Curling

Curling, as noted in this prior post, is a game of skill, strength, and strategy.  Wikipedia claims "Chess on Ice" as its nickname (don't believe everything you read on the interwebs!).

I was thinking more "Shuffleboard on Ice", but maybe that was because we, certain players excepted, lacked skill.

And maybe it was because I was using a "delivery stick", due to my back issues.

The stick was developed to allow older players to enjoy the sport. And has been adapted to allow for those with physical issues, including yours truly, to play. The device is not allowed in championship play, so don't look for me in the next Olympics.

Here is Patty demonstrating the more traditional throwing style.

Note the color stones each of us are playing.

It is difficult to send the stones down the "sheet" (ice) into the "house" (target), to say nothing of getting the stone to go where you want it to. Judging the weight to throw with was nontrivial. Especially given the limited time we had. But it was till a lot of fun.

Patty and her sister Sue joined the club some number of years ago. Patty's membership has lapsed. But Sue, and her husband Dan, skip of the Red Team, (shown below admiring his shot), are still members. And that's how we got the ice time. (Note the lights in the window over Dan's left shoulder, that's the beer cooler.)

Dan, Sue, and Patty actually knew what they were doing.

Typical teams have four members, we only had three per team. And Sue and I had injuries that limited our participation. So unlike a 'real' match, everyone swept for both sides.

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In the following sequence, we see that Red has three stones in the house and yellow one, although it isn't obvious in the first two images as it is hidden behind the leftmost red stone.

The goal of this shot is for the thrown yellow stone to glance off of the stationary yellow stone, and slide into the house nudging the center red stone enough so that the yellow stone becomes "shot rock".

Shot rock is the stone closest to the center of the target that is the house.  It is the stone that determines which team scores in the "end" (inning).

Alas, despite the best efforts of Dan and Patty to sweep it in, the yellow stone did not curl.

The result was that one yellow stone replaced the other.

Looking good for the Red Team.

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Two thirds of the Red Team, celebrating our victory, 4 - 0.

We only got to play three ends as they needed to prepare the sheets for flooding, getting it ready for an up coming "bonspiel" (tournament). (If I recall correctly our third member was already off to raid that beer cooler.) ((I wasn't long after ...))