EXPLAINER: The meticulous path to ideal Olympic curling ice

By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BEIJING (AP) — Curling ice has come a long way in the 600 years since the Scottish began sliding stones across frozen lochs. A modern curling sheet like one at the Ice Cube venue in Beijing is made with ultra-purified water and maintained at a precise range of temperature and acidity. Then, an ice-maker sprays on the little bumps that enable the stones to bend their way to the target. The high-tech and intricately choreographed process gives the athletes a predictable field of play they can rely on as the matches and tournament go on.