There's an opportunity for you to try a new game.

Two person curling is a fairly new way to play the sport. It's a fast-paced game where the majority of play is to the center of the house.

You will place 2 rocks and then each team will throw 5 more. The first couple rocks thrown are crucial as you'll want to be the first to get to the button.

"It's easier to get 2 people together and organized, than a team of 4" says Jacqui Armitage with the Kindersley Curling Club.

Biggar’s Brett Barber was fairly cool about the sport at first, “when doubles first started, I thought it was silly. I compared it to the CFL and the NFL. Same sport, but a completely different game.” 

She played mixed doubles and changed her tune right away. “Playing it really changed my mind. I absolutely love mixed doubles curling."  

Doubles curling makes it a lot easier to find a personality match, as four person curling will often end up being a team of 5 or 6. Getting 6 people to get along swimmingly after weeks of curling, eating, and sleeping together is difficult. Barber concurs, “I think that's a huge part of it. Another huge part is when you love strategy. One player can throw rocks 1, 3 and 5. Or you can switch it up from end to end. It’s fun and super fast paced as it only takes an hour and a half to play a game.” She will be competing in the provincial mixed doubles curling bonspiel beginning March 2nd in Weyburn. 

Doubles curling (or mixed doubles as it's more commonly known) started as the brainchild of Warren Hansen from Edmonton, AB. He's 79 years old and once served as the event director for Curling Canada. He also helped win the '74 Brier and currently does a podcast with Kevin Martin called Inside Curling. He helped introduce the sport as part of the Continentel Cup Of Curling tournaments in 2002. In 2008 Finland held the first ever World Mixed Doubles Championship. In 2018 mixed doubles curling was added to the list of Olympic Sports, to be played in Pyeonchang, South Korea.

Try it out for free on Sunday January 8th at the Rosetown Curling Club 7-8pm. Contact Brian for more info rosetowncurling@sasktel.net