Curiosity Correspondent: What exactly is curling?

You know that sport you see during the Winter Olympics in which the people slide the stones across the ice? And there are people with brooms sweeping in front of the stone and yelling at each other? That’s curling.

What is actually going on with this sport? Benjamin Crutcher, our Curiosity Correspondent, wanted to know more, including how to win. Did he leave a champion?

How did easy did you assume curling was going into this?

Simple. Take a rock and chuck it down the ice. Then you sweep a bunch until you win a gold medal. I assumed that if you can play darts in a chilly Midwestern basement, you can curl just as well.

What’s your favorite thing you learned about curling?

What the brooms do! It shouldn’t be surprising that curling takes a level of skill that most people aren’t just born with. Very few people are birthed into this world as expert members of medal winning curling crews. But I’m also not sure people give enough credit to the athletes that participate by studying how the sweeping can affect the stone’s velocity and trajectory

I ask this not to insinuate you are unathletic, but how sore were you after a few hours of this? Because you are unathletic.

I’m not sure i understand the question. If Wayne Gretzky slips and falls on ice, does he not grit his teeth as he grips his own thighs for days, while walking up and down stairs? Exactly what I thought.

Do you feel like your aggressive nature of yelling at your teammates was a positive or negative leadership trait?

Positive. Motivation is crucial in having a team unify, and working together to accomplish a goal. What you don’t get from the video is how lucky the other team was that our aggressive tactics were what put us in the position to win, and what ultimately was our own downfall. It’s a classic “we beat ourselves” story. You can’t do great things without being willing to fail miserably in front of a howling audience. A leader needs excellent communication skills, and in this world, the louder you are, the more clear your message. Don’t fact-check that.

Your team lost at the end. How long did that stick with you and how does it feel to be 0-1 in your curling career?

I appreciate the challenge of beginning my career in the hole. There is a certain pride in having worked hard through a loss, than handed a victory.

What’s the biggest piece of advice you think you could give someone wanting to learn to curl?

Bundle up and wear thick shoes! The ice sucks the heat right out of you.

Is there a sport or event you want to see Ben try? Let us know at mark.potts@latimes.com

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