Ski jump way too high. Bobsled *** touch too fast, but curling. There's just something about curling. I think when you watch it, you're like, I could do that. I mean, I could do that. Look at the people curling. I could do that, right? Michael Erelik is one of those people, president of the Chesapeake Curling Club on Maryland's Eastern Shore. You can wear sneakers and walk. You can pretty much curl. Believe the deck shoes, this is no shuffleboard, and there's *** ton of strategy in it. So, you know, I've heard *** lot of people call it like chess on ice. Chess or darts, bull's eye. What you want to do is get closest to the button. That's the red bull's eye, and you're just *** stone's throw from knocking the opponent right out of the way to do it. And then the chore turned athletic advantage, the sweeping. Sweeping is really athletic if you do it well. You've watched curling. They wear they wear short sleeve shirts and they come in drenched with sweat because they are scrubbing that ice so hard. And by doing that, they can make the stone go *** little bit farther or curl *** little bit less. And the ice, not smooth, but pebbled, which allows for the curling of the stone. As the competition wears on, so too does the ice. From the beginning of the game to the end of the game, the way the stone travels down the ice, how much it curls, how much you have to sweep, the strategy you call, all changes. What never seems to change though is the love for curling. So Team USA not set just yet. The road to Milan Cortina runs through Sioux Falls. That's where US Olympic team trials will be held in November. On the road to Milan, Cortina, I'm Jason Newton.
Curling the surprising challenge on the road to Milan-Cortina
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Updated: 1:57 PM CDT Aug 25, 2025
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As world-class athletes prepare to gather in Milan-Cortina for the Olympics, curling stands out as a sport that seems accessible but requires significant strategy and athleticism. Michael Ehrlich, president of the Chesapeake Curling Club on Maryland's Eastern Shore, said, "When you watch it, you're like, 'I could do that. I mean, I could do that. Look at the people curling, I could do that, right?'"Ehrlich explained that curling is more than just wearing sneakers and walking, emphasizing the strategic aspect of the sport. "There's a ton of strategy in it. So, you know, I've heard a lot of people call it, like, chess on ice," he said. The goal is to get closest to the button, the red bull's-eye, while knocking opponents out of the way.Sweeping, a crucial part of curling, requires significant athletic effort. "Sweeping is really athletic if you do it well. You've watched curling. They wear, they wear short-sleeved shirts, and they come in drenched with sweat because they are scrubbing that ice so hard. And by doing that, they can make the stone go a little bit farther or curl a little bit less," Ehrlich said. The ice is pebbled, allowing the stone to curl, and changes throughout the game, affecting strategy. "From the beginning of the game to the end of the game, the way the stone travels down the ice, how much it curls, how much you have to sweep, the strategy you call all changes," Ehrlich said.Team USA's curling lineup has yet to be determined. Team Trials are set for November in Sioux Falls, where the nation's top curling teams will compete for a chance to represent Team USA in Milan-Cortina. Following the Team Trials, both the U.S. Men's and Women's teams still must qualify for Milan-Cortina via the Olympic Qualification Event in Kelowna, B.C. in Canada in December. The U.S. Mixed Doubles Team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin already earned a spot in the Olympics.
As world-class athletes prepare to gather in Milan-Cortina for the Olympics, curling stands out as a sport that seems accessible but requires significant strategy and athleticism. Michael Ehrlich, president of the Chesapeake Curling Club on Maryland's Eastern Shore, said, "When you watch it, you're like, 'I could do that. I mean, I could do that. Look at the people curling, I could do that, right?'"
Ehrlich explained that curling is more than just wearing sneakers and walking, emphasizing the strategic aspect of the sport. "There's a ton of strategy in it. So, you know, I've heard a lot of people call it, like, chess on ice," he said. The goal is to get closest to the button, the red bull's-eye, while knocking opponents out of the way.
Sweeping, a crucial part of curling, requires significant athletic effort. "Sweeping is really athletic if you do it well. You've watched curling. They wear, they wear short-sleeved shirts, and they come in drenched with sweat because they are scrubbing that ice so hard. And by doing that, they can make the stone go a little bit farther or curl a little bit less," Ehrlich said. The ice is pebbled, allowing the stone to curl, and changes throughout the game, affecting strategy. "From the beginning of the game to the end of the game, the way the stone travels down the ice, how much it curls, how much you have to sweep, the strategy you call all changes," Ehrlich said.
Team USA's curling lineup has yet to be determined. Team Trials are set for November in Sioux Falls, where the nation's top curling teams will compete for a chance to represent Team USA in Milan-Cortina. Following the Team Trials, both the U.S. Men's and Women's teams still must qualify for Milan-Cortina via the Olympic Qualification Event in Kelowna, B.C. in Canada in December. The U.S. Mixed Doubles Team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin already earned a spot in the Olympics.
