Watch curling – yes, the sport with the brooms – at Irvine’s Great Park Ice this week - OCRegister

This week, Great Park Ice in Irvine is hosting its first major international competition since the pandemic, but it’s not hockey or figure skating – it’s curling.

Yes, curling, the sport where players slide special stones along the ice and teammates sweep the path in front of them with long-handled brooms.

“Probably not many people in Southern California have seen curling live,” said Art Trottier, vice president of The Rinks, the Anaheim Ducks’ group of nine facilities including Great Park Ice. But they’ll have a chance Wednesday through Friday, when teams of curlers from four countries will compete in front of spectators during “Curling Night in America.”

• Chris Plys releases a stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• A curler sweeps in front of a stone for Team USA at practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• John Landsteiner sweeps in front of a stone as coach Phill Drobnick times him for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• A worker sprays water on the ice to create pebbling for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• John Shuster throws a stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Matt Hamilton throws the stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• John Landsteiner sweeps in front of the stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Colin Hufman is all smiles after releasing a stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• USA and Canada practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• John Shuster throws a stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• John Landsteiner throws a stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• A curler prepares to throw a stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• A curler throws a stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Colin Hufman releases a stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• Matt Hamilton throws a stone for Team USA during practice for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

• A worker sprays water on the ice to create pebbling for the “Curling Night in America” competition at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. NBC is filming the competition on August 24-27, 2021. The seventh season of “Curling Night in America” includes teams from Canada, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Interest in the sport surges around the winter Olympics, and Orange County has had a curling league for at least a decade – Trottier said he and his wife even played for a couple of seasons because it looked like something fun and different to do together.

Interested in checking out what’s the sport all about? Here’s what to know:

What is “Curling Night in America”?

The event set for this Wednesday through Friday will feature men’s, women’s and mixed doubles teams from the U.S., Canada, Germany and Denmark competing in a tournament that will be taped by NBC Sports for broadcast next month.

Several matches will be held throughout each day, and spectators are welcome (tickets start at $10 for the earliest match and go up for later ones). Trottier said he’s hoping for crowds of up to 600 viewers for the evening competitions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSv-aVpaseM

What is curling and where did it come from?

The sport is believed to have originated in the 16th century, when “it was played on the frozen lochs of Scotland,” said Jenna Martin, USA Curling’s senior director of marketing and communications.

In the 1800s, Scottish immigrants brought curling to America and other places where ponds and lakes freeze, though now it’s played almost entirely indoors, according to the World Curling Federation’s website.

Four-person teams try to land granite stones closest to a target on the ice, set up a defense around their stones that are in scoring position, or knock opponents’ stones off the target. Rather than ice skates, players wear special shoes, one with a surface that lets them slide as they deliver the stone, and one that grips.

Martin likened the concept of curling to bocce ball, where players try to roll their balls near a target ball and get more of them close to it than opponents.

What’s the deal with the broom?

When one player throws a stone, a teammate uses a special broom to sweep along in front of it, both to help the stone travel farther and to direct where it goes. “They put little scratches into the ice, which will direct the running surface of the stone,” Martin explained.

Meanwhile, another teammate known as the skip oversees the team’s strategy, holding a broom for the stone thrower to aim at and helping direct its path for the sweeper.

So who can participate in curling?

USA Curling’s membership currently includes about 200 clubs representing 25,000 players, Martin said, and anyone can play a version of it. With wheelchair-accessible and adapted versions for people with different abilities, “we think of it as a lifetime sport,” she said.

During the 2018 Olympics, about 7 million people watched the gold medal curling match, she said, and USA Curling hopes to build more interest with the Irvine event.

It’s a game known for its sportsmanship and collegiality – enthusiasts call it “the spirit of curling” – that includes respecting the other players, following the rules and buying your opponent a drink afterward, Martin said.

Curling Night in America will be held Wednesday, Aug. 25, through Friday, Aug. 27, at Great Park Ice, 888 Ridge Valley, Irvine. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.greatparkice.com.

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