[SkateDC] So You Want to Curl? [Off Topic]

[Edward Leibnitz]

I'm only interested in ONE thing a bout curling......

Do they wear "specially-designed curling shoes"?

Carbon-Fiber?
Custom molded?
six-month waiting list just to get your foot molded?

:)

-Ed

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George Marinkovich" <skatewash at yahoo.com>
To: "WAR Skate List" <skatedc at www.skatedc.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2010 10:41 AM
Subject: [SkateDC] So You Want to Curl? [Off Topic]


Are you a curler wanna-be?

In other words, are you...

1) not embarrassed to to be seen doing something in public that's likely to 
elicit mirth from bystanders?

2) not afraid of ice or stones?

3) not put off by the awful puns endemic to the curling community?

But a tiny example of this disturbing phenomenon:

"The sport that's sweeping the nation."

and

"Come and throw rocks at our house."

(Apparently curling is the favorite sport of those whose day job is coming 
up with the names of hair salons. At the very least the same people seem to 
be involved in both activities.)

Since this is a skate list, I figure most people made it past the first 
qualification.

As for the second qualification, while there may be some pagophobes around, 
I
 can't imagine they can be too numerous. If you didn't already know (and I 
hope you didn't) pagophobia is the Greek term given to those who fear ice or 
frost.

(Wait a minute, fear of frost? Come on. Are you kidding me? Frost is like 
baby ice, right? It's like being afraid of cute and cuddly baby bears for 
goodness sake! I'll bet even violently ice-fearing pagophobes can't help but 
make fun of their frost-fearing compatriots.)

And fear of stones is apparently so rare that there's not even an 
insert-your-fear-here-and-add-phobia-to-the-end term for it. (Although I did 
run across an anecdotal report of fear and loathing, but only if the rocks 
were actually "underwater": 
http://isitnormal.com/story/fear-of-rocks-under-water-21930/).

Finally with regard to the third qualification, in my experience 
paronomasiaphobia (fear of puns) tends to dissipate with exposure (and goes 
away entirely once your first
 successful pun has been crafted). So again, probably not many people 
knocked out of the running by this requirement.

If you've made it this far, then you may be a candidate curler!

Curlers it seems are a most hospitable group and are anxious to encourage 
others to join them in their obsession. Whether this characteristic stems 
from their natural bonhomie or their fear of eventual extinction, surely 
inline skaters, of all people, can empathize with their motivation.

Sadly it turns out this was THE weekend to get in on some curling action. I 
say sadly because there was much going on curling-wise in the DC area 
yesterday and I didn't find out about it until this very morning. 
Apparently, the winter Olympics is when the curlers hold their all-out 
campaign for converts.

Some of it is still going on today (Sunday) at the National Capital Curling 
Center (NCCC) in Laurel, but I think you have to be a youth (under 21) to 
participate. Anyway all the details for those interested are available from 
the Potomac Curling Club:

http://www.curldc.org/ourclub/openHouse/index.php

What we missed on Saturday:

Hilton Garden Inn to host curling expo
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/02/08/daily75.html

and an open house at the aforementioned NCCC facility:
http://www.curldc.org/ourclub/openHouse/index.php

So alas, while it seems that the stone has left the house (so to speak) on 
curling this weekend, it is worthwhile noting that the Potomac Curling Club 
offers their open houses twice a year (in October when the winter curling 
season begins, and another one
    in January). Also, I guess it's possible to spectate at one of the 
weekly games held at the NCCC or maybe even catch the Cherry Blossom 
Bonspiel in March.

Happy curling,
George

P.S. I'm sure there's a great pun to be made involving "curl up and die," 
but I leave that as an exercise to the reader.






_______________________________________________
SkateDC mailing list
SkateDC at ligemail.lig.net
http://ligemail.lig.net/mailman/listinfo/skatedc