Curling, Etcetera_ A Whole Bunch of Stuff About the Roaring Game - Bob Weeks [27]
2. Scott plays a guard that stops at the top of the rings, half in the twelve-foot.
3. King’s only option is to try and redirect her shooter, playing a hit on her own stone. She hits her own rock too thick, spills across the rings, touching two Scott stones but then exiting the house, leaving Scott an open draw for eight.
4. Scott’s shot is slightly heavy but stops in the back of the house for eight points.
BIG ROCKS
The town of Arborg, Manitoba, lays claim to having the world’s largest curling rock. Located 100 kilometres north of Winnipeg, the town of 1,021 erected the stone in 2006 in hopes of using it as a drawing card for passersby. The stone weighs in at a tonne and a half, measures 4.2 metres across and 2.1 metres tall and is made of steel, foam, and fibreglass.
This oversized rock is just a little bigger than the previous record holder located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Known as the Lakehead Rock, that stone, which measures in at six and a half feet high and almost six feet in diameter and is made of concrete, was built to celebrate the 1960 Brier held in Thunder Bay. It held the record for more than 40 years, and many residents weren’t impressed with being overtaken by the Arborg stone. When asked about the new record holder, Alf Childs, the Thunder Bay stone’s caretaker, told the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal: “That’s an affront to granite right there.”
STONE CUTTER
There are only two places in the world still making curling stones. One is Canada Curling Stone Company, located in London, Ontario. Over the years, it has refined the art of making stones and produces wonderful rocks that are used all over the world.
Here is a brief, step-by-step plan of how a stone is made:
1. Huge blocks of granite are located from a quarry in Wales. This quarry produces granite that has a very fine grain and has little or no quartz in it, the desired type for curling rocks. This granite has greater impact resistance than regular granite.
2. The block is cut down into smaller slabs from which large plugs, just larger than a curling stone, are cut. These plugs are shipped to Canada Curling Stone.
3. The first step for the plugs once they reach Canada is to have the centre hole cut through them. The hole is roughly half an inch in width.
4. The sides of the plug are then rounded off so it more closely resembles the shape of the stone.
5. Once the sides have been rounded, a small pocket on the bottom of the stone is cut out to allow for an insert to be put in place. The inserts often come from older rocks whose running surface has worn out. By cutting up these older stones of fine Scottish granite, inserts can be created. These inserts provide a better running surface for the stone and extend its life.
6. Once the insert has been affixed, a cup is created in both the top and bottom of the stone to allow the small running edge to be the only part of the stone that touches the ice.
7. The stone is then polished with diamond abrasive pads. The bottom is also run over sandpaper to give it more grit to allow it to grab the ice better.
8. The striking band is put on next by blasting the stone under high pressure with glass beads.
9. Finally a handle is attached to the stone, and it’s ready for play.
OLYMPIC DOUBLE
In 1924, curling made its debut at the Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France. A few notes about that competition:
• Four teams played in the competition: France, Great Britain, and two rinks from Sweden.
• The games were 18 ends in length and played outdoors.
• Britain, which was represented by a group of Scots, won its two games, defeating Sweden I 38-7 and knocking off France 46-4.
• The two Swedish teams did not play each other and so there was a playoff for the silver medal between France and Sweden II,