TRY CURLING – We have something for everyone!
Equipment, Clothing and Safety
There are many websites that explain in varying amounts of detail about the Equipment, the Clothing, and the Safety factors in the sport of curling. Below you will find some details important to TTCC; then Google away!
Equipment and Clothing The Pro Shop offers a variety of brooms, shoes and Tunnel Town Wear for purchase.
In the meantime, if you are trying curling for the first time, here are some tips that will make your first experience successful and fun.
FOOTWEAR & PANTS
FOOTWEAR: Running shoes and skate shoes work the best. The softer the rubber the is, the better the grip. Clean your shoes and carry them into the club to prevent dirt from getting on to the ice surface. Do not wear shoes with Plastic Soles. The plastic will get cold and extra slippery. High Heeled shoes and boots, sandals, and muddy or dirty runners are not allowed on the ice.Use the boot boys as you enter the ice shed. Best Practice: Keep your slider foot off the backboards and do not step onto the plastic with your slider foot. Street shoes will not be allowed on the ice.
PANTS: Wear loose fitting pants, sweat pants, track pants, yoga pants, or any pant that stretches. Do not wear jeans or tight pants. Shorts are not recommended especially for new curlers.
JACKETS & GLOVES
JACKETS: Wear gloves or mitts that are easy to take on and off and that will keep your hands warm. No fuzzy gloves. Wear gloves or mitts that will grip the broom and not slide off. Calfskin or curling gloves with non-slip material on the palms work really well.aGloves that are too thick should be removed when throwing the rock.
GLOVES: Wear gloves or mitts that are easy to take on and off and that will keep your hands warm. No fuzzy gloves. Wear gloves or mitts that will grip the broom and not slide off. Calfskin or curling gloves with non-slip material on the palms work really well.aGloves that are too thick should be removed when throwing the rock.
BROOMS, STABILIZERS & SLIDERS
New curlers can use the Sole Gliders. You will find them at end of the sheet you are playing on. Use these until you feel comfortable with you balance and delivery technique. As you gain more experience you will begin to find them cumbersome and slow.
You must wear a minimum of one gripper and two grippers are preferred. Sole Gliders and Grippers are Free Of Charge. New curlers can rent a broom from the Rental Brooms bin. Clean your Rental Broom if necessary using the scrub brushes at the Away end of each sheet.
You may be able to rent a Stabilizer instead of a broom. Ask at the office for availability.
Curling Rules and Tips for General Play
Tunnel Town Curling Club has included several curling links for your convenience below
Curling Positions and Guidelines
The following guidelines are intended to provide you with a brief overview of curling rules and etiquette, by position. The outline below can give you a starting point to rate and improve your curling skills.
Basic Strategy to learn some basic curling strategy.
Delivery Tips – Learn the importance of delivery, balance, timing, line of delivery and release. These tips will help you improve your game.
Curling Etiquette
“Imagine if everyone respected their teammates and opponents in life, shook hands after every confrontation and bought each other a drink. Imagine if we all stood still while others were concentrating on their life’s work, offering encouragement, not distraction. Imagine if we celebrated our opponents’, as well as our own accomplishments. No, it’s not a perfect world, but it could be. And it is – on a sheet of curling ice!”
….. Jean Mills
- 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.
- After delivering your stone, move to the side of the sheet between the “hog “ lines, unless you are the skip. Leads and seconds are not permitted in “house” or “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.
- 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. Each player should be ready to deliver their rock when their skip puts down the broom.
We will endeavour to play eight end games. The buzzer will sound at 8:25 and 10:40 p.m. At this time you will finish the end you and one more. An end is concluded when all rocks come to rest.