
Naseby is a little place in the middle of the central Otago region. It's also home to the best Curling facility in New Zealand. You've all seen them on the Winter Olympics. One person skates forward releasing a 20 odd kg stone. It slides down the alley accompanied by the sweepers frantically sweeping in front of the granite lump, trying to get it to stop in the circle. What I didn't realise is that the opposing team take over the sweeping (once it passes a certain line) to try and get it to overshoot. It's a great game. We had about 10 minutes of instructions and were off. The alleys are in a huge refrigerated building, about -3. Honestly bloody freezing, after an hour we were almost hyperthermic :)!! Basically you gently swing the stone backwards and forwards releasing it with a slight turn - the stone glides off at a gentle arc curling towards the target, hence the name "curling" without the curl or spin if you like, they are completely uncontrollable, with a bit of spin the experts can land it on a sixpence.

Diane letting go of the stone, nice technique sweetheart


It's all in the wrist action


Bit of sweeping and..

right in the sweetspot !

This is the actual Olympic torch from the games held in Torrino Italy 2006
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