Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy is hosting the 2009 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship this week. There are twenty-seven teams consisting of one female and one male curler from across the globe competing for the title.

An end consists of five stones per team with one team member throwing the first and last stones of the end while the other member throws rocks two through 4.

Prior to the start of each end, one team shall instruct the game umpire to place their team’s stationary stone and the opposing team’s stationary stone either as a guard outside the house bisecting the centre line or on the back half of the button. The positioned stones cannot be removed until the fourth stone.

The rules for this event don’t exactly lend itself to anybody caring. What ever happened to the thought of actually throwing the stones into those positions instead of having an umpire place them there? Doesn’t that take some skill out of the game?

It seems like a way for curling to pander themselves to the International Olympic Committee to have another curling event at the Olympics. I’d love to hear other people’s opinions on this event.

Feel free to comment with your opinions on Mixed Doubles.