The Roaring Game
A sport, known as the roaring game, suffered a setback in Australia recently when more than one-third of the nation’s entire supply of a vital piece of equipment was stolen. What sport was involved and what equipment was stolen?
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Curling and curling stones. 58 of Australia’s stock of 150 curling stones were recently stolen from a parked refrigerated lorry in Melbourne, Australia. Curling is known as ‘The Roaring Game’ from the noise made by the stones as they travel across the ice, as referred to by Robert Burns “The curlers quat their roaring play” (1786 ‘The Vision’). (Quat is Scots meaning quit.)
Curling is thought to have been invented in and is originally chiefly associated with Scotland where the first written reference occurred in 1541 although paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder dating from 1565 show the game was played in the Low Countries at a similarly early time.
‘The Curlers’, Eglinton, Ayrshire 2nd February 1860
Image from Wikipedia
The game is similar to bowls but played on ice with stones, instead of on grass with a wooden ball (bowl), where players slide their stones towards the centre of a tee or button, which is marked by concentric circles, with the object being to get as many stones as near the centre as possible. Unlike bowls the throwing player can be assisted by other team members sweeping the ice in the path of the stone and thereby ensure a longer run. Once the stone nears the button opponents can also sweep the ice to keep the stone moving through or even passing the target.
Playing area showing the Tee or Button
Image from Wikipedia
Curling left, and right new and old stones
Original images from Encyclopædia Britannica
and Wikipedia (New stone) (Old Stone)
The stone is made from granite with many believing that ailsite, a riebeckite granite from Ailsa Craig (a Scottish island in the Firth of Clyde off the Ayrshire coast) being the best material to make the highest quality stones. Since curling became a full medal sport at the Olympics in 1998 all stones used in Olympic competition have been made from Ailsa Craig granite.
Ailsa Craig a.k.a. Paddy’s Milestone
Image via Wikipedia
Owing to Ailsa Craig’s position approximately halfway between Belfast and Glasgow the island is known as Paddy’s Milestone. Although Ailsa Craig’s main sporting connection is its granite being used for curling stones it also comes to prominence during another sporting event – albeit in a very peripheral way – in golf when The Open Championship is played over the Ailsa course of the Turnberry links in Ayrshire Ailsa Craig is often seen in television’s panoramic views of the course and surrounding coastline.
