What is the history of curling?

Answer 1

She's 30.

Answer 2

Curling is a sport that originated in Scotland in the sixteenth century. It was created by Scottish farmers. They played on frozen marshes. The game started with basically the same equipment as they do today. Of course their equipment wasn't as good as the modern day equipment, but they used the same type of equipment. The equipment needed is a sweep, a stone, and the ice. The stone is rolled down the ice, and the teammates sweep the ice to clear debris and water droplets on the ice in order to get the stone 6 feet, or closer, to the tee to count for points (this area is called the "house" and is painted as a combination of circles with a total diameter of 12 feet). If no stones are in the house this is called a "blank end" and neither team scores (the team that last scored still goes first in the next end). A stone must cross the "hog line" but be no further than the "back line" to be in play. Curling is played on ice that is very level but has small "pebbles" (droplets of water). The pebble is what the stones curl on (the stone comes into contact with the ice on its "running surface" and the friction, however mild, between the running surface and the pebble makes the stone curl). A curling stone weighs approximately 42 lbs and is made of an especially unique type of granite, which is mined exclusively in Scotland. Curling stones are very expensive: one new stone would cost approximately $1000.00.

At the conclusion of an "end" (most curling games are 8 end games; an end is similar to an inning in Baseball) the score is determined for that end. A team receives one point for each stone closer to the "tee" (center) than the opposition (only one team can score in any one end). The team that scores goes first in the next end. A stone is delivered from the "hack" and must be released before the stone reaches the closer hog line. The "handle" (turn or spin) is placed on the stone at the point of release (the two turns are called the "in-turn" (clockwise to a right-handed thrower) and the "out-turn" (opposite). A player can re-throw providing the stone has not touched the closer tee line. Sweeping can make a stone go further (about 16 feet), make the stone curl less (run straighter), and cleans any debris from in front (if a stone hits even a tiny piece of debris it will usually curl right out of play). There is no way to slow down a stone or make it curl more. You can sweep your team's stone from the point of release until it stops (you always have priority on your team's stones). You are allowed to sweep an oppositions stone once it reaches the far "tee line".

The 3 basic shots in curling are the Draw (a stone that comes to rest in the house), a Guard (a stone that comes to rest short of the house and either protects a stone in the house or is put up first and then curled around later, and the Takeout (a stone with sufficient "weight" to go through the house).

Answer 3

Ice skating has been around for many many years.