Curling Curling is one of the more unique Winter Olympics sports, frequently compared to shuffleboard but played on ice. A 42-pound curling rock, or stone, is pushed and subsequently glides down a sheet of ice as two players sweep the surface in front of the stone vigorously. The object is to roll the rock past each of the opponent's markers without lifting your brush off the ice. The game dates back to 1829 when it was called "Gobble-curle." It was originally played with peas or beans instead of rocks, but those aren't used anymore. Today's curlers use their broom to sweep the ice before the match and keep up with the action during the game. They will also use their hands at times when making a difficult shot. There are four main types of shots in curling: the takeout, the draw, the drop, and the layup. Each player takes it in turn to be the "thief," who tries to steal points from his or her opponent by throwing the rock first. The order of play is determined randomly by tossing a coin. In addition to the thief, there are two guards, who like the thief, try to avoid being hit by the rock. If a guard is struck, he or she has one chance to leave the circle; if not, they become part of the next throw. The aim is to score seven points or more without losing any of your own rocks.