Rob Corn fell in the love with the sport of curling after watching the 2010 Winter Olympics on television.
The 29-year-old had always loved athletics, but his new-found passion for a sport otherwise played at private clubs and high-level competitions has provided McHenry County and other suburban residents the opportunity to follow his lead.
The Crystal Lake Ice House added curling surfaces, known as sheets, to its facility in August, giving locals an opportunity to learn the sport, in which competitors throw large stones across ice in the hopes of getting closest to the target area, known as the house.
(PHOTOS: Crystal Lake Ice House curling.)
“It’s just exploded,” Corn said of the sport’s popularity. He serves as curling director at the Crystal Lake Ice House . “We’ve seen a lot of people come through Crystal Lake because the sport is super addicting. We are hopeful to grow the sport in McHenry County.”
A game consists of two, four-player teams competing with eight stones — or rocks — to accumulate the most points. A usual game will run eight ends — similar to innings in a baseball game — at a curling club and 10 ends in championship play like those seen during the Winter Olympics.
There is a first, second, third and fourth thrower. The fourth thrower is the skip of the team and is usually the final decision maker of strategy. The skip also guides throws at the other end of the sheet with a broom indicating the line of delivery.
When the rock is thrown, two teammates sweep the ice to help it reach its final destination in the house. The closer the stones are to the center — or button — the more points that are earned.
Myrina and Jim Figiel have been curling together for several years and are members of the Oak Park Curling Club.
The husband and wife compete as a tandem in leagues throughout the area and recently attended an open house at the Ice House to hone their skills.
“It’s so much fun to be able to do something together,” Myrina Figiel said. “The strategic elementary are amazing. I love the idea that we can do something like this together.”
Prairie Ridge High School graduate Mark Hamilton attempted the sport for the first time during the same open house in early February.
The 22-year-old Cary resident was pleasantly surprised with the difficulty of throwing the stone, which typically weighs between 38 and 44 pounds.
“It’s a lot harder than it looks,” he said. “You give the stone just a little turn and it sails off. This is awesome and totally different than anything I have ever done.”
Besides the competitive aspect, curling is a sport that brings people together, according to those who play it.
“It’s a shared passion wherever you go,” said Corn, who hopes to one day qualify for the Winter Olympics. “The relationships are great because in the curling world, you make friends for life.”
