A BRIEF HISTORY of CURLING

The first evidence of curling in the world was found in Scotland in the sixteenth century. A typical example is the famous Stirling Stone with the engraved inscription 1511, the first written reference to the sport. Thereafter, both prose and verse from Scotland frequently referred to the sport called curling. However, at the same time, the sport appears in the Netherlands on the paintings of Peter Bruegel and Jacob Grimmer. The shadowy past of the sport fails to reveal any real; organization of clubs or rules before the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1716, the Curlers of Kilsyth in Stirlingshire formed a club and other in central Scotland followed.

The sport's earliest stones were nothing more than rocks that were felt to be suitable for use. They were all shapes, sizes, and weights with no handles except for niches chipped in the rock for sufficient grip of the thumb and forefinger. By 1775, circular stones with the metal handles had become common and with then birth of the Royal Caledonian Club in 1838, came the ultimate standardization of the size and shape.

Scottish immigrants brought the game to North America in the eighteenth century where it spread across the northern US and Canada. By 1855, curling clubs started in New York City, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Portage, WI.

The modern game evolved by the Twentieth (20th) Century into a game of precision and finesse. The equipment and the facilities have made the playing surface more consistent and predictable, particularly over the past twenty (20) years. With these changes came the ability to master the conditions and put more emphasis on the strategy. Between the months of October and March over one (1) million people are enjoying curling in over twenty-five (25) countries. With curling's recent affiliation as a full medal event in the Winter Olympics, we expect the game to continue to grow in popularity.