Curling in Chicago at Fatpour Wicker Park & Fatpour in lincolnwood
Curling has officially arrived at Fatpour. Grab your skip and get ready for a bonspiel! Curling sheets are available for reservation for just $20, and the best part is: the $20 goes towards your food and beverage tab. For those of you who aren’t mathematicians, that means curling is free.
Fatpour Curling 101
These aren’t your average icy curling lanes, these are street curling lanes, which makes them tougher and not dependent on things like cold weather.
Teams of 1, 2, or 4 take turns curling stones down the sheet with the team closest to the center, or “button,” gets a point. This repeats for 8 rounds, or “ends,” until one team wins.
For you ultra-competitive people you can optionally include the Fatpour Rules, which require you to have a drink in your hand while throwing the curling stone. in addition if your team scores more than one point in a single “end,” the other team must take a drink between rounds.
To cap it off, the winning team does retain bragging rights, but they do have to buy the losing team a round post-game.
Curling FAQ
Friendliness + sportsmanship is highly encouraged. Curling people are supposed to be NICE, like Canadians.
How many people can play?
Groups of 2-8 can play curling. We recommend 4.
Who goes first?
Each game starts with a handshake and a coin flip to determine who goes first.
How much does it cost?
Curling is technically free! Your $20 reservation using the links below goes towards your food and beverage tab.
How to score points?
Teams of 2 or 4 take turns curling stones down the sheet with the team closest to the center, or “button,” gets a point. This repeats for 8 rounds, or “ends,” until one team wins. The team with the closest stone to the button scores. If one team has multiple stones closer to the button than the opposition, those stones count for multiple points. (See Fatpour Rules above for a bonus if your team scores multiple points in a single end.)
How do you “play defense?”
Players can purposely block the path from the other team, knock the other teams’ stones out of position. A stone thrown purposely to knock the other team’s stone out of position is called a take out.
How many rounds are there?
First off, they’re called “ends.” There are 8 ends per game.
How long do games typically take?
A game of 8 ends should take roughly 15 minutes (if you’re paying attention), which means your $20 should get you at least three games. We ask that curlers respect their one hour reservation time slot to allow other curlers to play.
Can I walk on the sheet?
No, please don’t.
Curling terms you should know
If you want to look all smart and shit.
BACKLINE
The line across the ice at the back of the house. Stones which are over this line are removed from play.
BITER
A stone that just touches the outer edge of the circles
BLANK END
An end in which no points have been scored.
BONSPIEL
A curling competition or tournament.
BRUSH
A device used to sweep the ice in the path of a moving stone, but thankfully you won’t need those cause our sheets are made for THE STREETS.
BURNED STONE
A stone in motion touched by a member of either team, or any part of their equipment. Burned stones are removed from play. (Not a term for what you do after leaving your local dispensary.)
BUTTON
The circle at the centre of the house.
COUNTER
Any stone in the rings or touching the rings which is a potential point.
CURL
The amount a rock bends while travelling down the sheet of ice.
DRAW WEIGHT
The momentum required for a stone to reach the house or circles at the distant end.
END
A portion of a curling game that is completed when each team has thrown eight stones and the score has been decided.
GUARD
A stone that is placed in a position so that it may protect another stone.
HACKS
The foot-holds at each end of the ice from which the stone is delivered. (Or, what you may call the Chicago Bears front office)
HAMMER
The team with the last stone in any given end of play. The 16th delivered stone in any end is called the “Hammer”
HEAVY
A rock delivered with a greater force than necessary.
HIT
A take-out. Removal of a stone from the playing area by hitting it with another stone.
HOUSE
The rings or circles toward which play is directed consisting of a 12-foot ring, 8-foot ring, 4-foot ring and a button.
RAISE
When one stone is bumped ahead by another.
ROLL
The movement of a curling stone after it has struck a stationary stone in play.
SHEET
The specific playing surface upon which a curling game is played.
SHOT ROCK
At any time during an end, the stone closest to the button.
SKIP
The player who determines the strategy, and directs play for the team. The skip delivers the last pair of stones for his/her team in each end.
TAKE OUT
Removal of a stone from the playing area by hitting it with another stone.
TEE LINE
The line that passes through the centre of the house parallel to the hog line and backline.
WEIGHT
The amount of force given to the stone during the delivery.
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