Harrikada Equipo de curling en Vitoria-Gasteiz
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What is curling?


Curling is a sport played on an ice rink where two teams formed by four players play against each other. The ice rink is marked out by two targets called home separated by 45 cm one from the other. Each team must throw, alternatively, 8 granite stones of around 20 kg each that will slide through the ice rink until they get the opposite target.

During the throw, players have to sweep the rink with brooms in order to act on the speed and direction of the stones. The friction caused by the brooms provides heat to the surface and makes slipping of the stone easier.

Once all the throws have been done, the stone of the team that is closer to the centre of the home will give the win to its team. The winner team will get one point for each stone closer to the centre until the first stone of the rival team appears.

Currently, curling is strongly established in Canada where even it is played at a professional level. Besides, it is played in most European Nordic countries and it is being spread to many other countries, such as Australia, New Zealand or Japan.


Curling was born in Scotland on the XVI Century as an entertainment to be practiced on frozen lakes. This is known due to the fact that the most ancient stone found is dated on 1511. It was found in Dunblane (Scotland) when a pond was being drained. The stone weights 11.8 kg and has the following inscription on it: “St. Js. B. Stirling. 1511

The game was known as “the roaring game” due to the noise that stones produce when they slide over small water drops that remain semisolid over the surface of ice (called pebble). The word “Curling” comes from the Scottish verb to curr that means “to produce a small noise”.

Curling is an Olympic game since Nagano Games (1998)