6AM City In-house

You go, curl 🧊

Curling in the 608
curling sheet
Can’t get enough of the cold? Give curling a try this winter. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons
If you think curling is just something you watch once every four years, think again. Madison Curling Club and the Wisconsin State Curling Association are hosting lessons, league play, and group events year-round.

And since curling is a sport that often gets swept under the rug, we thought we’d clue you into some of the most fun you can have on ice.

đŸ„Œ Curling? Like a salon?

Okay, we admit that we didn’t know a ton about “The Roarin’ Game” at first. Luckily, the curling community wants everyone to play, so it’s easy to learn the lingo.

The goal of curling is to get the stone (the smooth, 42-pound rock with a handle on top) into the house (the bullseye-looking marks on each end of the ice). You get one point for each stone that lands closer to the button (the bullseye) than any opposing stone.

What’s up with the sweeping? Because the ice is a little rough (pebbled), sweepers clear a path. This reduces friction, but also alters the path of the stone, called a curl. Hence, curling.

đŸ„Œ Sounds complicated


It is. Knowing when to sweep a line, let it curl, throw up a blocker, or knock opposing stones out of the house is part of why curling is called chess on ice.

But the heart of the game is sportsmanship. For example, “broomstacking” is a tradition where the winning team buys the losing team a drink after the game — which is why some facilities have a bar onsite.

đŸ„Œ I’m in.

While Madison Curling Club had to momentarily cease its open houses and Learn2Curl events due to COVID-19, the onboarding process includes an in-depth instructional program for new curlers who have never been on the ice before.

Otherwise, the Madison club suggests checking out the Wisconsin State Curling Association for more curling clubs in the area and resources on everything from Learn to Curl events to competitive bonspiels (curling tournaments).
6AM City In-house

Click here to have your event featured.

Today, Dec. 21
  • Delta Beer Lab Vinyl Night | Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Delta Beer Lab, 167 E. Badger Rd., Fitchburg | Free admission | BYOR. Bring your own record to add to the queue and enjoy getting to know your community through beats and brews. đŸș
Thursday, Dec. 22
  • Yid Vicious Hanukkah Concert | Thursday, Dec. 22 | 2-2:45 p.m. | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton St., Madison | Free with $12 museum admission | Join Madison’s locally-grown klezmer band for a family holiday concert. đŸŽ¶
  • Best of the Midwest | Thursday, Dec. 22-23 | Comedy on State, 202 State St., Madison | $5-$18 | Enjoy a handpicked selection of both established and up-and-coming comics from the area.
Friday, Dec. 23
  • Holiday Blood Drive | Friday, Dec. 23 | 7 a.m.- 1 p.m. | Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison | Free | Join fellow donors and volunteers in helping others. Appointments encouraged, walk-ins are welcome.
  • Art Paul Holiday Variety Show | Friday, Dec. 23 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Cargo Coffee East, 750 E. Washington Ave., Madison | Free | Grab a cup of joe and get in the holiday spirit with Art Paul Schlosser. đŸȘ•

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS
6AM City In-house

Weather
  • 19Âș | Cloudy | 24% chance of rain
  • Starting late this evening through early Saturday morning, Dane County is under a severe winter storm watch. With an expected windchill of 25 below, frostbite is possible within 30 minutes and 50 mph wind gusts will make travel difficult to impossible. 🚹 (NBC 15)
Edu
  • The MMSD Board of Education voted to implement district-wide earned honors in every core class for freshmen, beginning fall 2023. Another motion to eliminate standalone honors classes altogether did not pass — those classes will be available for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. (NBC 15)
Community
Holiday
  • Madison School Board member Nicki Vander Meulen was invited by State Rep. Lisa Subeck to celebrate Hanukkah at the White House. Nicki got the opportunity to be in attendance for the lighting of the White House’s very first permanent menorah. 🕎 (Madison.com)
Announced
  • Calling all basketball fans. The Badgers women’s team has moved their start time from 4 p.m. to noon tomorrow due to the impending winter weather. Outside may be cold but the Badgers are projected to heat up on the court and pull out of their 4-9 rut. 🏀 (Channel 3000)
Closed
  • The Wisconsin Dells’ Palace Theater has permanently closed its doors. Those who have bought tickets in the past 90 days to now canceled shows should contact their credit card company to cancel the purchase. All other refund requests can be sent to refunds@dellspalace.com. (NBC 15)
Ranked
  • There’s no place like home for the holidays
and we have proof. Madison ranked No. 53 on WalletHub’s “2022’s Best Cities for Christmas” based on criteria like shopping options, events, and the community’s generosity. (WalletHub)
Shop
  • Don’t stress over finding last-minute gifts. Make gifting easy by selecting a gift card to our 608today shop, Six & Main. From candles to clothes, there’s something for everyone. Purchase a gift card today. 🎁
Learn
  • You know how to order coffee at Wonderstate. But can you order coffee in Italian? Babbel can help 608today readers learn how to order coffee (and other beverages) in Italian, so they’ll be ready for their next trip to Italy. Want to try it out? For a limited time, snag 55% off your subscription. ☕ *
Number
  • 550,000+. The number of women who love The GIST, the sports newsletter with a much needed female perspective and equal coverage of women’s and men’s sports. Buh-bye, male-dominated sports media.*
Trending
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Get a clue ✏

National Crossword Day
608 blank crossword
How’d you do? Let us know if you want to keep seeing interactive sections in the newsletter. | Crossword by 608today team
It’s National Crossword Day so we thought we’d celebrate with a 608-centric crossword of our own.

Across

3. Plant this flower in the spring and order brunch at its 608 namesake.
6. A necessary evil and honorary WI season.
7. A large, open space. Also, a local hotel throwing a NYE bash.

Down

1. This powerful omnivore captures most of its prey by rapid digging and enjoys jumping around.
2. These waterfowl cover all the bases.
4. A narrow strip of land with a body of water on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land.
5. This keeps strangers out and connects Monona to Mendota.
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Ally.

Editor’s pick: I’m a year-round iced coffee person but in the face of a blizzard, hot chocolate does sound nice. Who has the best hot chocolate in town? Let me know.

Missed our last newsletter? We honored Chris Farley on the 25th anniversary of his passing.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Ally Geiger, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Ana Gibson | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?
SUBSCRIBE

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY