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The Smoke Signal
THE
DIEHARD TRYHARDS try Curling RICHARD
By Richard Chenyu Zhou, Samir Jain, Praveen Nair & Jennifer Xiang Centerspread Editor and Staff Writers In the sport of curling, two teams attempt to push stones across the ice onto a target, sweeping the ice along the way to regulate speed and direction. Curling has been a Winter Olympic sport since 1998, and with the US’ first ever curling gold medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the sport is rapidly gaining popularity in the US. While some have poked fun at the event, calling it unathletic, four Smoke Signal writers attended a curling training session to see if the sport is really as simple as the pros make it look.
JENNIFER
SAMIR
PRAVEEN
Thursday, March 29, 2018
While I’ve known about curling before, I was never invested in the sport before the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. After seeing figure skaters and their dizzying spins or skeleton sliders screaming down the track, curling seemed like the only sport I could relate to. If four American dads who curled in their free time can win Olympic gold, why couldn’t I? Despite neither being a dad nor having any prior experience with curling, I am optimistic about my first time. I already climb granite, so throwing it over the ice doesn’t seem too difficult. No matter what happens, I’ll give curling my best shot.
For every Olympics in the last decade, I’ve spent most of my time glued to the TV watching every sport I can. So every four years, I develop a fascination with curling. I soon find myself yelling about the “house” and the “hammer.” Few moments in sports history have made me feel as patriotic as John Shuster’s fivepoint end to win the US’ first curling gold, despite knowing that I won’t watch curling again for four years. Yet, despite curling’s reputation as an easy sport requiring little athleticism, I doubt I’ll be much good at it. Did I mention I’ve never been on ice before?
Olympians definitely make it look easier than it really is. My first few slides were wobbly tries at staying on top of the Teflon slider, but I didn’t faceplant into the ice a single time which is a feat in itself. My true colors shone when it came to sweeping. I didn’t need the skip’s yells for “HARD” or “SWEEP” to encourage me — I polished that ice until I could practically see my reflection in it. However, my crowning achievement came at the end of the game. I managed to throw the hammer, the final stone of the game, and bounced it off two stones to score two points.
I was surprised by how little time it took to get used to curling, from throwing to sweeping. It helped to have all sorts of equipment: a slippery Teflon slider under the shoe to glide across the ice, a stabilizer to lean my weight on, and a starting block to push off of. I even managed to avoid falling down the entire time, although I came precariously close while first throwing the rock. But I obviously still lacked the curling touch, as I watched my shots sail out the back of the target or off the side of the lane. Sweeping was relatively easier, although I had no clue whether what I was doing actually made a meaningful difference.
I was amazed by how quickly I was able to grasp the essentials of the sport to where I could at least play consistently. After watching the instructor effortlessly demonstrate several nuances and basic techniques, such as throwing the stone with a stabilizer and sweeping the stone down the rink, I was able to miraculously copy his moves without noticeable difficulty. A particularly memorable exception is when I lagged behind the stone, sweeping behind it instead of in front, earning questionable and amused glances from my fellow competitors. I had significantly more success in throwing the stone, winning one point for the team out of a stroke of luck and alleviating my angst at playing a sport completely alien to me.
I spent the first hour trying my best not to slip on the ice, since we were all wearing sneakers. However, as I learned how to deliver the stone and sweep the path in front of it, I gradually lost that fear, an almost-fall from a misplaced slider notwithstanding. After a few tries I found myself competent at lunging and delivering the stone, though I had a habit of slowing myself and the stone down for stability. I also found sweeping, which I finally learned was to smooth the ice and direct the stone, very fun but obstinately tiring, which compounded my ineptitude at it. I also gained a habit of accidentally hitting the stone with my broom, which probably has the opposite effect on the stone.
My sheer incompetence in curling provided me with a stark sense of perspective. Despite how simple and fun it was to pick the game up, I’m still blown away by how skilled Olympic athletes have to be in curling. I treated it as a success whenever I made a shot in play, but Olympians need to thread the needle constantly, hitting tiny gaps and curling the rock around obstacles. The margin of error in curling is infinitesimal, and athletes have just seconds to execute complex game plans. As for myself, I wouldn’t be surprised if I gave the game another shot some time in the future.
Curling is an art form surprisingly easier to learn than expected, with my teammates and I acquainting ourselves with the fundamental skills needed in a mere two-hour whirlwind training session. After stepping onto the ice and, at first, barely holding my balance while I contemplated the ice melting underneath my feet, I definitely overcame my initial inhibitions and reservations about the sport. I was thus able to comfortably perform each of the facets of the game in a warm, lightly competitive atmosphere. While I do not foresee myself curling or even stepping onto an ice rink in the near future, it is definitely a sport I would be more than willing to give another try.
I don’t think I realized how much of an odd-duckling mishmash of skills curling involves before I tried it. Other sports require the fairly challenging yet innate skills of running, jumping, and throwing; curling required me to use skills that I never thought I’d have to use for an extended period of time before, like sweeping, lunging, and pushing off of something without rising up — not to mention the very important skill of sliding without falling on the ice. I’m impressed at how much professional curlers have honed these skills of theirs, now that I’ve realized just how specialized and difficult the sport they (and now I) enjoy so much is.
I can see why people love curling. From the complicated throwing strategy to the simple primal pleasure of yelling as loud as you can, there’s a part of curling for everybody. My limited success with the sport was most likely sheer luck, but I have gained a huge respect for Olympians who seem to defy physics with every throw. Being able to judge the speed and rotation of the stone is no easy task, and maybe with some more practice, I can start to consistently keep stones within the house. Watch out John Shuster — the Smokies are coming.
1ST
Given that I only watched a single day of the past Winter Olympics, paying attention only to the captivating and poignant freestyle figure skating performances by Nathan Chen that would be impossible to miss, I do not have high expectations for my curling aptitude. After only viewing snapshots of curling rounds on social media and never having even visited an ice rink before, I am going into the competition with little to no comprehension of the rules or gameplay of the sport. Nevertheless, I remain curious and open-minded about an experience that is sure to be unique!
THE COMPETITION
THOUGHTS AFTER
3RD
RANKINGS
2ND
To be honest, I’ve spent the past weeks during the Olympics pretending I know more about curling than I really do. I just found out a few days ago that curling doesn’t involve skating but sliding on ice. Moreover, no matter how often people explain what the sweepers are achieving, I still think they’re just sweeping the ice. All I know, therefore, is that curling appears fun, and I like to think of myself as pretty good at having fun. Thus I aim to be, in this competition, the best among these other three newcomers, as unrealistic as that expectation may turn out to be.
4TH PHOTOS BY FEATURE EDITOR HELEN WANG