Curling is a sport of technique and strategy. It doesn’t take too long to pick up terms like ‘delivery, sweeping, and burning the stone.’ You’ll quickly learn there are positions – like the skip, the lead, the second.
It’s part of what attracted Justin Donaldson to the sport which traces back to 16th century Scotland.
“There’s a lot of thinking ahead about your shots,” Donaldson said. “So, you need to not only think about where you are going to go on this shot but what is your opponent going to do as a reaction to that shot.”
What might not be clear at first are the other elements of curling; elements such as fun and friendships. In the curling world, it’s called broom stacking.
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“After you play a game, the two opposing teams will shake hands, they’ll come off the ice and usually they’ll share some beers with each other,” said Donaldson. “Share some drinks, share some stories share time with each other and that’s a tradition that’s very big in the sport.”
Donaldson started curling 12 years ago. He’d watched the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and wanted to know what curling was all about. Now he and his wife are hooked, and he’s the president of the DFW Curling Club, hoping more people join in on the fun.
There are currently clubs in Texas regions – DFW, Austin and Houston.
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“We are accepting of all people, all ages, all abilities,” he said.
Donaldson said interest usually peaks during the Olympic games and drops during off years. The DFW club hopes people will take advantage of local classes and the curling community grows.
“I’ve never had somebody come to one of those events and not have fun,” said Donaldson. “I would say definitely try it out.”
The DFW Curling Club will offer 90-minute Learn-to-Curl classes during the month of March. For information, click here.
