OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The U.S. Olympic curling trials begin Friday, November 12 at Baxter Arena. For nine days, 12 teams made up of six women’s teams and six men’s teams will compete for a spot in Beijing.
The sport has evolved in recent years, attracting even those who are not curlers.
“I feel as a fan, once it’s on TV, you stick to it and to see it in person, it’s so much better. Tactics … these are elite athletes who have to do that.” It’s really fun to watch. Omaha Sports Commission Chairman Josh Todd said, “Even if you don’t know anything about it, you still find yourself involved.”
“Compared to many North American games, it’s very different. You’re clearing the surface of the playground rather than impacting the actual object—the rock—so it’s very different from a lot of games,” says Nick Ridder , said Aksaben, president of the curling club. “You see a lot with the Olympics every four years. We’ve seen tremendous growth in the Olympics over the past two decades and it’s not slowing down, especially in the United States.
Sport takes a tremendous amount of mental and physical ability. Athletes analyze small details to ensure that the stones land in a strategic location.
“It takes years of practice to figure out what you have to do and sweep and work, but the real trick is that the stones don’t move in a straight line, so what you do is move the stones. ” and you can hide other stones behind that stone. So there are a lot of important details: where are you going to put the rocks, where are you going to put the rocks behind or in relation to those rocks. It takes practice. A lot of people call it chess on ice for a reason,” Ridder said.
During the Olympic Trials, athletes will analyze details ranging from the wear of the ice to the curve and moisture of the stone. And fans and even those who have never seen it before will be able to see it in person here in Omaha.
“It’s fun to drag your body down on the ice like this and throw stones at the other house. It’s really fun. If you sit on the ends of the ice, you can see the stone curl, so there’s science to it.” ” He told Todd, “Sweep it to go fast. It’s a fascinating game and a lot goes into it, a lot more than people think when you see it on TV.”
To get tickets for events, visit Omaha Sports Commission website,
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