Out There Though the Scots have perfected curling into a science, it's the Canadians who've made it into an art form. No other people has embraced the game of curling as the Canadians with approximately 1.3 million curlers, a thriving cash-circuit, large TV ratings and several hundred clubs. Since the advent of the world curling championships in the early 1950's, Canadian curlers have won over half of them. In Canada, if a town is large enough to support a bowling ally, it's large enough to support a curling club.
Ice rinks are as numerous in Canada are there are baseball diamonds in the States.
In the last few years, the popularity of curling in Canada has risen to such an extent, that it regularly surpasses hockey in ratings. In Europe, the countries best known for their curling are Scotland, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland. Curling in Asia has been steadily growing in both facilities and membership. Realizing that size and strength are not the major factors in the game, and that curling facilities take up less space than traditional games, Asian sports associations are seriously looking into the sport. Curling is currently played in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.