CURLING: Why On Earth You Should Do That

Nugget Column #01 – Tuesday September 20th, 2016

To the non-conformed, Curling, upon first glance is admittedly as funny as a fart in an elevator. That is, an Australian saying for it’s so sad that it’s really not very funny at all; and the act, once it has been committed, leaves the people closest to you wondering… why on earth did you do that?

It’s difficult to explain to someone why they should take up an activity that when performing a google search for “silly sports” shows up first in the findings; a segment of a blog titled “the world’s dumbest sports” that describes Curling as “a mixture of lawn bowls and housework”.

The blog also references sports such as Elephant Polo, Cheese Rolling, Ferret Legging, Chess Boxing, and American Football – “Just. Get. On with it! Does it really take an AGM with a full quorum for you to work out that, next play, you’ll throw the ball to the guy who’s free? NFL would be brilliant if it was over in half the time.”

Some differences though between Curling and the myriad of other foreign infatuations include Curling being an Olympic (and Paralympic) sport which in fact is being expanded in 2018 to include mixed doubles; the fact that Curling has approximately 1.5 million registered players; and the fact that Curling adheres to the definition of sport – “a form of usually competitive physical activity or game which, through casual or organized participation, aims to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants, and in some cases, entertainment for spectators.” Not sure the same can be said about throwing yourself down a hill after a nine pound round of double Gloucester cheese…

Curling, in many ways, is like that friend of a friend that your told “you have to get to know to understand”. On the surface our friend Curling may appear decrepit, mundane, and overall yawn-worthy; but when you give Curling a chance you’ll find that that’s not at all true.

Now we’re not asking you to fall in love and get married to Curling. All we’re asking you to do is go on blind date with Curling; and here’s how:

Show up to our Open House on Thursday October 6th from 7pm – 9pm. Have a drink and something light to eat, not an entire meal. There will be lots of other people there so there’ll be no pressure on you to drive the conversation and if it’s not your cup of tea, just slip out the backdoor and leave no trace, no phone number, nothing.

If you enjoy yourself at our Open House, register for a free orientation taking place on October 11th, 12th and 13th, but be warned: Curling now has your digits and they will call you too soon.

And if after your first in depth exposure to Curling you feel like you want to take things to the next level, register for a league. Are you feeling overwhelmed with commitment yet? Don’t worry because you can register for as little as one draw (approximately seven weeks) or as much as a full season; it’s entirely up to you.

Interested? We’re in the book.

Bobby Ray General Manager North Bay Granite Club