I once worked with a fellow who said never try a new sport after 50. He said if you've played a sport like hockey or skiing all your life, you can keep doing it well into your 70s or 80s, but never start a new sport after 50 because it was a recipe for disaster.
I've recently started playing stocksport or ice stock with our local South Frontenac Stockport Club.
Ice stock is a winter sport that originated in Austria and Southern Germany. It's like curling, but instead of throwing rocks, you throw stocks into the house. In the summer, it's called stocksport when you play on a concrete surface and in winter it's known as ice stock when you play on ice.
Teams of four slide their stocks to get closest to a round rubber target that looks like a puck called the "daube" which is placed in the middle of the house. The daube moves which makes the game more interesting and adds an extra layer of strategy from curling. You also can switch out the plates on the stock to make your stock go faster (for take-outs) and slower.
Ice Stock Sport has been demonstrated at the Winter Olympic Games on two occasions.
While stocksport isn't widely known in Canada, there is a devoted group of stockers and our little club punches well above its weight, sending members to the World Championships and competing internationally.
For anyone looking for a new sport or pastime, I'd highly recommend it. It's a highly social game, so it's a great way to meet new people in your area, easy to learn and play (I'm already getting the hang of it), and fun.
What I love most about our South Frontenac Stocksport Club is how warm and welcoming everyone is. The club includes people from ages 10 to 80 from all walks of life. Everyone is treated equally and greeted with a smile and encouraging word, no matter how new to the sport you are or how good you are.
Yesterday the club held its annual tournament. My team placed third out of eight teams, winning the bronze prize (our choice of coolers, awesome!)
This week's #HappyAct is to try a new sport. To learn more about the South Frontenac Stocksport Club, follow them on Facebook.
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