Welcome to curling!: Your guide to the coolest sport at the 2022 Beijing Olympics



Our Welcome to Curling series is designed to help newcomers to the sport understand what they’re watching during the 2022 Olympics and beyond. Listeners can decide how deep into the sport of curling they want to go. Individual episodes discuss the rules, jargon and strategy you’ll see while watching curling. We also go into the history of the game, why you should get on the ice and try it and answer some frequently asked questions.

If you’re just now discovering the sport, you can listen to these episodes and impress your friends while watching curling during and after the Olympics. If you’re a long-time curler, send these episodes to your friends who are interested in getting to know more about the sport.

We hope you’ll find these episodes useful and continue to follow Rocks Across the Pond as we cover the growth and development of this great game. Good curling!

Welcome to curling!

Rules, stones, brooms and how the game is played – This episode explains the rules, equipment and game setup for the Olympic curling tournaments. For this episode, we are joined by Lauren Brownlow, a sports journalist from North Carolina.

Terms, jargon and what you’ll hear during Olympic curling – This episode helps you decode the jargon and terminology you’ll hear from the players and announcers while you’re watching curling. For this episode, we are joined by Meredith Kane, a radio producer from Cleveland, Ohio.

Strategy and tactics you’ll see during Olympic curling – This episode goes into the strategies and tactics teams will use to try to capture gold in Beijing. For this episode, we are joined by Alex Freedman, play-by-play announcer for the Oklahoma City Dodgers Triple-A baseball team.

The origin of the sport (History part 1) – In this episode, we cover the history of the sport from the frozen lochs of Scotland through its evolution into what we recognize today. We are joined by Ryan Nagelhout, a sports writer and podcaster who covers Buffalo sports.

How curling became an Olympic sport (History part 2) – In this episode, we cover the modern history of curling and how the game has professionalized since becoming part of the full Olympic program in 1998. We are joined by Ryan Nagelhout, a sports writer and podcaster who covers Buffalo sports.

How you can try curling – In this episode, we tell you how you can try curling, why we love it and why it offers something for everyone. We are joined by Alice Kloker, a recreational curler from England.

Frequently Asked Questions – Why do curling players sweep? Who are the greatest curlers of all time? Get the answers to these questions and more in this episode.

Meet the Olympic curling teams

Mixed Doubles – Two countries make their Olympic curling debut at the 2022 mixed doubles tournament in Beijing.

Women – The incredible field of women’s curling teams going for gold at the 2022 Olympics.

Men – Familiar places compete for a place in history during the men’s tournament in Beijing.

U.S. Olympic curling viewing guide

2022 Olympic and Paralympic Curling Schedule – Includes time zone converter and U.S. broadcast information.

How to watch Olympic and Paralympic Curling in the U.S. – How to watch the games live, both streaming and on TV.