Curling was the only sport I ended up watching during the Olympics, as it conveniently came on live around 10 p.m. MST. Surprisingly, in contrast to my initial impressions of the sport, I ended up more interested than I expected. Now that the Canadian Brier has just finished, I thought this the perfect time to remind everyone that is there another sport out there apart from hockey.
1. Interest
Curling uses an interesting combination of two skills: not only do you need strategy, but the technical ability to aim. Perhaps the more intriguing aspect of curling is how every end can turn out so differently when at first it only appears to be a simple match of shooting out the opponent’s rocks.
2. Excitement
Hockey brutality is somewhat scary, but on the other hand, in curling you have the glorious vocal assault of full-blown yelling, which surely boils the blood of any fan in the same ferocious, but less violent, manner.
3. Tension
Curling is a sport filled with waiting and planning. You watch whether the strategy time between each shot or determine which rock is closest to the centre of the button.
4. Paced
The slower pace allows viewers to follow along. While it’s possible to lose your place in any other sport, this is not likely to happen in curling, letting the strategy of each team to be observed and understood.
5. History
Like the 1971 Summit Series, curling has its own historical moment in the spotlight, the 1959 Scotch Cup, the first worldwide curling competition, won by a team from Regina. It continues to be another “adopted” sport that somehow fit its way into Canadian culture.
