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A guide to curling in the comfort of your own home

Carmen Schaffer, Alina Paetz, Janine Greiner

Switzerland’s Carmen Schaffer, center, watches the rock as Janine Greiner, right, and Alina Paetz, left, sweep the ice during the women’s curling match against Japan at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Wong Maye-E

Curling distinguishes itself from many other Winter Olympics events in being something people can imagine actually playing (even watching aerials feels painful sometimes).

For many, it remains little more than a thought. After all, it’s not so easy for everyone to track down a heavy stone made in an uninhabited Scottish island and an appropriate rink to curl on.

An enterprising reddit user came up with a way to play the game in a way that echoes beer pong and other dormitory games. Here’s a look at how the untitled game (random suggestion: table curling?) plays out:

There’s even a list of rules:



  • First to 5 points wins.
  • Only 2 shot glasses per team
  • It’s just like standard curling so whichever team gets the most “stones” closest to the center wins that many stones
  • You can’t throw past the top of the circle when releasing the stone to the other side. (We later created a dotted line on the tops of each circle)
  • If the shot glass tips over then it is considered a “No Stone” and is placed off to the side. There is no “do over”.
  • If the brush hits the “stone” then it is considered a “No Stone”
  • The 2 red solo cups shown on the video are kept in place there and can’t be moved. (We traced 2 circles around the cups)
  • The person brushing can’t hover over the table (The water can change the game)
  • Just like regular curling, you can attempt to take out the other “Stones”

They might just be onto something.

The question is: who will become your friend group’s Liu Rui?

(H/T to Fourth Place Medal.)

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins