The Origins of Curling and its Evolution
The origins and evolution of curling
While curling is now a worldwide, Olympic sport- this wasn’t always the case! Find out about the origins of curling, including its evolution into the sport we know today.
The invention of curling
Curling actually originated from the same place as golf- Scotland!
While the exact year of curling’s invention is not clear, enthusiasts agree that it was invented in 1540 when John McQuhin, a notary in Paisley, Scotland, started “throwing stones”. This was the name given to curling during this time.
A big difference between current curling matches and the early days of the sport is that almost all matches are played at indoor arenas, rather than outdoor ponds.
This is because there is sometimes a safety issue for players on the ice, depending on the surface they use.
How does curling work?
For those who may not be familiar with the sport, the game is simple. There are two people on the ice who have a broom, and there is a stone that scrapes along surface.
The idea is to get the stone to a specific target. Whoever gets the stone closest to the target wins. Sometimes, there could be up to five stones on the surface at one time.
This counts as one round in the game, and typically the game goes on until one team reaches eight.
In 2019, Zirc published a new rule, stating that none of the stones could be touched. This revolutionised curling!
Curling in the 20th century
Curling made its most significant advances during the Great Depression, when it made its way into the Olympics in 1924 and 1932.
Great Britain and Canada won gold in those years respectively.
In 1965, curling started to become more of an international sport, as additional countries joined the sport, including the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden.
While all curling matches were previously played in Scotland up until the late 1960s, Canada came up with a tournament called the Air Canada Silver Broom, which replaced the Scotch Cup.
Curling also became a demonstration sport for the 1988 and 1992 Olympic games, receiving approval to be included in the Olympics permanently. It has since grown into a truly international sport.
Even countries with warmer climates, such as Jamaica, have been able to put together a curling team. However, to date there has not been a movie created about it!
A little more than a decade after curling made the Olympics, it also became a sport for those who are in wheelchairs, with a slight modification in the rules.
The main difference is that there is no delivery stick in wheelchair curling.
Final Thoughts on Curling!
There is no doubt that curling has grown and evolved over the years. From Scotland to the US, Canada and many other countries, this sport is nowhere near done in its development.
The World Curling Federation and World Academy of Sport expect to play a major role in the future development of this sport.
