1. For Anyone

Curling is one of the most inclusive sports out there. You can play in a wheelchair, you can play if you’re visually or hearing impaired, you can play if you’re 90, and you can play if you’re five. There’s such a big age range in curling that little kids can use special lighter rocks until they get big enough to push the granite monsters. You also don’t have to be able to run 10 miles without breaking a sweat in order to play—although being physically fit is definitely a benefit. Both throwing and sweeping can get pretty intense. Curling teams can be all men, all women, or mixed.

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2. Curling is inexpensive

No crazy pads, no skates, no helmets—just some basic gear and a membership to a curling league or club, and you’ve got yourself a super-fun sport. Chances are, you can play for a lot less than an annual gym membership. Just be warned: you can blow your budget pretty easily buying rounds for the other team after a match.

 

3. It’s great for your mind

Curling is all about strategy and precision—in fact, its nickname is “chess on ice.” Although you can learn to play in a couple of hours, curlers spend years learning to read the ice, evaluate the other team’s play, and make decisions accordingly. Plus, you’ll get some good practice in focusing and being mindful. As one curler puts it, “Whether it’s on sweeping, or watching a line, or letting your legs remember what the weight feels like as you slide out—you think about one thing. And for a bit, everything else melts away.”

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4. Curling is a ridiculously social sport

Good sportsmanship is key in curling—sweepers are expected to call their own infraction when they burn, or touch, a stone, for example. So while there’s definitely rivalry and competition, it’s also expected that curlers will be friendly and courteous, even if they’re losing badly. Also, getting a beer or coffee with the opposing team after the game is pretty much required, so you’re guaranteed to make friends whether you want to or not.

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5. How?

Email the club and we will get you started. manager@slgcc.com