PRCL Guide to Curling
Gear up
What to Wear
Help keep the ice clean
Be sure to wear only clean shoes on the ice and remember take a moment to clean your shoes when entering the club. There are shoe cleaning stations at the entrance to the club, as well as at the doors of the ice shed.
Footwear
Club grippers are intended for rentals and novice curlers. Please visit the Vancouver Curling Club Pro Shop to purchase grippers or shoes. Members get 10% off!
Brooms
A broom is a great investment; however, broom rentals are available from the Vancouver Curling Club. Please make a donation if you intend on borrowing one for a full round of play.
Clothing
You’ll be sweeping hard out there! Breathable layers are recommended to keep you warm but not overheating. Help us keep the ice clean and make sure your clothing isn’t shedding.
Curling 101
About the Sport
Curling has a long and rich history. While its origins are lost in the mists of time, Scottish curlers were already playing the game by the beginning of the 16th century on frozen ponds and lochs.
Their earliest equipment included stones formed by nature, each one unique. These stones often curved, or “curled,” as they slid down the ice, and the players used besoms or brooms to clear snow and debris from the path of the stones.
Today, curling is a game of strategy, finesse and strength, contested by teams generally comprised of four players. The principle of curling is simple: get your stone closer the center of the target circles, called the “house,” than your opponent. Players of all skill levels can participate and compete even at older ages than most sports allow.
Respect, honour and tradition are core elements of the game. Curlers are close knit and you can rely on a warm welcome in curling clubs throughout the world. Camaraderie among players is inherent in the sport and tradition calls for both teams to sit together after a game, discussing what was and what might have been.
Come join us.
A Two-Minute Guide to Curling
Check out this video from Curling Canada that provides a lighthearted guide to the sport of curling!
Curling Etiquette
Start with a handshake. At the beginning of the game, greet the members of the opposing team with a handshake, tell them your name, and wish them “Good Curling”.
Finish with a handshake. When the game is over, offer each of the players a hearty handshake and move off the ice. The winning curlers traditionally offer their counterparts some refreshments.
Keep the ice clean. Change your shoes. Sand, grit and dirt are the ice’s worst enemy. The shoes you wear should only be used for curling. Keep them clean.
Compliment good shots, no matter which team makes them. Respect your opponent.
Be ready. Take your position in the hack as soon as your opponent has delivered his/her stone. Keep the game moving; delays detract from the sport.
Be prepared to sweep as soon as your teammate releases the rock.
Move to the side of the sheet between the hog lines (the two bold lines near the ends of each sheet) after delivering your stone, unless you are the skip. Leads and seconds are not permitted in the house (the rings), except when sweeping or to remove the stones after the count has been determined by the vices.
Be courteous. Don’t distract your opponent in the hack. Sweepers should stay on the sidelines between the hog lines when not sweeping.
Place your skip’s rock in front of the hack to help speed up the game.
Each player should be ready to deliver their rock when their skip puts down the broom. All games on the ice should run approximately the same time; therefore, if your game is an end or two behind all other games, you should pick up the pace.
Extra Advice
If you want to learn more about curling technique, three-time US National Champion Jamie Sinclair has some tips on how you can master the basics!
Tip 1: Balance
Tip 2: Sweeping Form
Tip 3: Broom Position
Tip 4: How to Score
Tip 5: Reading the Scoreboard
Note: The VCC Scoreboards function a bit different and appear like a score board you may see at any game.