Chateau de la Tobler

Sunday, February 21, 2010

US Olympic Curling Team 2022

Samuel called yesterday to tell me that he found a channel (one of those fuzzy ones) on his TV that was playing curling (Women's USA vs Great Britain) and immediately thought of me. If some of you don't know I find the sport very interesting (unlike one particular sister-in-law that I know of).

In the course of our conversation we talked about the sport, how its played and such. I had to refresh my memory about some rules because the only time I get to watch it is once every four years (though apparently not this year because our cable does not give us the Olympic coverage of curling but rather the normal programing on CNBC).

For those who don't know the game is played in 10 Ends (which Samuel wants called Rounds). It is played by throwing 42 lb. stones down a 146 ft. long by 15 ft., 7 in. wide field of ice in an attempt to get your stone to be the closest the center of the house (a design of 4 concentric circles that has a 12 ft. outer diameter, the other circles are for help in judging who is closest to the center). Only the team with the closest stone scores and only for those stones that are closer to the center than any of their opponents stones.

Each team throws 8 stones in each end and the team that scored last goes first in the next End. There is a lot more to the game than just stacking up and knocking stones out of the center, it is like chess only you have to have skill not only to pick your move but also to execute it.

Anyways, getting back to the title. Samuel said that we should start a team in 12 years (joking, I think). Why twelve years? So that Adam could be a third member of the four man team. Telima told me today that we should get David to do it and use Adam, Skyler, and Ephram as alternates for the fourth spot. So what do you think? Can we do it?

As a side note, each of the required eight 42 lb. stones costs $400. That doesn't include the shoes and synthetic brooms and possibly not even the handles for the stones. Any one have $3500 to help us get started?

I am just kidding, unless of course some one really does want to see us do it. In which case, I'm totally in!