Human Curling
| Human Curling | |
|---|---|
| |
| Designer: | Adam Nelson |
| Year: | unknown |
| Players: | 8 |
| Stuff required: | One swivel chair or inner per team. Cones or tape for marking boundaries. |
| Crew required: | None |
| Preparation: | Ten minutes. |
| Time required: | An hour. |
| Place required: | Either a frozen surface (an ice rink or pond) or an open, smooth surface, like a basketball court. |
| Activities: | New sport |
| This is a playable game - it's finished, tested and ready to play. | |
 | |
History and Influences
Human Curling was created by Adam Nelson in January 2010. It is inspired, obviously, by curling, and was first played as Human Office Chair Curling on Feb 28th, 2010, in Pittsburgh.
Equipment
On Ice: One or two inner tubes (snow tubes), with a plastic saucer attached to the bottom; a bunch of cones for marking
On Court: One office (swivel) chair, tape for marking boundaries, helmets and other safety gear as warranted.
Playing Space
A strip of ice or smooth concrete or hardwood 20-25 feet wide and ~80 feet long, with lines marking the hog line and point zones.
Number of Players
Two teams of 4 players each.
Rules
One inner tube or chair per team or shared between teams. Two teams play against each other at a time.
Each team takes turns pushing their team members across the playing field. No player except the rider may cross the hog line. Once a team member has been pushed, he may no longer assist in the push zone, making the order in which players are pushed a point of strategy. The last player on each team must launch themselves, but he may not run and jump into the inner tube to do so. Players are encouraged to wear helmets.
Once a player riding on an inner tube (a "rider") stops moving, he may stand on the ice in place of the tube. Once standing, a player may not move, but may pivot on one foot.
If a rider can tag a standing player on his team, the standing player may push the rider further along toward the 3-point zone (or toward a rival team member). If a rider can tag a standing player on a rival team, the standing player is out.
Once all players have been sent onto the field, the scores are totaled. Teams play three rounds.
House Rules and Variations
Human Curling can also be played as Office Chair Curling, inside in a gym using office chairs in lieu of snow tubes. Rules are the same, but it is highly, highly recommended that players wear helmets. Office chairs should be lowered to their lowest setting before playing.
