Curling Sweeps Nation

 

Even though it is a big-city club, there are only 4 sheets. I was surprised at how little margin there is between sheets but the sweeping-guys hang out on the side of the sheet where no one is ever throwing a stone so it works. It must get real loud in there when all 4 sheets are going as you have the skips yelling “SWEEP!” and “OFF” and stuff like that and the sound of the rocks rumbling on the pebbly ice (not smooth) is LOUD.

Behind us, is a club and bar where one whole wall looks out onto the sheets. These photos are taken from easy chairs behind the glass in the bar area.

When we were there on a Saturday afternoon, there was only one sheet going on the far right. As we left, another group showed up. The cost is $15 (Canadian) for a 2-hour game. There are 4 men per team or “rink”.

Right now, red has a point with that stone in the 2-foot circle (blue). Yellow is throwing “the hammer”, or, last stone of the “End” (each team throws 8 rocks). Yellow would love to hit that red one in the 2-foot circle but can only see a little sliver because of the 2, “guard” stones. I suppose a perfect shot could kick it out of the 4-foot circle to where yellow might get the points but that is a hard shot (they didn’t).

If you’re thinking, “why is it the last stone when all 8 stones are not on the sheet?” Good point. Some shots get thrown or kicked out of play. Any stone not reaching the “Hog Line” (where the two guys are sweeping) is a “Hogged Rock” (considered embarrassing–we saw several–these guys weren’t that good) and is removed. Any stone touching either side is gone. Any stone thrown or knocked out of the back of the “House” (House=blue, white and red circles) and over that line is gone.

One of the guys throwing a stone. The block that he starts from is called “The Hack”. It is an angled rubber block, frozen right into the ice.

Here I am getting my quick lesson from Claude.

And launching. I figured I would never put it in The House so I was trying to just at least slide out beyond the Tee Line, where I am in the photo, to the Hog Line…I didn’t get much further as my right leg dragged and slowed me down. I needed that to balance because the left foot on the slider was just very unsteady. The broom is more of a pain than a steadying influence.

Mrs. Pinetar is a good egg to to the Jaques Cartier Curling Club, no?