The Roaring Game

Book excerpt: Harking back to Scotland in the 16th century, curling is an increasingly popular game in which two teams of four players slide stones over a stretch of ice toward a target circle. As "Open Ice" explains, the sport's attraction is that anyone can play it, whether young, old, average Joe, or superstar athlete. This lively book explores the genesis and growth of curling from humble origins in stream-beds centuries ago to its present status as an Olympic sport and cult favorite. In surveying curling's wide history, author Doug Clark includes a fascinating range of the many and often unusual places -- such as James Bond and Beatles movies -- it appears. Clark takes readers behind the scenes at the Olympics, explores the giddy highs and tragic lows of momentous moments in curling history, and introduces an unforgettable array of eccentric curlers, including "The King of Swing," noted for his dancing prowess and "swing" ice that makes rocks curl wildly.