| Facts on Curling | The sport, which originated in 16th century Scotland, takes place on a 44.5m area called the sheet.
The stones, also called rocks, are made from granite quarried in Alisa Craig in Scotland.
In 1998 the sport became a full medal sport at the Olympics. |
Scotland has 30 places for curling but in England there is a distinct lack of places to play this sport. Hiring an ice rink is not easy as curlers need a level, smooth and consistent ice surface and cannot compete with the hundreds of leisure skaters.
A number of ice rinks in London were used and the last
curling match stopped at Alexandra Palace 1997. For many years there was
nowhere in England to play regularly.
So in 2004, Ernest Fenton decided to create a dedicated curling rink in
Kent, near Tunbridge Wells. Fenton’s Rink is the home of the Ice
Melters Curling Club, the Province of London Curling Club and several
other groups as its home venue.
Local clubs tend to only enter a few events each year as most of these
involve international travel. This season, for example, the Ice Melters
have competed in Tunbridge Wells, Copenhagen, Scuol (Switzerland) and
have further events coming up in Tunbridge Wells (24th -26th March), Edinburgh
and Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany).
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| A curler
on ice. |
It is one of the few sports which is open to people of
all ages and abilities. Many take up curling as children and continue
to play well into retirement. Britain even has its own wheelchair squad
of curlers.
You may think curling is a totally mad sport which involves
chucking large, heavy stones down the ice at a target. It's actually a
very competitive game like hockey without sticks.
One player slides the stone, while two others sweep the ice with brooms
to control the stone's speed and direction.
Each player slides two stones, and points are awarded for the one nearest to the target. The aim is to end the game with your stone, or stoners, closest to the centre of a target zone called the house.
Pushing off from a rubber foothold called the hack, the shooter slides forward holding the stone, It must be released before the shooter crosses a point called the hog line. After the delivery, the two sweepers stay ahead of the stone and brush frantically to make the ice surface slicker. As the player releases the stone the handle is twisted to the left or right which makes the stone spin slowly as it travels down the ice. This makes it curl down the ice hence the name "Curling". The team with as stone closest to the centre wins. A point is also awarded for each stone nearer than the rival's closest stone. After ten ends the team with highest score wins.
New curlers are taught the basics of the game by trained coaches before they start playing. You wear special shoes, which can be hired, and the brooms are supplied.
Expert John Sharp taught a group of pupils from the Angley School at Ernest Fenton's rink, near Tunbridge Wells.
Gallery: Curling in Kent > Here are some tips of to make short cuts:
1) Hold the stone and put it backwards across the ice, trying
to lift it in the air a little.
2) Then swing the stone forward into a smooth glide down the ice. You
should try to slide along with the stone as far as possible.
3) Let go and watch your stone slide across the ice.
4) Be patient at the beginning - it takes quite a while to master the
initial technique.
5) Remember you won't win every game, but it's the ones you lose that
you learn the most from and which will make you a better player.
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| Making it
curl down the ice - curling. |
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