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Toby Keith—the award-winning country singer said he fell in love with curling while following it at the 2006 Olympics. During a concert stop in Nashville, Tennessee, Keith decided he would take that passion one step further. He learned there was a curling facility in town and booked some ice for him and his band to play. “They’re calling themselves the redneck curlers,” commented Nashville Curling Club president Sean Gerster, who also admitted that Keith was a fast learner and showed promise. “He said he was going to try and qualify for the 2010 Olympics.”

Bruce Springsteen—the Boss reportedly rents out curling clubs when on the road. He is known as a keen watcher of curling when it’s on television, and is an improving rock tosser.

Curling Fact

The first European team to win the world championship was Kjell Oscarius of Sweden, who won in 1973.

SPRINGFIELD GRANITE

Curling went animated in 2002 when the sport was featured in an episode of The Simpsons. On February 17, episode 280-1311, “The Bart Wants What it Wants,” aired on FOX and saw America’s favourite animated family travel to Canada, where at one point Bart and his friend Millhouse start a fight in a movie/television studio. They brawl and eventually go through a door where a sign reads: Curling for Loonies, a reference to the American television staple, Bowling for Dollars. This Canadian show is being taped in the adjoining studio in which Bart and Millhouse now find themselves. As the two brawl, the announcers are heard:

Announcer 1: Well, we’ve seen some wild sweeping here today.

Announcer 2: Yes, the broom handling has been truly dazzling. [At this point, Bart and Milhouse are seen fighting their way onto the ice.] What’s this? Two young Yankee Doodles have turned this match into a Dandy.

Announcer 1: [laughs] Both our viewers must be thrilled. A very special episode of Curling for Loonies.

THE CURSE OF LABONTE

One of the more unusual finishes to a major curling competition took place in 1972 at the world championships in Garmish-Partenkirchen, Germany. The final was between Canada’s Orest Meleschuk and Bob Labonte of the United States. Up to that point, Canada was undefeated and hoping to run the table in the final. Heading to the tenth end, the Americans led by two points, but Meleschuk had the hammer.

In order to score two points, Meleschuk needed to hit and stay inside the eight-foot. He played the shot, but the shooter apparently rolled too far, giving the game to the Americans. Frank Assand, the U.S. third, who had been sweeping the Canadian shooter as it rolled, judged where that rock had stopped and where his team’s shooter sat and immediately threw his hands in the air. His skip, Labonte, also believing they had won, jumped into the air in celebration, but slipped and kicked the Canadian stone, moving it back toward the centre of the rings. Now it appeared Canada had scored the tying deuce. After consulting with the head official, Doug Maxwell, a measurement took place, and Canada scored two then went on to win the game in the extra end.

A few more notes about the infamous burned rock:

• At the time, there were no rules in place to deal with the situation that occurred. Maxwell was left with little option but to leave the rocks where they were and measure the burned stone and the American rock.

• To show how the times have changed, Labonte managed to complete his jump and tumble all with a cigarette in his mouth.

• In his book Canada Curls, Maxwell revealed that the CBC, which was covering the event, had just introduced instant replay and was supposed to have it available at the world championship, but a labour dispute cancelled its availability.

• A reporter came up with the Labonte Curse, supposedly dropped on Canadian curlers. The idea was the country would never win another world championship, the revenge for winning the 1972 event under such strange circumstances. For the next seven years, Canada didn’t win the global title, its longest