Tried curling? Know anyone who does?

[limewave]

I've curled!!!!!!

I went when visiting a friend in Madison, WI. There is a curling center (?) just a few miles from where she used to live. We called them and asked if we could come and try curling. One of the US Olympic team members was there and HE gave us free lessons.

It was really fun and much more difficult than I thought it would be. You have to be pretty strong to keep your balance doing that. They put plastic slicks on your shoes so its a true art form to be able to walk on the ice.

And speaking of winter sports, we have a Luge Run just down the road from us, one of just 3 in the US. I'm planning on taking a Luge course this winter. Can't wait!

[owlice]

I've curled, too; took me about two weeks to recover from it. They make it look sooo easy on TV and in real life! It's not. As limewave said, it requires strength. Also grace and coordination, which is why it took me about two weeks to recover!!

I live near a very nice ice facility. To call it a rink doesn't do it justice. It has a curling ice and at least two rinks. I haven't been ice skating in about eight years, but used to go with my then-smaller child, and sometimes by myself, too.

[Kimmyt]

The Boy and I signed up for a cheap 6 week course at a nearby curling club, it is a ton of fun and the people in the club seemed like they had a really good time, with lots of parties (i think they call them bonspiels as one of the posters above wrote). I really dug the strategy part of it, if we didn't have other hobbies we might have gotten into it.

[Grog]

I played twice, including once in Vancouver (at the Marpole curling club in Southern Vancouver, accessible by Heather and Kent bike routes...).

I thought it was a lot of fun, and, as others noted, a lot harder than it looks.

We live 10 blocks away from the curling venue for the Olympics and that's the only event I'm really interested in. We have a pair of tickets. I am thinking about getting tickets for the paralympic curling, too. I don't watch sports on TV, but if we're going to have the olympics in town at least I'll have seen... curling.

[shootingstar]

So you managed to get through the web to get tickets. We have friends where he took 3-4 hrs. of trying to order Olympic tickets online. He was lucky..got men's hockey gold (I think) final tickets and speed skating (can't remember if it was men's or women's). They are both cyclists.

They knew someone else who tried for 6 hrs. Unsuccessful on that day.

Maybe curling will become more popular ...later like snowshoeing in the mountains or deep snow, where people realize the skill and effort and has now become popular for many more people. But boning up on lunging exercises, etc. first.

Or like table tennis (that seems to be less high status / cool in North America)...where one can get whipped by champions who are experienced. A brother to Canada's national champion a few years ago..played with a bunch of us weekly. It was fast, nimble playing.. hardly saw the freakin' ball whizzing back and forth. Of course he had his brother to practice with.

[Grog]

Chris got tickets in the first round. He got about 1/3 to 1/2 of what he entered the lottery for, if I remember correctly.

He's got a hockey game, some curling, some short-track speed skating, and long-distance cross-country skiing. I think I'll go to curling and skating with him, not sure about the skiing, and I'm leaving my hockey seat for someone who'll enjoy it more!

[kenyonchris]

Here in Texas, curling is what is on ESPN7A at 2AM...so it is what is on the PD station TV when we are on nights (it avoids the network infomercials for male enhancement). We enjoy making fun of it, because, of course, we are from Texas.

[shootingstar]

And speaking of winter sports, we have a Luge Run just down the road from us, one of just 3 in the US. I'm planning on taking a Luge course this winter. Can't wait!

Let us know what it's like. At least at beginning of learning curve, you wouldn't need to worry about G-forces.