Any other curlers here?

I watch it for the hot chicks in sweaters. I understand men play it, also, but so what?

According to the women curlers in my club, some of the men aren’t too bad, either.

Wouldn’t know. :wink:

I see your guys I’ve never heard of, and raise you Paul Gross. I may be straight, mostly, but I know USDA (AAFC?) top grade when I see it. :wink:

Don’t know how hot they are, but I admire their fashion sense.

I once met Nicole Joranstaad, former U.S. Olympian, at an instructional camp. I consider her the hottest woman with whom I have ever had the privilege of conducting a conversation.

No discussion of curling is complete without posting the video of Sandra Schmirler’s in-off for three to win the qualifying game that sent her team to the Nagano Olympics for Canada.

Schematic of the shot.

Brilliant shot. Did you see John Shuster for the U.S. against Canada in the World Championship last month? Amazing shot to score 3 in the ninth, but missed a fairly routine takeout with last stone in the extra end. (Pause the video before the shot; tell me if you even see a chance for 3.)

I did see the chance, but thought it would be very difficult.

The Canadian who shakes Shuster’s hand at 3.34 is Hebert from Regina.

Curling question…

I see many people scooting from one of the lane to the other, one one foot while pushing with the other. Are the shoe bottoms different, as in, one is slippery and one gets traction on the ice? I doubt I’d get 5 feet before - well never mind.

Yes, one’s the slider (often a teflon sole) and the other the gripper (some sort of plastic-rubber).

At the club level, most of us wear a rubber gripper cover over the teflon shoe whenever we’re sweeping precisely because of the risk of falling. The better curlers have the balance that lets them continue to slide on the teflon shoe while they’re sweeping.

I’m one of the folks who wears a gripper.

I absolutely love sports that anyone can jump into and have fun at, even if it takes time to gain mastery.

Loved curling the first time I tried it (Wauwatosa, WI, winter of 19…65? Damn, I’m old). Haven’t played in a while, but whenever I get to throw a stone, I still have a blast.

Oh, and the ancillary skills never leave you, either, like skating effortlessly down an icy street on that teflon pad, or slapping snow off the sidewalk with a vintage “beaver tail” straw broom.