Curling

Curling probably has its origins in late medieval Scotland and refers to a game played on ice either in ice rinks or at respective curling clubs.

On a carefully prepared sheet of ice of ca. 43 m of length two teams of four players slide polished granite stones along the surface towards a target called the house. Besides the stones, players are equipped with specially designed shoes and a so-called curling broom. “Chess on ice” - as it is commonly called - is particularly popular in Canada, Scotland, Scandinavian countries and Switzerland. Nevertheless, curling clubs may be found also in Germany, Austria, Slovenia and even South Tyrol.

First written references date back to the 16th century. Generally it is believed that the game was invented in late medieval times. With the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, curling finally became an official Olympic sport. In 2006, however, even the curling competition from the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix was recognized as an official Olympic event - won by Great Britain and Ireland. By the way: several Winter Olympics featured curling as a demonstration sport.