Let The Games Begin!
The Olympic torch has arrived at Sochi after a long journey interrupted at times while the flame was reignited. While few of us read Russian, the signs say it all.
Athletes from approximately 200 nations will begin competing at the XXII Olympic Winter Games at Sochi, Russia with some events held at a resort settlement of Krasmaya Polyana February 7- 23, 2014.
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As athletes arrive, they, naturally, are displaying their country’s colors. Some wintergear is becoming quite interesting. US athletes are wearing red,white and blue, and all athletes are gaily attired in normal nationalistic winterwear, while attention seems to be centered on the unusual. Norway has decided to “break the mold”, becoming a focal point of individuality. While Norwegian athletes “wear the colors”, the clothing patterns have been setting records.
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One unusual Olympic sport has drawn viewers’ attention since 2010.Ten curling teams from around the world will assemble on the “curling sheet” at Sochi to match brooms in an effort to attain Olympic gold and one team has unveiled their new look for the Sochi Olympics.
The Norway Curling Team managed to make curling interesting at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, thanks to their choice of uniform designed by a company called Loudmouth Golf. The Norwegians won the silver medal at those games, and will be donning four new versions of their famously flashy trousers when they compete in Sochi. The Olympics aren't the only event that calls for their signature look; the team has continued to put on patterned trousers at various games and tournaments through the years. Thomas Loevold, Torger Nergaard, Haavard Vad Petersson, Christoffer Svae, and Thomas Ulsrud of Norway posed with their silver medals and their Loudmouth pants, after the Vancouver Olympics' Curling Men's Gold medal game between Canada and Norway on February 27, 2010.
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The world curling president Kate Caithness has admitted she was initially shocked by the whole affair, but said she came to embrace the attention Norway received.“I am a traditionalist, I must be honest,” Caithness said. “But after I saw them in Vancouver, I actually liked them. They brought focus to our sport, these crazy pants.
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Thomas Ulsrud, born in Oslo is the “skip” of the five-man team. Ulsrud, 42, calls the shots for the team that began competition in 2007, earning silver, being narrowly defeated by a Canadian team .They may have lost, but from that time forward, their uniforms became winners! Team-member Christopher Svae changed the uniform style from the traditional white shirt-dark pant look to something “more striking” and the color-games began! Photos of the Norwegian Curling Team have created a following on their Facebook site entitled “The Norwegian Olympic Curling Team’s Pants” viewed by 539,900 followers at a recent count.
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While it is doubtful that followers are well-versed on the intricacies and dangers of the icy sport, it has become a popular winter sport,especially in Canada.Closely related to shuffleboard, skill is involved! Teams are comprised of four members: the skip, the lead, the second and the mate. Each member alternates "throwing" stones and sweeping the ice or "sheet" of pebbles( small frozen water droplets added to the surface to increase friction). The goal is to throw your stone as close to "the button" 
as you can, and keep the opposing team from getting closer. Of course, one must pay attention to a stone's weight, turn and line while throwing, or he'll fall short of “right on the button!”players slide their stones across the ice “sheet” towards the “house”, a circular target called “the button” which is the center of the target marked on the ice. Each team has eight stones. The purpose is to accumulate the highest score for a game; After each tries to knock opponent’s rocks away , points are scored for the stones resting closest to the center of the house at the conclusion of each “end”, which is completed after all the stones have been thrown. A game may consist of ten or eight ends.
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An important tool in the sport is a broom! The path of the rock can be influenced by two sweepers with brooms who accompany it as it slides down the sheet, using the brooms to alter the state of the ice in front of the stone. A key part of the preparation of the playing surface is the spraying of water droplets onto the ice, which form pebbles after freezing. The pebbled ice surface resembles an orange peel, and the stone moves over the pebbled ice.The sweeping creates friction warming the ice, changing the path of the sliding rock. A great deal of strategy and teamwork goes into choosing the ideal path and placement of a stone for each situation. |
| A modern stone |
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| An older "Rock" |
opponent’s rocks away , points are scored for the stones resting closest to the center of the house at the conclusion of each “end”, which is completed after all the stones have been thrown. A game may consist of ten or eight ends.
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Due to the nature of the sport, spectators are normally quiet and the athletes are polite to their opponents. Trash-talk is not tolerated while compliments after a good effort is normal procedure. Due to this docile and arguably not-interesting facite of the sport, the Norwegians decided to add a bit of excitement to the sporting event. Their change of colorful uniforms brought new interest to the Olympic sport of curling and everyone looks forward to see what the Norwegian curling team will be wearing when they appear at the next Stone-Throwing event! They’re throwing for Olympic gold in 2014!
Their colorful costumes are already " Number one" in the eyes of the world.
The Norwegian curlers, Christoffer Svae, Torgor Nergard, Havard Vad Petersson and their captain Thomas Ulsrud.
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