The skip is at the helm and it’s time for the rink to take to the sheet. The lead is about to try to hit the broom and the sweepers are awaiting their instructions. The crowd is beginning to bubble with excitement as the curling match begins.

Although in Seattle curling does not have the popularity other sports enjoy, we too have our very own curling club, with members including Garfield’s senior Chris Pleasants, who takes to the ice throughout the year.

There are four members on each team, known as the rink. The teams rotate as each player throws two granite rocks, with 16 throws equaling an end. The first player to throw their stones is called the lead, followed by the second, then the vice skip, and finally the skip. The skip is the team captain and is responsible for developing the game’s strategy, telling the sweepers when to sweep, and deciding on the aiming point.

Since the rocks curl after being thrown (hence the name curling), they have to be aimed at a different point than the final target. When the aiming point is hit, it is called “hitting the broom.” There are small bumps called pebbles raised across the ice, and are what the 42– pound rocks actually slide on. The goal of the game is to have your rock closest to the center of the house, which will give that team a point. Only one team can score a point in each end.

Curling is a tradition in the Pleasants family. Chris started playing when he was eight years old and curls at Seattle’s Granite Curling Club. This year, he is playing on a team with some friends where he is the skip.

“That’s my favorite, getting to call the shots,” he said. “Curling is a game where people of all ages can come together.” Because of the small number of youth curling teams, all ages compete against each other.

After the last Winter Olympics, the popularity of curling increased greatly. “Tons of people came in. We were teaching and the leagues were full,” Pleasants said. “It’s a good thing but it’s also kind of sad that we don’t always have enough space for people.”

With the curling season approaching, the Granite Curling Club will be holding open sessions for anyone who wants to learn how to curl, or for those with experience to come out and play.

Curling isn’t a sport where people go out and yell at the refs. For one thing, there aren’t any refs. Everything is done on an honor code, and if there is foul play, the perpetrator is the first to speak up about it. In curling, there are no “sore losers or bigheaded winners” as Pleasants says.

After a game is played, it is common for “broomstacking” to occur. This is a social get-together for all the members of both teams can exchange stories and get to know one another. For Pleasants, the best part about curling is “the friends you make. It is a close-knit community. You know all the curlers in the state.”

This is a sport that does not cater to a specific body-type, belief, or capability. The Canadian Deaf Curling Association’s goal is to promote curling amongst deaf people of all ages. They have hosted the Canadian Deaf Curling Championships since 1979. There are also numerous gay curling associations including GayCurl Canada and Curling With Pride. Gay curling began in Toronto in 1962. The Canadian Police Curling Association began in 1955 when the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police wanted a way to encourage “fellowship and liaison among Canadian police officers” and promote the game of curling.

If you want to try a new sport, curling should be at the top of your list. With people who are eager to show you the ropes in a fun atmosphere, curling is a must for the upcoming winter season.