Curling

Curling, game introduced from Scotland and played in the United States and Canada for over 150 years. Granite stones of up to 3 ft (0.9 m) in circumference are propelled along “rinks” of ice 138 ft (42 m) long, with the object of hitting, or getting nearest to, a tee or target stone at the other end. World championships were introduced in 1959, with Canada and the United States winning all but 1 of the first 11. Curling is also popular in Scandinavia, Switzerland (which has several curling “schools,”), and, of course, Scotland, where a curling stone dated 1551 has been preserved.