Ahead of National Curling Day on November 15, Gayle heads to Forfar for a shot at the icy sport.
They call it “the roaring game” and “chess on ice”.
As the giant lumps of shiny granite travel across the rink, with brush-wielding athletes frantically sweeping the ice in front of them, I can see — and hear — why.
With National Curling Day on the horizon, Mike Ferguson, owner of Forfar Indoor Sports, has invited me along to take part in a training session.
My instructor for the hour is Pete Walls, a kind, friendly and patient man who’s full of encouragement and praise, no matter how frustrating his students (me!).
As someone who dislikes the cold, my first instinct, when I see the ice, is to layer up as much as possible, with hat, gloves, scarf, the works. Within seconds of being handed a brush, however, I’m sweating profusely.
Pete and Mike pair me with photographer Steve Brown and the two of us sweep the ice in front of a stone as fast as we can in the hope of getting it all the way to a target at the bottom of the rink called a “house”.
It’s fun, although slightly anxiety-inducing for a beginner — I fear I’ll trip over my feet and end up flat on my face.
After a few pathetic attempts, Steve and I manage to sweep our stone into the house and we whoop with absolute joy.
“Sweepers can easily burn around 800 calories in two hours,” beams Pete, as we stop to wipe our dripping brows. I can well believe him!
Once we’ve got our breath back, Pete takes us to the top of the rink and shows us how to throw stones.
There’s a special way of gripping the stone and rotating it as you release it, he explains. If you don’t give it enough welly, it’ll lose power and conk out.
I watch as Pete and Mike make it look effortless, sliding along on their knees on special slippy-soled left shoes and trailing one leg behind as they throw the mighty stones, weighing around 20kg, towards the target.
“Put your right foot on the hack [a black step], put your left foot onto the slider [slippery sole], hold both stones in front of you, and then push the right one down the rink with as much strength as you can,” explains Pete.
On my first attempt, I lose my balance and push the wrong leg out behind me, bashing my knee on the ice.
But remembering practice makes perfect, I carry on, determined to improve.
After a few more embarrassing shots — and after landing on my bum — I feel myself starting to get the hang of it.
And while my technique may not look pretty, I manage to slide along the ice, let go of my stone, and watch as it curls its way down the rink… into the house! Hooray!
“Well done! Brilliant!” enthuses Pete. “You see now that it doesn’t take years to learn. Within half an hour of being Bambi on ice, you were able to throw a stone into the house. It’s all about building confidence.”
So why is it called curling? It’s to do with the way the stone rotates, apparently.
When you deliver a stone down the ice, it will curl, or bend, one way or another. How much or how little it curls depends largely on the conditions of the playing surface.
Curlers sweep the ice in front of stones to melt the ice, helping them to travel further and influencing their direction.
“Sweepers can easily burn around 800 calories in two hours.”
Pete Walls
When all 16 stones have been played, it’s called an “end” of curling and the score is agreed between the “thirds” — with stones nearest the centre of the house and in the house counting.
Games are limited to around two hours or until eight ends are completed. The winner is the team with the most points at the end of the match.
“It’s been a tough time for rinks across Scotland with Covid-19, but we’re seeing the numbers of curlers pick up, with lots of new people interested in the sport messaging to ask if they can come and try it,” says Mike, who is also chairman of the Scottish Ice Rinks Association.
“We run dedicated ‘Try Curling’ days but I also want people to be able to just turn up here and have a go.
“They’ll soon be hooked and desperate for their slide-fix!”
Still need persuading? Mike says curling is one of the most inclusive sports around, catering for all ages and abilities, whether wheelchair users, deaf, blind or disabled people. There are around 60 young folk who regularly play at Forfar, with the youngest just eight years old.
“Curing is called ‘chess on ice’ because players are always thinking two or three shots ahead and it’s very strategic,” adds Mike. “You need to maintain your balance to slide on the ice and control your weight and speed.
“There’s also a great social aspect to the sport, with 43 clubs playing out of Forfar from all over Angus and the Mearns, Perthshire and Fife. We’d love to see more people coming to enjoy the sport here — everyone is welcome!”
- Forfar Indoor Sports, fis.scot, is running a Try Curling taster day on November 14. It’s fully booked but other sessions run throughout the season. The complex also caters for ice skaters and indoor bowlers, and has a kids’ soft play centre. The World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event takes place between January 4 and 9, with curlers from 25 countries flocking to Forfar.
