Doug Clark
Doug Clark is part of our Doug & Doug Evening at Books n Beer!
Thursday, november 8th - 7:30 pm
as always, at The Ironworks Pub
In The Roaring Game: A Sweeping Saga of Curling, bestselling journalist and amateur curler Doug Clark takes the reader on a fascinating behind-the-scenes journey all the way from the sports humble beginnings in sixteenth-century Scotland, to the first international bonspiel played in Buffalo, New York, in 1865 (a match between Canadian won), to where the sport is today. It is estimated there are more than 1.2 million curlers worldwide. While as many as 90 per cent are registered in Canada with its 1,100 clubs, the United States boasts as many as 13,000 curlers in 135 clubs-including a club in sun-drenched Arizona! Hurry! Hard! is even shouted in Cameroon. The fact is, anyone with a pulse can curl. From age nine to ninety, male or female, tall or short, players of all races and abilities enjoy the infections camaraderie of the sport. But its not all about the socializing. Curling is a complex and maddeningly difficult game to perfect, and the competition can be ruthless. Its not surprising that competitive curling attracts larger and larger crowds every year. Curling became a full-medal Olympic sport in the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, where the Canadian mens team won silver and the womens team took home gold. Curling has officially entered the realm of elite sport, making heroes of its stars, like Mike Harris, Sandra Schmirler, George Karrys, Colleen Jones, Brad Gushue, and Glenn Howard. Curling has come a long way. Just ask Clarence Shorty Jenkins, a.k.a. The King of Swing. It was his innovations that helped revolutionize the game. In his words, A curling rock is smarter than a human being.