How it all began
Curling is an old sport. The first record of it being played was in 1541 in Glasgow, Scotland. The Scottish would play it when the weather got cold enough for the locks (ponds) to freeze. The stones, then called "loafies", would be hurled on the flat surfaces to stop in the middle of a circle. As a winter sport, it became more popular when it was able to move indoors and out of the elements. It also allowed curling to be played all year. Curling was first played in the Olympics in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Since then, it has gained more attention and more people are starting to play. There are now curling clubs all across the United States. Even though curling has been around for almost 500 years, it is just now becoming truly popular.