...notice the Rock Stars are sweeping behind the rock?
-
I'm starting to understand more of it, but the strategy gets complicated. I don't understand when they try to knock the opponents rock out of the "house" instead of trying to place their rock closer?? The rock that does the hitting seems to stop dead in it's tracks. Does that rock then earn a point, and the opposition gets a point deducted?? Bill T.
-
http://www.curlingbasics.com/
Confused?
-
I'm starting to understand more of it, but the strategy gets complicated. I don't understand when they try to knock the opponents rock out of the "house" instead of trying to place their rock closer?? The rock that does the hitting seems to stop dead in it's tracks. Does that rock then earn a point, and the opposition gets a point deducted?? Bill T.
You failed to read my earlier post. Its a Scottish sport. Have another glass of the Glenmorangie and don't worry about it. It will do to pass the time until someone needs killing. ;D
FQ13
-
I'm starting to understand more of it, but the strategy gets complicated. I don't understand when they try to knock the opponents rock out of the "house" instead of trying to place their rock closer?? The rock that does the hitting seems to stop dead in it's tracks. Does that rock then earn a point, and the opposition gets a point deducted?? Bill T.
Sometimes they can't curl around the guards well enough. Shot placement is critical and they don't want to leave a rock in a spot to give an advantage to the other team. If a team is leading, sometimes the strategy is to just throw rock-for-rock and knock them out without scoring...or wait for the other team to screw up.
In a nutshell, it doesn't matter how many rocks your opponent has in the house, if you get one closer to the button, none of theirs count.
Also, another strategy is when sometimes a team will 'sacrifice' winning a point (blanking the end) with the last rock (hammer) so that they can have the last rock in the next end.
-
Think I'll stick with the 12 oz. curls. ;D
Plenty of those at "Nationals"
-
Only one word is needed to understand Curling.
SKOL
repeat as needed ;D
-
I'm also noticing that some of the players have long, black bristled brushes, and a lot of the guys that do the "scrubbing", have almost like a pad on the bottom with no bristles at all. The guys with the long bristles hardly ever "scrub", they mostly walk around with it, or have it in their hand when they slide the rock??? Bill T.
-
I'm also noticing that some of the players have long, black bristled brushes, and a lot of the guys that do the "scrubbing", have almost like a pad on the bottom with no bristles at all. The guys with the long bristles hardly ever "scrub", they mostly walk around with it, or have it in their hand when they slide the rock??? Bill T.
They said the point of that is for stability the sweeps have a broom with a swivel head and the skips broom is fixed so they can use it for balance.