It Is Nearly Impossible To Be Sad While Curling, And Here’s Why

December 14, 2025

If you have ever shown up to league night in a mood that could politely be described as “not at my operational best,” you already know how fast curling turns things around. Something happens the moment you step onto the ice. Maybe it is the crisp air. Maybe it is the goofy shoes. Maybe it is the fact that no one, in the history of sports, has ever looked intimidating while holding a broom. Whatever it is, curling has a serious competitive advantage when it comes to wiping out bad vibes.

Let’s take a closer look at why curling is basically the emotional support sport, complete with granite therapy rocks, a built-in friend group, and enough curling humor to power a bonspiel.

Reason 1: You Physically Can’t Mope And Slide At The Same Time

Try it. I’ll wait.

Smiling curler in a red sweater and blue beanie sliding a curling stone on the ice, representing the happiness and camaraderie of curling.

Sliding down the sheet engages muscles, balance, focus, and at least one internal monologue about not face-planting. There is simply no room in your brain for gloom. Once that rock leaves your hand, your whole world becomes “please don’t hog this.” And honestly, that kind of laser focus on something silly and specific is wildly restorative.

Plus, if you need backup, someone on your team will absolutely yell sweep in a way that reminds you the universe still believes in you.

If you need more proof, check out our earlier take on the joyful mechanics of curling in Curling Culture: Why We Sweep, Slide, and Socialize.

Reason 2: Curling Has A Team Energy That Lifts You Whether You Want It To Or Not

Curling is one of the last sports where people cheer for good shots from both teams. That kind of wholesome energy hits different. There is something fundamentally mood-altering about being surrounded by teammates, opponents, and random spectators who clap when you do literally anything that isn’t a disaster.

This is why drop-in curling is legendary at building club culture. If you haven’t checked out our piece on unexpected team-ups and chaotic joy, take a look at Why Drop-In Curling Might Be the Best Night of Your Week.

Reason 3: The Spirit Of Curling Is Built On Generosity And Humor

Most sports have rulebooks. Curling has The Spirit of Curling, which is basically the friendly grandfather of sportsmanship. And because curlers take it seriously, the whole environment ends up being supportive, welcoming, and just chaotic enough to keep things fun.

You can walk into a curling club almost anywhere in the world and someone will offer to teach you something, compliment your shot, or immediately begin negotiating for broomstacking snacks. The culture is warm, generous, and absolutely dripping with curling humor and inside jokes.

If that isn’t mood-boosting, nothing is.

Speaking of humor, our earlier piece on the existential crisis of Skip brain might also lift your spirits, I Came to Curl, Not I Came to Curl, Not to Think: The Philosophy of Great Curling MerchTo Think.

Reason 4: Broomstacking Exists

If someone invented a post-game tradition that actively fought sadness, it would look exactly like broomstacking. A table, some teammates, some opponents, and a beverage. Stories get told, shots get replayed with increasing optimism, and someone inevitably starts sketching out strategy diagrams on a napkin like they’re leading a Fortune 500.

There is community here. There is friendship here. There are laughs you don’t even see coming. And there is usually someone in a shirt so funny you wonder why you don’t already own one. That is where our funny curling shirts quietly make their entrance.

Reason 5: Curling Requires Just Enough Focus To Put The Rest Of Life On Mute

You can’t doomscroll while you’re sweeping. You cannot worry about work drama when you’re timing a rock. You cannot fixate on life’s little catastrophes when you’re standing in the house pretending you totally understand what the Skip is calling.

The ice demands your attention. And, honestly, that is a gift.

So yes, curling is a sport, but it is also a 2-hour mental vacation with friends, granite rocks, and the occasional rogue slide that turns into a story you will be telling at bonspiels for years.

If you want to keep the good vibes going at home, consider surrounding yourself with a little curling spirit. A curling themed coffee mug or shower curtain has been scientifically proven, probably, to spark joy every morning.

Reason 6: Curlers Are Just… Happy People

Maybe it is the community. Maybe it is the sport. Maybe it is the global agreement that yelling at your friends is normal and encouraged. But curlers tend to be some of the happiest people on the planet. Hanging out with happy people makes you happier. It is basic emotional math.

And if you’re new to the sport, welcome. You are already part of something special.

External Resources To Keep Your Energy Up

Here are a few joyful curling rabbit holes to explore:

Internal Reads For Even More Curling Joy