The sport of curling dates as far back as the early 1500s in Scotland and was reportedly brought to North America by British troops in the 1700s during the Revolutionary War. Curling made its Olympic debut as a demonstration sport at the original Olympic Games in 1924. It kept the same classification in the 1932 Lake Placid Games but then went on a 56-year Olympic hiatus, until it returned as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Calgary Games. Curling made its debut as an official medal sport at the 1998 Nagano Games.

Curling is one of four winter Olympic sports being contested indoors. The other three are hockey, figure skating, and speed skating.

If you once played the game, did you "curl?" I was in Minnesota one bitter winter in 1957. Curling was a sport that competed with bowling for popularity. I had bowled before, but curling was a challenge in that it involved a heavy granite rock with a handle in the middle, a playing field of ice and a broom.
Curling is similar to bocce ball, croquet, and lawn bowling only on a different surface. I never did learn how to score the game.

Scoring is easy. Whichever team has a 'rock' nearest the centre of the house lies 'shot' and scores a point for each rock that is closer to the centre (the button) than the other teams. Only one team scores in each 'end'. A match consists of a specified number of ends and the team with the highest score at the finish wins. Sometimes it is advantageous to 'blank' and end in order to retain 'the hammer' (last rock) which goes to the team which does not score.

Clear as mud?

It's ages since I last played, so I may have forgotten something. Please feel free to correct me anyone.