2 Sudbury rinks to wear Northern Ontario colours at first ever under-18 national championship

Jacob Horgan says his friends don't understand why he plays an old person's sport.

"They think it's pretty weird," says the 17-year-old skip of the northern Ontario rink at the upcoming and first ever Canadian under-18 championships.

"Most people don't know that curling's competitive."

Most of the other eight Sudbury, Ont., teens who will be heading to Moncton next week to compete for a national title get a similar ribbing from their friends.

"They usually say curling's not a sport," says 17-year-old second Syndie Stinson.

"I actually had the opportunity to bring a couple of my friends out, and they came to school the next day with a bunch of bruises from falling over."

But that could change in the years to come with the sport becoming more and more competitive.

The fact that there is now a national championship for curlers under 18 is a sign of that.

And all of the Northern Ontario competitors are dreaming that they can one day make a living out of throwing rocks and sweeping ice.