The Curling News: Chess on ice The Curling News The official Blog of The Curling News, planet Earth's official voice on curling. Founded in Canada in 1957 and still the definitive authority on the sport today. Subscribe online at Friday, June 22, 2007 Chess on ice. Bah. That comparison is something curling has had to deal with since the dawn of time. Much of it (but not all) is rubbish, but we have always wondered what actual chess players think... has anyone ever asked them about the comparison? Do chess players wrinkle their nose in disgust at the mere mention of curling? Has anyone ever offered that “chess is like curling with multiple pieces, physical components and a very different playing surface”? Doubt it. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov (photo) is the world chess federation chief, and in a May 31 interview on this website , he was asked about his sport’s endless quest for Olympic inclusion: Q: Are you still trying to bring chess into the Olympic family? A: We are working on it every day. You probably know that we opened a FIDE office in Lausanne, getting closer to the IOC headquarters.

We work in all the structures of the IOC – committees, IOC associations etc., and ask the IOC to state criteria for an international sports federation to join the Olympic family. They are reluctant to state it, and we keep pressing. For example, why curling became an Olympic sport? When they applied for the status, they advertised curling as ‘Chess on Ice’. Isn’t it absurd that chess on ice is an Olympic sport, and ‘mere’ chess is not? Hmm. Sounds like the biggest problem may be that curlers, and curling mandarins, are guilty of using the comparison themselves. A lot. Ilyumzhinov, by the way, is also president of the Republic of Kalmykia , a Russian subject, and according to various media reports faces persistent accusations of diverting his republic’s resources for his own use, of human rights abuses, and of suppressing media freedom. Oh, and he apparently claims to have once been abducted by space aliens. Hey, we don’t write all of this stuff; sometimes we just pass it on ... Also: • U.S.

curling skips Deb McCormick and Pete Fenson were horsing around – er, bearing around – in Alberta recently and stumbled across a taping of the hunting TV show Canada in the Rough . In no time, the pair were caught on video – Deb fishing, Pete bear hunting – plus both sitting on a bear stakeout, and talking hunting. Oh, and there’s a hot tub scene. Honest. Will the curlers make the final cut? You can find out this Sunday, on Global Manitoba CKND at 7:30 AM, and on Global Ontario Sunday at 8:00 AM ... Posted by Curling, or “chess on ice” is a very unique sport for those of all ages! | FOX6Now.com Curling, or “chess on ice” is a very unique sport for those of all ages! Posted 10:18 pm, December 23, 2014, by Tom Pipines Email This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. WAUWATOSA (WITI) -- The sport of curling has been around forever.

It has a great history in Wisconsin, and it's having a lasting impact on many lives. "So much strategy I call it chess on ice," Allen Miller said. Curling is a sport that originated in the 16th Century in Scotland. It started in Wauwatosa in the early 1990s. It is played with stones made of granite, and there's a broom and cool shoes. Players slide the stones on a sheet of ice towards a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding the stones, also called rocks, across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a circular target marked on the ice. Each team has eight stones. The purpose is to accumulate the highest score for a game. Points are scored for the stones resting closest to the center of the house at the conclusion of each end, which is completed when both teams have thrown all of their stones. A game may consist of ten or eight ends.

The curler can induce a curved path by causing the stone to slowly turn as it slides, and the path of the rock may be further influenced by two sweepers with brooms who accompany it as it slides down the sheet, using the brooms to alter the state of the ice in front of the stone. A great deal of strategy and teamwork go into choosing the ideal path and placement of a stone for each situation, and the skills of the curlers determine how close to the desired result the stone will achieve. "I think it's the social aspect really. You curl against a team of four. All eight people curl together. You go downstairs. You have a few beverages, snacks and food -- talk about everything and anything," Dave Traut said. "All ages curl. we have a youth training program and they curl in bonspiels (curling tournaments) around the Milwaukee area and we have a college program. We love to get people started. That's part of the social aspect of it. We have members up into their 80s. Almost anybody can play the game.

People look at it and go 'I can't get into it because I can't bend my knees or I can't bend my back that way.' Well, you can throw it with a stick -- so it's like shuffleboard with a stick, so it's a very easy game to play," Dave McCoi said. Dave Traut says a particular tournament that was held recently is very close to his heart. "I came up with an idea to have a bonspiel this year that basically is a fundraising benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I lost my aunt a little over two-and-a-half years ago. If I can combine that research with my love for curling, I can't think of a better way to do it. Since she was an active woman, she'd probably have a little bit of a concern that I'm making a fuss over her but she'd appreciate it all the same," Traut said. CLICK HERE to learn more about the Wauwatosa Curling Club. 1 Comment Carl Deutsch May want to check your facts–Wauwatosa Curling Club played its first game in 1921, not the early 1990s as stated in the piece. Is chess a sport?

| Debate.org Is chess a sport? Chess a sport? Chess is not a sport. You are sitting on your butt and moving game pieces, that's not a sport, that's a board game. And honestly, this is why Americans are fat, because people think that chess is a sport. It's like saying that eating ice cream is healthy, just stupid. Really guys, come on. Do you honestly think that chess could be a sport? No way, just get real. America needs to go back to how it was a long time ago where people actually worked and went outside to play, not calling chess a sport. Just wow. Exercising the Muscles. Chess exercises the most important muscle, the brain. While we glorify the typical large-muscled athletes in physical sports these chess players, who worked just as hard, are given the short end of the stick. A sport is a activity that competes team or individual against team based on skill, what chess does. Submit Skill Is needed Most definitions of the word 'sport' state something along the lines of a sport needing physical prowess or skill. Chess is a game of skill and reactions, and even predicting.

At the same time, for something to be considered a sport, it must be done competitively, which chess is always done. Anyone who argues otherwise has probably never played chess or does not understand the concept of a 'sport' Submit Chess is a sport It is a sport because people sweat during the game and you can get finger cramps. Just like any other sport it requires skill and a true mindset to the game. Plus they cant deflate chess pieces so it should be fine. They cant cheat. Unlike the patriots. This is the sport of the year. Submit Yeah, It Is Most consider something a sport based on the idea it must require physical exertion. That's a fairly arbitrary standard, considering each sport requires a different degree and focus of physical strength. Is American football more of a sport than baseball? If not, then chess is as much of a sport as curling (curling has even been called "chess on ice"). Right now, there are five recognized "mind" sports by the International Olympic Committee: go, draughts, poker, bridge, and chess. It seems that since people don't notice the mental torture players go through in chess matches, it can't be a sport.

Championships require multiple matches, each requiring an extensive amount of focus. Some people disagree (usually casual players and non-players), but tournaments are exhausting. Chess is truly a sport of endurance. Chess is a wonderful mix of sport, art, and science. Submit Chess is a Game Chess is a two-player board game believed to have been played in India as early as the sixth century AD. In different parts of this world, different chess games are played. The most played variants are western chess, Shogi (in Japan), and Xiangqi (in China). The western version of chess is a game played on an board, called a chessboard, of alternating black and white squares. Pieces with different types of allowed moves are placed on the board, a set of black pieces in the first two rows and a set of white pieces in the last two rows. The pieces are called the bishop (2), king (1), knight (2), pawn (8), queen (1), and rook (2). The object of the game is to capture the opponent's king.

Chess on Ice Online: Telestream Wirecast Pro and Matrox VS4 Live Stream Curling Championship - Streaming Media Producer Current Digital Edition Chess on Ice Online: Telestream Wirecast Pro and Matrox VS4 Live Stream Curling Championship The Mount Royal Curling Club leverages the Telestream Wirecast Pro and Matrox VS4 to deliver a live-switched feed of the 2013 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship to online viewers across Canada. Posted on May 15, 2013 Page 1 of 3 next » Bookmark/Share Tweet Curling, a sport where players throw heavy granite stones also known as “rocks” across sheets of ice towards a painted target, is widely recognized as being one of the world’s oldest team sports. Originating in medieval Scotland, where it was played on frozen ponds during cold winters, the sport was later brought to other parts of Europe and North America by Scottish emigrants. Curling requires a lot of strategy, skill, and teamwork to ensure that the rocks reach their optimal positions on the ice.

This gives the sport its nickname, “Chess on Ice.” When the Town of Mount Royal (TMR) Curling Club (QC, Canada) was given the honor of hosting the 2013 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, organizers recognized that including as many spectators as possible was essential to ensure the tournament’s success. Fourteen curling teams from every Canadian province and territory would be descending upon Montreal for the week-long competition. Although early reservations showed that a large contingent of family members and friends would be at the rink to support the 56 players, there were many others who could not make the trip. How would they follow the action? Despite the fact that this was the largest sanctioned curling event to be played in a club setting, it would not be broadcast on any television network. Instead, the competition would be streamed live over the internet to curling clubs, homes, and offices across the country. Publishing via Livestream and Hashcaster Michael McAteer, past president of the TMR Curling Club, was responsible for media production. He explains, “We selected Livestream , recognizing that it is the pre-eminent video streaming service and that the pricing of their service package suited our budget.

Plus, it’s easy to embed their streaming video player in the event splash page hosted by Hashcaster.com .” Hashcaster provides a unique service to event planners by posting moderated Twitter feeds on a well-designed web page. This was the first time that a live video feed would also appear on a Hashcaster page. “Although we maintained a website for the event, Hashcaster proved to be a far easier platform to update and provide timely information to spectators. In fact, it was not unusual to see spectators at the club referring to their tablets loaded with the event Hashcaster page.” Page 1 of 3 next » Related Articles SUNDAY MONEY - RECREATION - Like Chess on Ice, but With Brooms and Big Stones - NYTimes.com SUNDAY MONEY: RECREATION; Like Chess on Ice, but With Brooms and Big Stones By HARRY HURT III Published: March 13, 2005 DURING long, dark winters, many people find themselves curling up beside a fire with a cup of hot chocolate or curling up in bed with a good book. But for thousands of Americans, curling is an appealing game played on ice with special brooms and granite stones.

It is also an Olympic team sport that enthusiasts say is far more challenging than it may have appeared to people who dozed off during television coverage of curling at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. ''Curling is often called chess on ice,'' said Chris Moore, 50, a banker in Cleveland who has been curling for more than 35 years. ''It's intellectually challenging because all the strategy involved requires you to think four or five moves ahead. And it demands accuracy and finesse. Many times a game comes down to hitting a square inch from over 120 feet away.'' Leon Romaniuk, 39, a software developer in Seattle, noted that a typical game lasts about two hours and requires about two miles of walking, as well as plenty of vigorous sweeping. Mr. Romaniuk, who recently competed in Madison, Wis., at the United States team trials for the 2006 Winter Olympics (he did not make the team), said his off-season training included weightlifting, jogging and cycling.

''When you get to the top level of any sport,'' he said, ''you need to be fit to maintain that crucial edge.'' But many newcomers are attracted by the social aspects of curling, said Peter McCuen, 70, a former publishing executive who is president of the Ardsley Curling Club in Ardsley-on-Hudson, N.Y. ''It's a game almost anybody can play, from age 8 to over 80,'' he said, referring to club-level curling. ''There are no gender or strength advantages.'' Jeff Lessuk, 49, a financial adviser in Ossining, N.Y., says he and his wife, Robin, a fashion consultant, particularly enjoy competing in bonspiels, the term for out-of-town curling tournaments with a party atmosphere. ''It's something we can do together all winter,'' he said. Although curling hardly threatens to overtake golf or tennis in popularity, it is showing signs of growth, especially among baby boomers. Canada is the world curling capital, with more than a million participants annually, according to the Canadian Curling Association.

Rick Patzke, a spokesman for the United States Curling Association in Stevens Point, Wis., said there are 140 curling clubs nationwide, and an estimated 16,000 curlers, up 15 percent in three years. Curling is most popular in northern states like Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois and New York, where several local curling clubs have more than 400 members each. It became an Olympic sport in 1998, and after its television exposure at the 2002 Games, clubs have opened in places like Scottsdale, Ariz., and Dallas. ''A lot of us are transplanted Canadians like me,'' said Karen Tait, 56, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, who is president of the Coyotes Curling Club in Scottsdale. Curling's origins are subject to vigorous debate; although it may have first been played in Holland or Scotland, there is no doubt that Scotland took the lead in popularizing it. Some mentions of Scottish curling date back to 1540.

Players used wooden sticks or cornstalk brooms to sweep impediments out of the path of crude stones they hurled across the ice. Each team has four players who use curling brooms that have synthetic fabric bottoms rather than bristles. The field of play, called the ''sheet,'' is 147 feet long. At each end is a target in the shape of a bull's-eye, 12 feet in diameter and known as ''the house.'' The primary object is to slide a rounded 42-pound ''rock,'' made of granite and having a metal handle, from the starting block, or ''hack,'' into the house. A second goal is to knock opponents' rocks out of the house. Most club games have eight rounds, or ''ends,'' like innings in baseball. In major competitions like the Olympics, there are 10 ends. Each player shoots two rocks per end. Points are awarded at the conclusion of each end to the team whose rocks are closest to the center of the bull's-eye. The rub -- in this case, the curl -- is that the rock almost never slides in a straight line. That is because the ice is sprayed with water, leaving it pebbled with tiny bumps and ridges.

The pebbling causes the rock to rotate and curve as it slides. A player sliding the rock tries to modify this natural ''curling'' action by twisting the rock's handle to the left or right before releasing it. The team leader, known as the ''skip,'' points his broom to the spot where he wants his teammate to slide the rock. After the rock crosses a line 20 feet from the starting block, two other team members use their brooms to sweep the ice in front of the sliding rock without touching the rock itself. This sweeping action melts the ice, enabling the rock to slide further and to continue curling in the desired direction. A member of the opposing team waits with a broom on the far side of the house. As soon as the rock crosses a line bisecting the bull's-eye, the opponent may also sweep the ice in an effort to make the rock slide outside the house, or beyond it. Curling, like golf, operates on an honor system: players are expected to call any rules violations on themselves. Curling also places strong emphasis on post-competition camaraderie. ''There is a tradition in curling that you shake hands with your opponents before and after every game,'' Mr.

McCuen said. ''Then the winners sit down with the losers and buy them a drink.'' While the rules and strategies can be complex, the required equipment is simple -- and cheap. Curling clubs provide the ice, rocks and even the brooms if needed. According to an informal survey, membership fees may be as low as $70 and rarely more than $500 a season. CURLERS dress in warm casual clothes and wear curling shoes, which cost about $80 to $120 a pair. As an alternative, they can simply attach a $12 flat metal or ceramic plate known as a slider to the bottom of an athletic shoe. Curling brooms may cost $40 to $200. Other indoor facilities in the New York metropolitan area include sites in Plainfield, N.J., and Norfolk, Conn. New York State has indoor sites in Utica, Schenectady and Rochester and an outdoor one at Lake Placid. Many curling organizations are so-called paper clubs, with no physical facilities. Those include the New Caledonian Curling Club, which was established in 1855 but now shares the ice at the Ardsley club.

Other paper clubs rent ice on hockey or skating rinks. Although it is possible to curl throughout the year, the season traditionally runs from late October to late April. Unlike most other sports, curling generally does not have professional instructors, aside from a few Olympic-level coaches. At a vast majority of sites, club members provide free lessons for beginners. ''Our club is all volunteers with no paid staff, and most of us are pretty good-natured about welcoming newcomers,'' said Mr. Lessuk, who started curling at the Ardsley club eight years ago. ''Curling's pretty obscure,'' he added. ''We have to work to keep it alive.'' Photo: Jennifer Stannard, left, Ray Bejnart and Bev Bejnart at the Ardsley Curling Club. The obscure sport of curling is now gaining popularity, especially among baby boomers. (Photo by Norman Y. Lono for The New York Times) Chess on ice: Curling requires strategy and skill | The Spokesman-Review Chess on ice: Curling requires strategy and skill THURSDAY, NOV.

6, 2014 • wenatcheecurlingclub.com/ While channel-surfing during the past Winter Olympics, you may have come across it – a game of shuffleboard on ice, where skippers yell in various languages at their teammates sweeping frantically ahead of a sliding 40-pound stone. You, like so many others, may have found yourself inexplicably drawn to this “goofy” game. For several founding members of curling clubs throughout the Inland Northwest, that is how it all began – watching television at odd hours of the night, trying to decipher this enigma on ice. In many towns and cities throughout Canada, instead of basketball courts (a mainstay in the United States) you will find curling rinks. It should be no surprise Canada’s men’s team has won gold in curling for the past three Winter Olympics, while their women’s team won gold in 2014 and has made the podium every year curling has been an event. At first glance, it may be hard to understand how the sport got its name. The same goes for its nickname, “chess on ice.” But after one session, the answers become crystal clear.

In Scotland, where the sport owes it roots, they call it “the roaring game,” a reference to the sound the stone makes while traveling across pebbled ice. It is a game that elicits many unexpected sensations – the caress of cold ice on your knee during a delivery, the sweat beading on your forehead while sweeping, the clanking sounds of stones meeting within the house. It will tap your mental facilities – does your team score that last stone or take the hammer for the next end? Each curling team consists of four players. A typical game lasts eight to 10 rounds, which are referred to as “ends.” During each end, each player will throw two stones, equaling a total of eight stones thrown per team, 16 per end. The objective, similar to lawn bowling or bocce ball, is to get your team’s stones closest to the button (the innermost circle) inside the house (a bull’s-eye consisting of four rings). The players whose stones sit closest to the button win the end. The winning team is awarded one point per stone closer to the button than their opponents’.

Prior to a match, someone will spray the ice with water droplets, thus “pebbling” the ice, so when a player releases a stone at the hog line (the release line) with a slight spin, friction between the granite and ice will cause the stone to curl (hence the name of the sport). Two sweepers will join the stone during its trip down the ice toward the house. Their job is to do one of three things – extend the travel distance of the stone, reduce the amount of curl placed upon it, or both. Once the stone reaches the line horizontally bisecting the house, called the tee line, only one member from the stone’s team may continue sweeping. Also, at this time, once that stone’s edge crosses the tee line, a member from the opposing team may sweep however he sees fit. The team that does not score receives what is called the hammer, next round. The hammer is the last stone played. Because the hammer is a valuable commodity, teams will often discuss whether it’s worth scoring or having the hammer going forward. The team’s captain, referred to as the skipper, will call out to the sweepers, instructing them whether to back off or really put some elbow grease into it.

“It’s harder than it looks,” said Rick McCrickard, Lilac City Curling Club board member. “The guys on the Olympics make it look effortless. Getting your slide technique down is probably the most difficult. A lot of people struggle a little bit with the curling of the stone. “It’s your momentum that actually pushes the stone if the ice is good. Otherwise, you have to shove the heck out of the stone to get it to make it. It’s your slide that gives the stone its momentum.” Lilac City Curling Club hosted its Curling Clinic last Sunday. This Sunday, it will be kicking off its third season in Spokane. “We’ve got bus drivers, we’ve got scientists, financial analysts, we have real estate people (playing the game with us),” McCrickard said. “Even if they haven’t tried the game … don’t worry about having never curling before. We’re happy to teach you. We have teams that are playing each other, and the skip for the opposite team is just as quick to help out the other team as he is himself.” Spots are on the Lilac City Curling Club’s roster are still available, but teams are filling up fast and registration will close Friday night for the fall session.

Signups will remain open for the winter session until the end of the year. Visit the Parks and Recreation Department website to sign up: beta.spokanecity.org/recreation /sports/others/, or call My Spokane at (509) 625-3200. Lilac City Curling Club hosts matches at the Ice Palace in Riverfront Park every Sunday from 6-10 p.m., for seven weeks. People are encouraged to come down and watch. If an extra sheet of ice is available, people are welcome to come down onto the ice and give the sport a try. The club provides all necessary equipment to participants. There is no cost for demoing the sport. The individual cost for registering for a team is $125. All participants must sign a waiver prior to playing. At the Ice Palace, though it is covered, outdoor elements still affect the game. While at the championship level every single detail – temperature, humidity, frequency of pebbling – is monitored and controlled, Lilac City Curling Club must contend with Mother Nature. “One side of that arena is right next to the river,” McCrickard said.

“We find that moisture from the river comes in and kind of slows down the ice. When it dampens, it gets slower. When it’s warmer, it’s slower.” The Coeur d’Alene Curling Club got its start on a pond when a group of North Idaho teachers poured cement into spaghetti pots and threw them at spray-painted lines on the ice. Today, there is cross-participation between Coeur d’Alene and Lilac City. The clubs hope to eventually host a bonspiel (tournament), perhaps sparking a friendly rivalry. Coeur d’Alene will host their third annual bonspeil on May 1. A passion for curling exists throughout Montana, especially in Missoula where they boast their own outdoor arena. Mountains to the north and east provide a scenic backdrop to this venue. They will host their own bonspiel this March. After a great game of curling, there is only one thing left to do: broomstacking (if you’re old enough). Teams meet at the bar afterward, in keeping with the tradition where players would leave the pond and stack their brooms beside the fireplace and enjoy a few adult beverages. If your team lost, no worries – the winning team buys the first round.

When asked if Lilac City Curling Club has a broomstacking song, McCrickard said, “We have a couple Canadians. They’re prone to break into ‘Oh, Canada’ on occasion.” Published: Nov. 6, 2014, midnight Chess on ice by Pioneer News Group - issuu issuu FELIX, SWARTZ WIN PAC-12 TITLES Boise State wrestlers qualify for NCAA tournament SPORTS, B1 ‘SLAVE’ WINS TOP OSCAR ‘Gravity’ garners numerous awards NEWS, A7 75 cents Monday, March 3, 2014 Two Vallivue schools part of safety study Assistant superintendent: We’re grateful for study By IDAHO PRESS-TRIBUNE, TWIN FALLS TIMESNEWS and IDAHO FALLS POST-REGISTER STAFF newsroom@idahopress.com © 2014 Idaho Press-Tribune BOISE — A recent state report will help at least one Canyon County school district address its vulnerabilities in school safety. The findings of the study were not surprising, according to many school officials and elected representatives across the state. But they were disturbing.

A recent safety and security report published by the Idaho Department of Education documents threat assessments at a random sampling of 74 Idaho public schools — about 10 percent of all schools in the state. Among those were two from Vallivue School District. The report found that in 71 of the schools, investigators got in from an unauthorized entryway. On average, they were on their own 10 minutes before anyone approached them. But at 19 schools, “we just wandered around,” said Matt McCarter, who oversees a division of the state Department of Education. Gary Johnston, assistant superintendent at Vallivue School District, said two of their schools were selected, but he didn’t want to give many details because of the subject’s sensitivity. CHESS ON ICE Boise Curling club allows locals to try out ancient Scottish game “ Denise McCann, of Boise, releases a stone at the Friday evening Learn to Curl class at Idaho Ice World.  Take a video ride on the curling stone at idahopress. com/multimedia There’s always a big surge around the Olympics … we are having five classes, and there is a waiting list of people who want to learn.

It’s been great.” Greg Kreller/IPT JARED BELSHER President of the Boise Curling Club By BOBBY ATKINSON batkinson@idahopress.com Y Hog line throwing curling is 10 ends (which are much like innings). In each end, teams of four take turns throwing the stone toward the house. Each player throws two stones — eight stones are thrown in each end. At the end of the end, the team closest to the center of the house is awarded a point for each stone closer than the opposing team’s closest stone. 2. Our thrower in the 3. The first player to sweeping stone se Hou Photo illustration by Sara Oliver/For the Idaho Press-Tribune and Bobby Atkinson/IPT 6. It’s a game of strategy, Backline things like “Whoa!” and “Hurry hard!” to the sweepers. In the illustration, the stone being thrown comes to a stop near the button. If this were the final throw of the end, the red would be granted two points because two red stones are closer to the button than the yellow team’s closest stone.

sweeping follow the skip’s calls about how hard and when to sweep the ice in front of the stone (or around opponents’ stones). Sweeping creates friction to melt a layer of ice, allowing the stone to travel further and curl less. Skip 5. The skip calls out illustration is shooting a draw shot. The skip behind the house will point with his or her broom where the thrower should aim. The thrower pushes off the hack (a grip behind the house) and glides with the stone across the ice, turning the stone slightly to make it curl. The thrower must release the stone before crossing the hog line. 4. The two players throw, called the lead, will usually try to throw guard shots, in which the stone lands in the free guard zone (between the hog line and the house). Stones thrown by the lead that land in the free-guard zone cannot be removed. Other stones are disqualified if they touch a free-guard zone stone. Hack line 1. A typical game of stone © 2014 Idaho Press-Tribune CALDWELL — Sophomore Jaynee Combs is what most would consider a normal teenager on the surface.

She’s a 16-year-old Thomas Jefferson Charter School student who enjoys drama and choir, and loves to travel. She’s a teacher’s aide in two classes. But what makes Combs a standout in the Caldwell community is her involvement in something weightier than history or school sports. Combs started volunteering for Advocates Against Family Violence when she was 14 — one of Canyon County’s largest resources for victims of domestic violence. The organization has a shelter for women and children, transitional housing and many other services. Combs volunteers at events and at AAFV’s daycare, Hope Lane Learning Center. She started watching the children while their moms went to classes. The reason she started volunteering, she said, is because she was also in a support group at the shelter for children that had domestic violence in their homes. Combs said she feels she can relate to the children and teens. “This summer I will be joining the AAFV Teen Advisory Board to bring awareness in Canyon County and the state of Idaho on teen dating violence and prevention,” Combs said. Although graduation is still a ways off, Combs hopes to attend a design school and she’s exploring colleges in Florida. Before that happens, she hopes to be a foreign exchange student as a senior.

What is the biggest accomplishment or honor you’ve made or received in high school? Taking and passing my driver’s test. Free guard zone Center line Caldwell sophomore volunteers for domestic violence shelter so the throws of the next three players are decided by the skip, the last shooter and the team’s “quarterback.” The second and third may throw guards, draws (throws to land in the house) or takeouts (throws to knock away opponent stones). The skip throws last and usually throws for points, especially if the team has the hammer, the last stone thrown in an end. © 2014 Idaho Press-Tribune ou probably saw it during the recent Winter Olympics. It was nothing if not intriguing. Colorfully dressed men and women standing on a long, narrow sheet of ice. Someone sliding across the ice with some sort of fat stone. Two people vigorously sweeping the ice in front of said stone. And someone at the end behind a target painted on the ice yelling seemingly nonsensical things like “Hurry hard.” Curling has been around since the 16th century, when it was first played in Scotland.

Scottish immigrants brought the game to North America, specifically Canada, in the 19th century, and it’s been hugely popular with our northern neighbors ever since. But the sport wasn’t an official Olympic event until 1998, and when the winter games are held every four years, there’s a resurgence in interest among Americans. It was the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver when Jared Belsher’s interest was first sparked for “The Roaring Game” — a nickname for the game due to the sound the stones make gliding across the ice. “I saw it on the Vancouver Olympics and said, ‘What is this? This is awesome,’” Belsher said. Four years later, Belsher is the president of the Boise Curling Club, which hosted a “Learn to Curl” class Friday and Saturday to teach Treasure Valley residents how to play the sport referred to as “Chess on ice” because of the strategy involved. The club was founded in 2004, and Belsher, who joined in 2010 after attending a Learn to Curl class, said it has grown every year since. It’s especially grown every four years as the Winter Olympics broadcasts the game to hundreds of millions.

“There’s always a big surge around the Olympics … we are having five classes, and there is a waiting list of people who want to learn. It’s been great,” Belsher said. Belsher said the classes teach people the basics of what can be a complicated sport (see illustration for a basic guide on how the sport is played). Please see Curling, A3 WHAT YOU CAN DO To learn more about the league and/or sign up to be on the waiting list for the next class, visit boisecurlingclub.org or send an email to info@boisecurlingclub.org. Jaynee Combs SPORTS CORRECTION: A story in Sunday’s sports section incorrectly listed whose 4A scoring record the Kuna High wrestling team broke. Sandpoint previously held the record.  Deaths Catherine Muller Larry Wilson Arleen Bill Charles Jenkins Sr.  Obituaries, A5 Classifieds ������� C4-6 Comics ��������������� C3 Legals........

A7, C7-8 Lottery �������������� A2 Movies �������������� A2 Opinion ������������� A6 Weather ������������ A2 7 Facts And 3 GIFs: Hellooo Curling : NPR Potomac Curling Club members (from left) Miriam Terninko, Christopher Richard, Joe Rockenbach and Henrique Kempenich await the arrival of stones to the house during a match Jan. 18 at National Capital Curling Center in Laurel, Md. Jim Tuttle/NPR hide caption toggle caption Jim Tuttle/NPR Potomac Curling Club members (from left) Miriam Terninko, Christopher Richard, Joe Rockenbach and Henrique Kempenich await the arrival of stones to the house during a match Jan. 18 at National Capital Curling Center in Laurel, Md. Jim Tuttle/NPR Most of the sports in the Winter Olympics involve great physical strength or agility. The goals are easy to understand: to go faster, to jump farther or more spectacularly. But one Olympic sport — curling — is as much about strategy and physics as physicality.

Curling is some combination of bowling, bocce ball, billiards and chess — all on ice. Oh, and there's sweeping involved, too, so throw some basic housekeeping into that mix. It's one of those sports people love to mock for not really being a sport. But don't tell that to Kevin White, an instructor at the Potomac Curling Club in a Washington, D.C., suburb where about a dozen newbies like me gathered on a recent weekend for a lesson. Here are some things I learned: 1. The ice isn't smooth, and the stones are quite specialized. "It has a textured surface," White says about the ice, "and what we do is we spray water droplets on here to give it what we call a pebbled surface." Curling brooms, stones and a pair of special shoes belonging to Potomac Curling Club member Joe Rockenbach. Jim Tuttle/NPR hide caption toggle caption Jim Tuttle/NPR Curling brooms, stones and a pair of special shoes belonging to Potomac Curling Club member Joe Rockenbach. Jim Tuttle/NPR The pebbled surface helps the stones move on the ice.

The stones are smooth and round, and squat like Saturn peaches, with handles on the top. Article continues after sponsorship They're also quite specialized, according to instructor Joe Rockenbach: "The rocks are made of granite — a specific type of granite from Scotland. They weigh between 38 and 44 pounds." 2. The idea is to push the stone from one end of the ice to the other, aiming for the center of the "house," which looks like a bull's-eye. "What do you think we call that? The button," says White. "Ever heard the term 'right on the button?' " Credit: Jim Tuttle/NPR But getting the stone right on the button? That's harder than it looks. 3. This is how the curlers start: Launching the stone involves getting into a low lunge position, pushing off with one foot, sliding on the other, and then when the athlete's body is moving along the ice at the perfect speed, releasing the stone with just the right amount of spin. Credit: Jim Tuttle/NPR When done right, it works like a curveball, and the stone curls to the spot the curler is aiming for. 4.

Unlike, say, bowling, the fun doesn't stop when the big heavy thing is launched down the ice. That's when the other members of the team start sweeping. "This is where the 'it feels like a sport' part comes in, and trust me it does," Rockenbach says. 5. A broom is used for sweeping, though it actually looks more like a spongy mop. Sweepers go out ahead of the stone, melting the ice ever so slightly with the friction of the sweeping. Credit: Jim Tuttle/NPR Rockenbach says the top-level sweepers can burn 500 calories an hour: "Sweeping accomplishes a couple of things. It can make the rock go farther; it can straighten out the path that the rock is traveling; it can burn calories; it can make you warm." 6. Strategy matters as much as sweeping. Each round is called an end (yes, this sport has a language all its own .) Each team has four players, and each player throws two stones. The team with the rock closest to the center of the button after all those throws wins the end.

Knocking the opposing team's stone out of the house or blocking its path are key parts of the game. This involves intense strategy sessions — and this is where curling really turns into chess on ice. How many points the winner gets depends on how many stones the winning team has closer to the center than their opponents' nearest stone. 7. After eight (recreation) or 10 (Olympics) ends, the game is over, but the players aren't done. "The most important rule in curling is the winning team buys the first round after the game is over," says Rockenbach. The post-game hangout is called "broomstacking," and it's actually really bad form if a player doesn't do it. That's even true sometimes at the Olympics — which brings us back to that whole argument about whether curling really, truly is a sport. You can follow NPR's coverage of the Sochi Olympics at our new blog, The Edge .

Question: Which sport is nicknamed ‘Chess on Ice’?
Answer: Curling