Raphael Maerki of Switzerland delivers a shot during the China Qinghai international curling competition between the U.S. and Switzerland in Xining, Qinghai Province, Dec. 13, 2016. (Photo/Xinhua)
Although perhaps not as physical as other winter sports such as hockey or speed skating, the Scotland-originated sport of curling has its unique charm that attracts millions of people in Northern Europe and North American countries, especially Canada.
With the World Women's Curling Championships 2017 (WWCC 2017) being held in Beijing, China, this old winter game has found a new market in the eastern Asian country.
Curling has been described as the "Roarin' Game", with the "roar" coming from the noise of a granite stone when it travels over the ice. Since the sport of curling is widely believed to have first been played in Scotland, one of the attractions of the game is the pipers dressed in traditional Scottish garb playing the bagpipe, guiding the teams to the ice rinks before the games start.
The pipers at the ongoing WWCC 2017 are two Chinese performers, and they say that since the Scottish bagpipe requires huge lung capacity, it's quite hard to play and there are only about ten people in China who can handle it.
Another feature of the sport (which also relates to Scotland) is the best stones that can be used in the game are made of granite without mica which all originated from a small island near the coast of Scotland, and it is said that only the Scottish know how to make the best curling stones.
Except for stones, other equipment includes brushes, a kind of device used by players to sweep the ice in front of a moving stone; and specially-made shoes which use different materials in two of the pair, one for slide and one for antiskid.
Compared with other winter games, the ice of curling is totally different and has to meet some very strict standards, such as the temperture of the ice rink (which should be no more than minus six degrees) the venue temperature (which should be no more than 12 degrees). But these standards are for formal competitive events, if you play curling just for fun, some of these demands can be ignored.
Some may think that curling is only a sport of the brain, a sort of "chess on ice", but the president of World Curling Federation (WCF) Kate Caithness does not think so.
"I think it is a physical sport. When you come to Olympic Games, there are ten teams, you have nine round-robin matches, and go to semifinals and final, so you have to be physically fit," said the chief of world curling governing body.
"But you also have to use your brain, and this is why our sports is called 'chess on ice'. In terms of participation, it's a game for all - seniors, juniors, men, women all can play. My father is 87 years old and he still says it is a fascinating sport. And the most important - it is fun, all sports should be fun," Caithness said.
