Curling: The international up-and-comer
Give curling a try
The 2010 Winter Olympic Games have made people take notice of the sport some call shuffleboard on ice.
They’re young. They’re hot. They curl.
Viewers watched last week as young curlers competed for the gold in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Denise Dupont, 25, and Madeleine Dupont, 22, sisters from Denmark, look like they belong in the pages of Maxim rather than on a curling sheet. There is also Oskar Eriksson, 18, from Sweden, whose fresh face and shaggy brown hair give the Jonas brothers a run for their money. And Thomas Dufour, 28, of France happens to bear a striking resemblance to actor Gerard Butler.
These athletes have helped bring a new light to a game often called shuffleboard on ice.
Most people, even the Olympic athletes, have unrelated full-time jobs on top of training for competitions. The fact that you can pursue other interests and still be successful makes curling a very appealing sport.
Originating in 16th-century Scotland, the sport has been played by people with varying skill levels for years. Today, curling clubs are popping up all over the world. Ohio has five official curling clubs scattered around the state: South Euclid, Lewis Center, Bowling Green, Newark and Shaker Height. Most clubs offer clinics for curling newcomers as well as personalized training sessions.
Contact features correspondent Kelley Stoklosa