Looking for Something Fun to Do? Try Curling!

During the winter I often find it hard to keep active or find fun things to do. So, when some friends organized a curling event, I thought that was pretty neat! My first experience curling was last year and it turned out to be a lot of fun. This winter I wasn't able to participate as I have a baby on the way (I'm not that hardcore!), but I got to see my partner in action (one of his many talents)!

There aren't many curling rinks in Toronto but if you'd like to try it out, we went to one in Leaside called the Leaside Curling Club. You can rent ice time in 2 hr blocks and for newbies, they can also provide instruction but you'll want to talk to them more specifically about it if you decide to try curling. I heard prices are going up, but if you get 8 people per sheet of ice, the price is around $20/person.

the lounge

The first time might be a bit awkward as the motion and form is something most people are not used to.  However, although the ice is slippery, it's pebbled (droplets of water sprayed on the ice to allow the rock to curl) so it's not as slippery as you'd expect when walking.  The hardest part is keeping your balance when throwing the "rock" or "stone".





One of the surprising things about curling is the rock is quite heavy (about 40 lbs)! You shouldn't lift it off the ice 'cause chances are, if you're not careful and the rock drops on the ice, you damage the ice. That's a definite "no-no".

It's something different and a lot of fun when you get the hang of it and start to think about strategy. I'd definitely recommend it as a fun activity in the winter, but ice time books up quickly so if you're interested, you should book soon!

Side Note:
The Toronto Sports and Social Club also organizes Learn to Curl events and tournaments which you can check out on their website here:  http://www.torontossc.com/events/