What makes curling ice different to the surfaces used for ice hockey or skating?
The ice is really pure, in that it is made with de-mineralised water with absolutely no debris. It is a painstaking process to get the ice perfectly flat so it is even from hack to hack and board to board at the sides. It then has water droplets applied to the ice surface before a game called a pebble, which reduces the resistance between the surface and the stone. During the game, curlers sweep in front of the stone to melt the ice slightly, helping the stone to travel further and in a straighter route. Is there a real skill in making the right type of ice? Yes without question. The Games organisers here in Vancouver have brought in the best ice maker in the world, Hans Wuthrich, a Swiss national who now lives here in Canada. He has made the ice at the last four or five World Championships. I am sure this will mean we get to play on some great curling ice. At the past few Games the ice has been very straight with not a lot of curl, so I am sure we will see a lot of attacking play here
