New kurling craze on target in West Lothian

Oct 13 2011 by Kieran Westbrook, West Lothian Courier

A NEW sporting craze is sweeping across West Lothian – New Age Indoor Kurling.

As the name suggests, the game is a variant of the Olympic sport of curling.

But instead of being forced to book out ice rinks or wait for lochs to freeze over, kurling can be played on any flat surface.

Players throw stones towards a target, as they would in curling.

But these plastic stones travel on ball bearings and the target is a plastic mat, making it moveable, allowing the game to be played anywhere.

Like curling, each team gets four stones and alternate shots with the aim being to get theirs closest to the target.

Some curling fans may turn their noses up at the game, especially as there is none of the sweeping that is so popular in their sport.

But while there isn’t any sweeping to direct the stones, that only makes the judgement of the thrower even more critical – you can’t fire a dud along the surface and scream directions at your teammates to save you.

The simplified nature of the game and the move away from the ice has led to a broad appeal for the sport.

And seniors health group Aging Well is among those having latched onto the sport and promoting its playing.

After successful tester sessions earlier this year they have set up a weekly Wednesday session at Bathgate Sports Centre.

Aging Well co-ordinator Avril Kerr said: “I decided to start putting the sessions on after finding out about it all on the internet.

“It seemed like something people would be interested in and it’s something that anyone could do.

“It can be played anywhere there is a flat surface and we have already brought it to sheltered accommodation and in community centres.

“All you need to do is put the mat on the floor and have enough space to make the target far enough away.

“Some curlers have tried it but they tend to prefer sticking to what they already like, which I can understand.”

She added: “Our group is obviously made up of older people and they seem to be getting a lot out of it.

“Obviously as you get older it is important to stay active, and activities like this can certainly help.

“They certainly seem to be enjoying themselves and it is getting quite competitive!

“There is the potential for competitions and leagues, but we don’t want to make it serious.

“There is a proficiency programme people can go through if they want to get to a certain level or skill, but really we’re just interested in the fun side of it.

“It’s about socialising and staying active.”

Anyone looking to take part can come along to sessions on Wednesday afternoons at Bathgate Sports Centre.