Gotta love this sport. This one is of Jennifer Jones final shot. Gorgeous.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Curling anyone?
Curling? I've been fascinated by it ever since my sister- in- law's cousin came to visit from Utah, and talked with great passion about the sport. She had made it her mission to teach the elementary school kids where she lived, and had set up many teams.
If, like me, you've ever wanted to know what the heck is happening with that big rock and the broom, here is what the Potomac Curling club has to say:
___________________________________________
Seemingly simple. A granite rock, a sheet of ice, a target 42 yards away. Finish with your rocks closer to the target than your opponents', and your team of four wins a game in which keen competition mixes with a wonderful social atmosphere.
But wait: this is an Olympic sport, played by people across the world from ages 8 to 80. There must be more to it.
And there is. The rocks curl (or curve) down the sheet, traveling over an ice surface rife with nuances thanks to specially applied 'pebble' of frozen mist that lets the 42-pound rocks move with surprisingly little effort. Finesse and control of how hard rocks are thrown (the 'weight') become the important factors, not strength. The weight of a thrown rock affects the amount of curl, but a rock's progress can be altered by judicious sweeping to polish the ice in front of it, making a rock move both farther and straighter. Added complications are crafty opponents who place their stones in positions to block your access to the center of the target (the 'house'). You have to think several rocks ahead to make sure that, at the completion of each end of 16 rocks, your rocks are closest to the button, the center of the house.
So curling is a game of strategy, of finesse, and yes of fitness. A team's sweepers travel up to two miles in a game and, at the highest levels of the sport, expend the same energy as a sprinter in a 200 meter dash.
_______________________________________________________
I didn't know any of this when I went for a lesson that they graciously set up on Thursday nights. The club itself consists of a lounge area for spectators. This area is separated by windows from the main ice.. The rink has the feel of a 4 lane shuffleboard court on ice. It IS much like Shuffleboard and bowling and bocci rolled into one.
To start, we were given a teflon 'slider', half slippers to put on the foot that slides out. And slide you do. If you put your foot down without support, off you go.
THe other foot is set against a stand much like runners use in track and field. The main fun that I experienced was the pushing, which produced a gliding motion producing a deep lunge forward. ( Take a look at the video of Jennifer Jones in the next post for a glimpse). The stone releases from your hand and slides ever so slowly down the lane. Between holding the rock and a broom, there is balance and finesse. For us beginners,Falling became part of the experience, and now I know why they ask people to bring Clean sneakers or rubber-soled shoes and A good nature and sense of humor.
I didn't get to stay for a match, but that is next week when I travel to the Philadelphia Curling club in Paoli, PA to watch some actual matches.
If, like me, you've ever wanted to know what the heck is happening with that big rock and the broom, here is what the Potomac Curling club has to say:
___________________________________________
Seemingly simple. A granite rock, a sheet of ice, a target 42 yards away. Finish with your rocks closer to the target than your opponents', and your team of four wins a game in which keen competition mixes with a wonderful social atmosphere.
But wait: this is an Olympic sport, played by people across the world from ages 8 to 80. There must be more to it.
And there is. The rocks curl (or curve) down the sheet, traveling over an ice surface rife with nuances thanks to specially applied 'pebble' of frozen mist that lets the 42-pound rocks move with surprisingly little effort. Finesse and control of how hard rocks are thrown (the 'weight') become the important factors, not strength. The weight of a thrown rock affects the amount of curl, but a rock's progress can be altered by judicious sweeping to polish the ice in front of it, making a rock move both farther and straighter. Added complications are crafty opponents who place their stones in positions to block your access to the center of the target (the 'house'). You have to think several rocks ahead to make sure that, at the completion of each end of 16 rocks, your rocks are closest to the button, the center of the house.
So curling is a game of strategy, of finesse, and yes of fitness. A team's sweepers travel up to two miles in a game and, at the highest levels of the sport, expend the same energy as a sprinter in a 200 meter dash.
_______________________________________________________
I didn't know any of this when I went for a lesson that they graciously set up on Thursday nights. The club itself consists of a lounge area for spectators. This area is separated by windows from the main ice.. The rink has the feel of a 4 lane shuffleboard court on ice. It IS much like Shuffleboard and bowling and bocci rolled into one.
To start, we were given a teflon 'slider', half slippers to put on the foot that slides out. And slide you do. If you put your foot down without support, off you go.
THe other foot is set against a stand much like runners use in track and field. The main fun that I experienced was the pushing, which produced a gliding motion producing a deep lunge forward. ( Take a look at the video of Jennifer Jones in the next post for a glimpse). The stone releases from your hand and slides ever so slowly down the lane. Between holding the rock and a broom, there is balance and finesse. For us beginners,Falling became part of the experience, and now I know why they ask people to bring Clean sneakers or rubber-soled shoes and A good nature and sense of humor.
I didn't get to stay for a match, but that is next week when I travel to the Philadelphia Curling club in Paoli, PA to watch some actual matches.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The place that I am staying-Chapter 3
As I looked daily for listings on the Vancouver Craigslist, I found one that was intriguing: Home for the Games. Here is what I found:
http://www.homeforthegames.com
Home For The Games is a web-based system that matches Olympic Games visitors with Metro Vancouver hosts for short-term home stays. We create opportunities for hosts, to share an unforgettable Olympic experience with guests from around the world while earning modest income.
At the same time, we assure both groups that at least 50% of their rental fee will go directly to registered charities helping Metro Vancouver’s most vulnerable citizens. Hosts will receive a tax receipt for the portion of the rent that goes to charity.
So, that is what I decided to do. For a very reasonable rate, I will be staying with 2 women who live in Vancouver, and helping out a bit. Seemed like a good solution.
http://www.homeforthegames.com
Home For The Games is a web-based system that matches Olympic Games visitors with Metro Vancouver hosts for short-term home stays. We create opportunities for hosts, to share an unforgettable Olympic experience with guests from around the world while earning modest income.
At the same time, we assure both groups that at least 50% of their rental fee will go directly to registered charities helping Metro Vancouver’s most vulnerable citizens. Hosts will receive a tax receipt for the portion of the rent that goes to charity.
So, that is what I decided to do. For a very reasonable rate, I will be staying with 2 women who live in Vancouver, and helping out a bit. Seemed like a good solution.
Finding a place to stay Chapter 2
When I realized that I would have to pay for a place to stay, I sent out an email broadcast on my community listserve. That channel opened up a whole new set of wonderful resources. First, someone told me that he had a 'friend' on Facebook from Vancouver. Being new to the world of Facebook (and yes, you can find me there) I wasn't exactly sure whether they were actual friends or Facebook friends and whether that mattered. But at that point, I needed to be bold, so I asked my friend to contact the woman in Vancouver, who promptly emailed me. She pointed me towards Craigslist (duh, of course). There were 100s of listings there, yes 100s, for prices ranging from $100 a night to, gulp, $700.
I started trolling craigslist daily for about a week, trying to figure out the geography of Vancouver-thinking through what kind of situation I wanted. Did I want to pay more to be close to town? Did I want to be with one person, or with someone who might be hosting a group of folks? Did they have internet available, was there a TV?
Many people were renting out their lofts or condos and bolting out of town. (can you imagine renting your place to someone you didn't know at all and then leaving?). That wasn't what I wanted. There were single people, families, located in town and in the near suburbs. I emailed a few, got some connections, made no promises.
And I held tight.
I started trolling craigslist daily for about a week, trying to figure out the geography of Vancouver-thinking through what kind of situation I wanted. Did I want to pay more to be close to town? Did I want to be with one person, or with someone who might be hosting a group of folks? Did they have internet available, was there a TV?
Many people were renting out their lofts or condos and bolting out of town. (can you imagine renting your place to someone you didn't know at all and then leaving?). That wasn't what I wanted. There were single people, families, located in town and in the near suburbs. I emailed a few, got some connections, made no promises.
And I held tight.
Finding a place to stay chapter 1
Early on in the process, really back last March, I thought I would be able to stay with a friend, but she had moved back to the States. By the time I found out that she was not living in Vancouver it was impossible to even book a hotel. There were NO rooms available. Well, there might have been some, but for 700$ a night. No kidding, even the Holiday Inn Express cost that much.
I put out some broadcast emails to listserves. Do you know anyone who knows anyone who knows anyone who would like to host a visitor. My request for free home hospitality, I realized, was naive. Vancouverites were opening up their homes, yes, but for hundreds for dollars a night. And most of my connections were 2 degrees of separation, so no one was inclined to make the offer to host.
And then came Facebook.
I put out some broadcast emails to listserves. Do you know anyone who knows anyone who knows anyone who would like to host a visitor. My request for free home hospitality, I realized, was naive. Vancouverites were opening up their homes, yes, but for hundreds for dollars a night. And most of my connections were 2 degrees of separation, so no one was inclined to make the offer to host.
And then came Facebook.
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