Roaring Game: The Sweeping Saga of Curling » (REV)

Doug Clark is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in publications such as the Globe and Mail, Saturday Night, Maclean's, and the Toronto Star. He is the author of Unkindest Cut:The Torso Murder of Selina Shen, Billion $$$ High, Heart to Heart, and Dark Paths, Cold Trails, which was short-listed for the Arthur Ellis Award for best non-fiction. Clark lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

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.

Foreword     9
Preface     12
Introduction: Casting the First Stone     15
In the Hack: In-Turn, Out-Turn, U-Turn     27
The First End: Haggis, Breakfast of Champions     29
In the Hack: Cottage Country's Ace of Clubs     51
The Second End: From Tee to Shining Tee Line     55
In the Hack: Home Sweep Home     75
The Third End: Rocks of Ages     79
In the Hack: A Sense of Community     95
The Fourth End: A Level Playing Field     97
In the Hack: In the Company of Ice Men     125
The Fifth End: Shorty Jenkins-"The King of Swing"     127
In the Hack: It's Raining Merklingers     143
The Sixth End: Clan Merklinger-Chips off the Shot Rock     147
In the Hack: Twister     165
The Seventh End: Black Ice     167
In the Hack: The Fun House     183
The Eighth End: Is There a Doctor in the House?     185
In the Hack: Holding for the Governor     209
The Ninth End: Tee Line, Hog Line, Bottom Line     213
In the Hack: Olympian Revelations     233
The Tenth End: The Olympics     235
In the Hack: The Ice Man Sippeth     267
Extra End: SilverScreen, Golden Memories     269
In the Hack: The Hammer     285
Acknowledgements     287