and highlight of the Winter Games is that outstanding blend of stamina, courage, and strategy, Curling. Originally invented by a drunken Scot named Curley and played with passed-out dwarves until it was reformed by Puritan fundamentalists in the 17th century, curling involves tossing a 40 pound rock down a sheet of ice in hopes of landing on a target (the “button”) or knocking the opponent’s rocks off the target area (the “house”), or both. Canada is the perennial powerhouse in this sport, which was explained by American captain (or “skip”) Tim Somerville with typical Curler eloquence: “It’s a lot colder up there.” 
The US Men’s Curling Team split a pair of games on their first day of competition, winning over powerhouse Sweden before losing to the frigid Canucks. They’re still very much in contention for a medal, aided by Somerville’s superior Curling breeding, descending as he does from two lines of 3-time world champions, his father and his maternal uncle
The Chicks were even hotter than the Dudes, taking both of their opening-day battles in dramatic, come-from-behind wins over more experienced Japanese and Swedish teams behind the leadership of the awesome Kari Erickson from Minnesoda, USA – U.S. curlers rally to win two matches
After falling behind 6-1 to Japan, the U.S. women scored three in the sixth end, or inning, and got one each in the seventh and eighth to tie.
With the Japanese leading by one in the final end, Erickson’s second stone took out a Japanese rock, giving the U.S. squad an 8-7 victory.
“We were a little rusty but started to feel more comfortable with the ice in the second half of the game and started to make our shots,” Erickson said.
Tied with Sweden at 5-5, Erickson again gave the United States the win on her last shot.
“I had to do it,” Erickson said. “This is kind of what my job is. I just have to do my job.”
Like Somerville, the Babes have family connections:
The team?s skip and its second are sisters. Their father is the coach. The assistant coach is the father of the vice-skip.
There are those who must feel that the great achievement of Curling is making men use brooms, but that was last month.