'Thud' of the Stone: Tense Thrills at Curling Mecca Uiseong
Creatrip Team
a month ago
As the Winter Olympics approach, reporters visited Uiseong in North Gyeongsang — the birthplace of Korean curling — and the Uiseong Curling Center, where intense training and the sharp "thud" of stones fill the quiet rink. Curling is played on a rectangular ice sheet called a "sheet," where players slide flat stones toward a target called the "house," scoring for stones closer to the center than the opponent's. The writer tried basic skills with the Uiseong County women's team: learning to walk on specialized shoes (one sole is slippery Teflon, the other rubber) and to push off from the "hack" to deliver the stone — tasks that proved harder than they look. Watching up close revealed curling's dynamism: teammates exchange eye signals, the skip directs sweeping to control speed and direction, and one stone or sweep can decide a match. Kim Su-hyun of the Uiseong team says the sport keeps fans tense "until every stone stops," and recommends keeping an eye on Canada’s Team Homan as a top Olympic rival. The center offers free viewing of practice when it does not disrupt players, and visitors can enjoy local specialties like black-garlic samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup made with Uiseong’s famed black garlic). For a vivid, close-up curling experience and a taste of local cuisine this winter, Uiseong is recommended.
