Curling, a sport originating in 16th-century Scotland, will feature prominently in the 2026 Winter Olympics starting February 4 in Italy. Known as 'chess on ice,' it combines precision, strategy, and athleticism as teams slide heavy granite stones toward a target while sweeping the ice. Local clubs in the U.S. are offering crash courses to build excitement ahead of the competition.
Curling traces its roots to the 1500s in Scotland, where paintings depict people sliding rocks across frozen ponds. It debuted at the Olympics in 1924 but became an official event only in 1998 at the Nagano Games in Japan. The sport demands finesse and serious effort, with sweeping burning up to 500 calories per hour.
In gameplay, two teams of four players each take turns sliding 38- to 44-pound granite stones—crafted from rare Scottish granite—across a 146-foot sheet of textured ice toward the house, a target area with four concentric rings. Each team throws eight stones per end, similar to an inning in baseball, over 10 ends in a tournament game. The thrower delivers the stone with a rotational curl, while teammates sweep vigorously with brooms to control its speed and direction, smoothing the ice to guide it closer to the button, the center of the house.
Scoring awards points to the team with stones closest to the button, closer than any opponent stone in the house. Only one team scores per end, with a maximum of eight points possible—a 'snowman'—if all stones outperform the opposition. Strategies include knocking opponents' stones away or using guards to protect one's own.
The 'spirit of curling' emphasizes sportsmanship; players self-report rule breaches, and winners traditionally buy drinks for opponents. As the World Curling Federation states, 'Curlers play to win, but never to humble their opponents.'
Ahead of the Olympics, facilities like CurlVegas in Las Vegas and Broomstones Curling Club in Wayland, Massachusetts, are hosting sessions. At CurlVegas, President Brad Whitlock highlights the sport's blend of 'precision and physical effort,' offering one-hour experiences and 90-minute lessons that end in mini-competitions, plus viewing parties.