When You Realize Curling Is the Only Sport Where Yelling Helps

September 24, 2025

Picture this: you’re sitting in the stands at your local curling club. Four people in matching funny curling shirts huddle around the sheet, and suddenly—boom—someone yells “HURRY HARD!” at the top of their lungs. The sweepers launch into a frantic brush-fueled sprint, scrubbing the ice like their kitchen floor depends on it. The rock glides majestically, curlers shout with unrestrained passion, and the crowd nods knowingly.

This is curling, the only sport where yelling isn’t just allowed—it’s a strategy.

Yelling in Other Sports? Not So Helpful.

Let’s take a quick tour of other sports where shouting probably won’t get you very far.

  • Golf: Imagine yelling “Hurry Hard!” after a putt. The ball will not suddenly decide to pick up speed and curl back toward the hole. You’ll just get dirty looks and possibly a lifetime ban from Augusta.
  • Tennis: Sure, Serena Williams can unleash a primal yell on a serve, but if you screamed “SWEEP!” from the stands, you’d probably just confuse the ball kids.
  • Baseball: Standing behind home plate and screaming “HARDER!” doesn’t give a fastball any extra velocity. It just makes you the guy security asks to leave by the 5th inning.
  • Bowling: Similar to curling’s icy cousin, bowlers sometimes do the little “body English” lean after a throw. But no amount of shouting “SWEEEP IT!” makes a 7-10 split any less impossible.

In almost every sport, yelling is ornamental. In curling, it’s essential.

The Science of the Shout

Curling is an elegant mix of physics, teamwork, and good old-fashioned vocal cords. The skip (that’s the team captain) hunkers down at the far end of the ice, watching the stone’s every move. They shout things like “Hurry Hard!” (sweep faster), “Whoa!” (stop sweeping), or “Yup Yup!” (a polite Canadian way of saying “keep sweeping, eh?”).

The volume isn’t for show—it’s about communication across 150 feet of ice in a noisy arena. Curling stones weigh around 40 pounds, and the slightest adjustment in sweeping can change where they end up by feet. That’s why yelling matters. Without it, your beautiful draw to the button might drift wide and gift your opponent an easy steal.

And unlike golf claps, curling thrives on crowd noise. The louder the skip, the better the sweepers react, and the better the stone placement. Yelling is baked into the sport like poutine is baked into Canadian culture.

Why It’s Hilarious

There’s something inherently funny about grown adults in matching jackets (or funny curling shirts) screaming at each other about a rock. To outsiders, it sounds like a mashup of kitchen cleaning and dog training:

  • “HURRY!”
  • “HARD!”
  • “OFF! OFF! OFF!”
  • “YESSSS!”

It’s chaos. It’s beautiful. It’s curling.

The best part? Nobody takes offense. You can scream at your friends for two hours straight, and afterward, you all grab a beer together at the curling club bar. Try doing that in a pickup basketball game and see how long your friendships last.

Curling Culture: The Joy of the Shout

Shouting in curling is so embedded in the culture that it’s practically a love language.

  • League Nights: The sound of 10 sheets of simultaneous “Hurry Hard!” is music to a curler’s ears.
  • Bonspiels: At tournaments, shouting is part of the atmosphere, echoing off the rafters like a curling-themed rock concert.
  • Olympics: Millions of new fans tune in every four years and go, “Wait… they’re really just screaming at each other? And it works?”

It’s also a rite of passage for new curlers. The first time you yell “HARD!” and watch your stone perfectly curl into the house, you’re hooked forever. You realize: yelling is curling’s secret sauce.

Merch Moment: Wear Your Yelling Proudly

If you’re a curler—or shopping for one—you know the yelling is half the fun. That’s why we made sure to design funny curling shirts that celebrate this part of the game. Whether it’s a “Skip Happens” tee, a “Hurry Hard!” hoodie, or a “Throw Stones Not Shade” design, you can rock your love for curling’s quirkiest tradition both on and off the ice.

Check out our curling team merch for the perfect bonspiel gift or league-night uniform. Yelling may win games, but the right shirt wins the after-party.

Wrapping It Up

Curling is goofy, strategic, social, and yes—loud. While yelling in most sports gets you kicked out of the arena, in curling it’s how championships are won. So the next time you find yourself on the ice, don’t hold back. Channel your inner skip and shout with pride.

Because in curling, yelling isn’t just helpful—it’s hilarious, it’s effective, and it’s tradition.

So, to all the sweepers out there: HURRY HARD!