Stick curling — a variation of curling that has players use a stick that attaches to the handle of the curling rock — continues to gain traction in P.E.I.
“We are doing pretty good for the little old Island, we do damn good,” said stick curler Bob Leard from Montague. “It’s great exercise for us older guys who like to curl.”
The stick allows the curler to deliver the rock from a standing position, but it doesn’t make the game any easier, said Leard.
“To stick curl is just as hard as to regular curl, because as … you have to think all the way through the game. It’s a two-man team and that’s it. I feel that it’s more of a challenge,” he said.
‘I got two artificial hips … but I can still curl’
Leard has been playing the game for about two decades. He turns 85 Wednesday and doesn’t plan to quit the sport any time soon.
Bob Leard says stick curling helps him stay active. (Lindsay Carroll/CBC)
This week, stick curling teams from Alberton, O’Leary, Cornwall and Montague all met in Montague for a one hour game.
Island curlers have had a strong contingency in the Stick Curling National Championships over the years, usually sending several two-player teams