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Just want to start with an apology to any Canadians I might offend with this post.

I flipped on the Winter Olympics today and they were showing "Mixed Doubles Curling". I believe it was the Swiss vs Whatever the Russians are Calling Themselves.

I've seen curling before but never paid much attention. Today I was fascinated by the absurdity of it.

Sliding a big rock down the ice, while wearing some goofy winter bowling shoes down a board and using push brooms to guide it.

If that wasn't ridiculous enough, they were screaming at each other like it was a 60,000 seat arena full of rabid fans. Didn't help that it was in Russian.

I've seen 80 year old Italians playing Bocci and that is by far a more athletic endeavor.

How is Curling an Olympic sport?

OOP's sorry, I thought this was a hair styling issue.

I was wondering the same thing while watching this at the bar this weekend! It was fascinating, yet hilarious

I love it and find it fascinating and even went so far as to google clubs in my area. There are some!!!

I think it is similar to Bocci, but has a lot more strategy. Depending on how you release the rock, w/ which direction and speed of turn determines how it curls. The sweeping smooths the ice, and provides a faster, path for the stone as well.

I like that they evened the playing field w/ everyone using the exact same equipment.

Now I do not know that it takes "An Olympic Athlete" to play, but these folks are the best of the best, and make it look easy. I believe that there is a lot more thinking and practice involved in coax that 40lb hunk of granite to where it needs to be.

I love curling and grew up watching it even though I am not Canadian. We did have access to CBC.

I would love to learn but I live in an area that shares your opinion

I was watching the same match as you. I told DD that they really need language translations across the bottom of the screen so we can see what they are yelling!

I think it would be way more interested if we knew they were yelling "Left...Left....IDIOT - I SAID SWEEP TO THE LEFTTTTT"

I thought they were yelling very loud too but thought maybe when you are sweeping that it is hard to hear? IDK.

I believe it was the Swiss vs Whatever the Russians are Calling Themselves.

DD was asking why Russia was calling themselves the people of Russia with no flag? I missed the reasoning though?

A girl at my work went to a place where you can try curling. She said she greatly underestimated it. She left popping her aspirin with all her joints hurting.

[This message edited by EvenKeel at 7:50 AM, February 13th (Tuesday)]

Don't judge unless you've tried it. My friend took it up and lost 34 lbs....

Ya ok curling is a thing up here...I've had clubs in every place I've lived and i think we tried it in school....

That said anything to do with ICE and ME is never a good combination (I even despise ice in my drinks). Anytime I've been forced onto ice (my mother must have dreamed of me being an Olympic figure skater one day or something) the only part of me to be One with the ice was my A$$..

I don't know how difficult curling is but knowing my luck I'd probably try to swing the stone forward only to have it fling out behind me (like my bowling days...).

slight T/j :

Russia cannot compete as Russia d/t failed drug testing, and other issues w/ their athletes, so there are only a handful of them competeing, and they have to compete under the Olympic Flag, and any medals won are for "The Olympic Team".

I have some older Canadian friends who absolutely love this sport.

We love it, look for it in the schedule, and we live in the South. We have year long curling clubs here at our rinks although I've never tried it myself. The yelling is part of the fun and passion. So many teams are married or siblings and the walls come down very quickly in competition.

For a laugh google curling cats. Spoiler, no cats were ever on ice 🙄

For a laugh google curling cats

That was funny! Loved the meowing

I love watching it - I don't get it, but it's super intense and entertaining.

I am Canadian.

Curling seems to be very big here. Although I have really never played, all of kids had to do it as part of gym.

My oldest even curled for one season.

I don't really get it either. I find it kinda boring to watch.....and the sweeping? Does that even make a difference?

Anyway, it seems to be a big hit among older Canadians. They love to watch curling on T.V.

People at the old age home, where I used to do pet therapy, absolutely loved watching curling on t.v. Despite me being there with my dog for a visit. They loved my dog when he visited, but when curling was on, forget it!

It's a thing, that's all I know.

I'm not Canadian but I am a winter sports junkie. Here's the quick rundown of curling.

You take turns sliding those heavy stones and try to get closest to the button, that target at the other end. After all stones have been slid down the ice, you tally up points. The team closest gets a point for each stone on the target closer than any of your opponents stones. Only the closest team scores points. This whole process of sliding and tallying score is an end. It's like an inning in baseball and in the Olympics they play for 10 ends.

The sweeping melts the ice ahead of the stone and is used to adjust the speed and curve of stone in motion. Sweeping just on one side will melt the ice and make it smoother on one side so teh stone will actually curl while sliding down the ice. The yelling is usually done by the person who slid the stone down the ice and they're watching it's path from a distance and shouting course corrections.

Does it deserve to be a sport? It's definitely more of a skill game than a demonstration of athletic ability but then so it archery and target shooting and they're Olympic sports. I'd definitely say it deserves a spot in the games over crap like dressage which is just a demonstration of the fact that you paid to have a horse trained.

Respectfully disagree about the dressage comment.

oh wow thank you for the explanation. Now I get why it's so intense. it all makes sense now

Those who, like me, are old enough to remember the A-Team, might like to note Mr T's enthusiasm for the sport of curling...It's cool, fool.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-43057789

I have felt the same way about curling, but this year if it comes up on TV, I have noticed that I watch it.

I also wonder about the luge. Arm muscles and gravity. (Trust me, I have been called on that opinion.)

That's the thing about the Olympics...they all make everything look so easy.

Ever watch the cartoon The Wild?

When the zoo closes all the animals get together for a curling competition using turtles as rocks. Omg funny...