As the 2026 Winter Olympics begin there is one thing we are all wondering: what exactly is curling?
Let’s face it; you’re probably not going to watch curling unless it’s played by the best. If you aren’t interested in it at the Olympics there’s no way a random team will be able to catch your eye. So what do you need to know if you plan on watching curling in the Olympics?
In case you didn’t know, curling is sometimes called “Chess on Ice,” due to the intellectual and patient nature of the game, similar to tactics that are used in chess. If you are someone who likes to watch chess on TV then maybe you will find curling to be equally interesting. Personally, I find curling to be confusing and often boring.
Every four years the Winter Olympics leave me questioning the rules and history of curling. With this year’s Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina I decided to research all about curling so that you don’t have to.
Curling was invented in the 16th century, making it one of the oldest team sports, and originally began with farmers sliding stones over frozen lakes. The first curling club wasn’t founded until 1716, and it joined the Olympics in Chamonix in 1924.
The granite stones used in Olympic curling come from the uninhabited island Ailsa Craig, which is 10 miles off the coast of the Scottish mainland.
So how does it work? The simplified version is that two teams take turns sliding a granite stone down a sheet of ice. The team whose stone is closer to the center of the target wins.
There are four players on each team: lead, second, third, and the skip. They take turns rotating positions throughout the game.
One player holds their broom where the granite stone should be aimed, while another player pushes off a stand and slides towards the target with the granite stone.
Once the stone reaches the “hog line” it must be released, which allows for the two other players to sweep the stone towards the target.
The stones don’t move in a straight line, they curl as they move, which is why the sport is called curling. The stones weigh around 40 pounds each, and the players who sweep the stone have to guide it towards the target, trying not to let it curl.
Having a stone closer to the middle section of the target gets you points each round, and similarly to most sports the team with the highest score at the end wins.
Curling is one of the least watched sports at the Olympics due to how difficult it is to understand compared to other Olympic sports, and although I mentioned the basics, there are many other rules that only true fans will know. Curling has a very small yet very dedicated fanbase that I can confidently say I will never be a part of.
Although it is probably harder than it looks, it is not on my list of sports to watch this year. I would watch skiing, bobsledding, skating, and snowboarding before I would turn on a curling game.
The beautiful and strong moves in figure skating leave everyone speechless. The fast-paced tricks in snowboarding are more my speed. And who can resist the breathtaking landscapes of skiing?
But to each their own, and if curling is your favorite sport in the Winter Olympics don’t let me stop you from enjoying it.
