On Thursday evening my wife and I went out to enjoy some time away from our house full of 4 and 3 legged animals. As we saddled up to the table, our attention turned to a TV that had the Olympic games playing on it. The event that was being televised was curling. We both chuckled at the fact that the athlete's being featured looked like normal people you might run into at the grocery store or at the mall. 

After we ordered our food, we suddenly found ourselves back to watching the peculiar sport. Mixed teams, one man and one woman, took turns sliding granite disks (stones) down an icy lane attempting to get them to stop in a large target. While one player launches the disk, another player on the team will "sweep" the ice as to manipulate how the stone slides and spins.

Just as the throwing team works together along the length of the lane, the opposing team awaits the stones arrival into the target area and then attempts to sweep the stone off track. For as silly as it sounds, its quite fun to watch.

On top of the back and forth between teams, you had a mental component going on as well. Curling as we decided was where bowling and chess met. Often times my wife and I found ourselves talking aloud and excitedly as to what the throwing should attempt or criticizing a team for not doing something.

Sadly the US curling team was defeated on a come-from-behind last round win by Switzerland. The US team later fell to China and are out of contention.

So if you're not quite sure what to watch when it comes to the Winter Olympics maybe give this bowling/chess sport a chance, you might just find yourself like me, and cannot turn away from the icy action.

There will also be 2 local curling how-to-clinics in the area if you wanted to try the sport first hand. The events are 11am to 3pm Saturday February 17th at the Owatonna Curling Club and February 25th at 7:30pm at the Rochester Rec Center.

You can follow all the curling results here.  You can also stream all the Olympic goodness here.

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