2. So when most people think of curling, especially girls, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t an Olympic sport, but a way of styling your hair. Well as much as we would rather be doing our hair, we are instead talking about the Olympic sport. Curling is an “extremely complex sport based around a very simple idea,” as stated on the World Curling Federation Website. You are to slide “stones” down ice and try to get them to stop in the center of the rings. For some, including myself, this is difficult enough by itself, but then you add to it the fact that the other team is using many tactics to try and stop you. The game is uses many things such as skill, strategy, and finesse. Also, although you and I may think that this is a slow paced boring game, the experts say that is only a perception. Stones The game of curling is filled with skill and traditions. It is a game centered around fairness rather than winning. Many teams will point out when they have broken a rule, even if you didn’t notice it in order to not win with an unfair advantage and rules are never deliberately broken. Curlers who are truly good never attempt to distract an opponent, or of course try to hinder them in any other way. Curling is a game filled with sportsmanship and kindness, while determining the relative skill of the curlers. The stones, also called rocks, thrown during the game are made of different types of shock resistant granite. They are about 1 foot in diameter and 4.5 inches tall not including the handle, which is added to make it easier for the player. Brooms and/or brushes are used now to make the stones move either faster or straighter, but they were originally used to move snow when the game was played on frozen rivers and lakes.

3. The origin of this little known but grand old game is a bit vague. Some believe it had its beginnings as "child’s play" on the frozen ponds and streams of the Continent. Others insist that the "roaring game" is Scottish through and through. It is a known fact that the fascinating game of curling appeared in Scotland in the early sixteenth century - as evidenced by a curling stone, bearing the date of 1511, which was unearthed near Stirling. There is also evidence that at about the same time, the inhabitants of Kilsyth formed one of the first curling organizations, followed soon by other clubs. It was not until 1760, however, that the famous Edinburgh Cannon mills Club was established. Both Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott refer to the game as the "manly Scottish exercise." The first Curling rocks weighted only 2 or 3 kg. They had the design of a hand. And so they were called "loofies" (loof=hand in old English). With the help of the time, the rocks became like today ones. The people called them boulders, gave them a handle and rounded them like the modern rocks. At the beginning, everybody knew that you must shoot the rock from A to B, but no precise rules were known. Especially the length or width of the rink or the size and the weight of the rock were unknown. That's why some real boulders appeared in 18th Century. The biggest one, the "Jubilee Stone" had the weight of 58.5 kg. If this would be still so today, Curling would be a sport for strong men. Fortunately, the evolution took another way. The curlers took the "Round Stones" with the weight of approx. 20 kg, but the first stone which had the today usual hollow grinding was used in 1784 by Mr. Tam Pate. With this hollow grind, he was able to play a twist around a guard. Today we call this curl. Through this late invention, we know, that the word Curling isn't based on the verb to curl, but comes from the old verb to curr (to grumble)

4. The first Curling club was founded in Kinross, Loch Leven in 1668. The first national association was the Grand Caledonian Curling Club (founded in 1838). In 1843, the club got the privilege to be the Royal Caledonian Curling Club. This Club was the World Federation, till 1966, when the ICF (International Curling Federation) was founded. Since 1991 the ICF is called WCF (World Curling Federation). In 1838, the Grand Caledonian Curling Club was formed for the sole purpose of fixing standardized rules of the game for use wherever curling was played. As curling gained popularity in Scotland in the early 1800's, a uniform set of rules became necessary. In some clubs, stones ranged in size from a football (5-25 lbs) to a basketball (40 lbs or more). Crude handholds were carved into an edge making it possible for the stone to be thrown. Other stones had a crude metal handle bolted into the center. Playing areas varied due to the size of the frozen loch they had. Some teams had eight members, others had four or six. Curling has been played in the United States since about 1830 when it crept down across the Canadian border into the New England states and into the northern part of Michigan. The first association, known as the Grand National Curling Club of America, was founded in 1867 and is still in operation. The game was revived in the central states in about 1936, having been dormant for almost 30 years. The game also spread to the northwest and Alaska - the Fairbanks Curling Club was formed in 1906, and the Anchorage Curling Club in 1954. The U.S. Curling Association was formed in 1958, and now there are affiliated associations. Today, curling has reached new levels in popularity (even in the United States, where media bias against the sport it widespread, there has been some noticeable improvement). The recent involvement in the Winter Olympics, a growing professional cash-circuit, and booming television ratings in Canada, Asia and Europe has only boosted the sport's potential in the "sporting mainstream".

5. 1. Curling stones shall be of circular shape 2. No stone, including handle and bolt, shall be of greater weight than 44 lbs. or of greater circumference than 36 inches, or of less height than 4.5 inches. 3. At the start of a competition every team shall be composed of four players, each player playing two stones and playing each stone alternately with his opponent. Where five players are registered, these five players have equal standing and may b e used at any time, in accordance with the rules, at the discretion of the skip or coach. 4. No player shall use footwear or equipment that may damage the surface of the ice. 5. The rotation of play stated on the line-up card shall be observed throughout the game. 6. Where a player is unable to continue to play in a game or to play at the start of a game, his skip may: a. finish the game then in progress and start any subsequent game with the remaining players, in which case the first two players shall throw three stones each; or b. bring in a qualified substitute for the game then in progress at the beginning of the next end, or at the start of any subsequent game c. commence the game with three players if one player is late for a reason adjudged valid by the umpire. The late player may enter the game in the next end, in his normal position. 7. A player who has left a game because of illness, accident or other extenuating circumstances may rejoin his team at any time during any game in the competition. If a substitute was selected, the player may rejoin his team for the next game.

6. 8. No team shall play more than one substitute in a competition. 9. Only skips and acting skips in charge of the house for the time being may stand within the house and the skip of the playing team has the choice of place and shall not be obstructed by the other skip, but behind the tee line the privileges of both in regard to sweeping are equal. 10. The players, other than the skip and the acting skip, shall not stand behind the house, but shall place themselves along the side of the rink between the hog lines, except when sweeping or about to deliver a stone. 11. Between the tee lines, a running stone, or stone(s) set in motion by a running stone, may be swept by any one or more of the team to which it belongs. 12. Between the tee lines, no player shall sweep an opponent’s stone. 13. Behind the tee line, if the delivering team’s choice is not to sweep, they shall not obstruct or prevent the opponent from sweeping the stone. 14. Behind the tee line, only one player from each team may sweep at one time. This may be the skip or acting skip form either team. Only the player in charge of the house shall be allowed to sweep behind the tee line, and shall not start to sweep an opponent’s stone before the stone reaches the line. 15. The sweeping motion, which shall be from side to side, shall leave no debris in front of the running stone and shall finish to either side of the stone. The sweepers and their equipment must be seen to be clear of the stone at all times. 16. Games shall be decided by a majority of shots and a team scores one shot for each stone nearer the tee than any stone of the opposing team. 17. Every stone that is within 6 feet of the tee is eligible to be counted. 18. Measurements shall be taken from the tee to the nearest part of the stone. 19. An end shall be considered as decided when the skips or acting skips in charge of the house at the time agree upon the score for that end.

7. 20. If two or more stones are so close to the tee that it is impossible to use a measuring device to determine the scoring stone, the determination shall be made visually by the Chief Umpire. If not decision can be made, the end shall be scored as a blank end. 21. The use of all performance-enhancing drugs, whether they have been taken knowingly or otherwise, is prohibited. 22. A competitor may be required prior to, during, or after the course of a competition, to submit him/herself for drug testing 23. A competitor found to have a positive test will be banned from further competition while the reason for the presence of the banned substance is considered. 24. A competitor refusing to submit to testing will be banned from further participation in the competition. 25. There shall be no smoking within the confines of the playing area in World Championships or in play leading up to World Championships. 26. In all World Championships, participating competitors are prohibited from using offensive or foul language at any time in the playing area. Any violation may result in suspension by the Federation of the offending player. 27. In all World Championships, a warm-up period shall be allowed for each team on the ice which the will be playing, immediately prior to the start of each game, in accordance with instructions given by the Chief Umpire 28. Immediately prior to the warm-up a disk, light colored on one side, dark on the other, shall be tossed by an official in the presence of a member of each team. The team winning the toss shall decide which team shall have last stone at the first end, after which the winner of the preceding end shall lead. 29. The team which has last stone at the first end shall practice first.

8. And that concludes Stefana Simonetto, Shelby Stewart, and Becky Younger’s interesting power point presentation about the most awesome sport ever invented….