Eisstock makes a comeback in Sydenham

Jeff Green | Aug 14, 2014

Nestled in a forgotten corner of the back parking lot at Sydenham High School a few temporary lines have been drawn on the pavement at either end of a pavement. For mostg of the week that is the only outward sign that a forgotten Austrian tradition from Kingston's past has been reborn. On Thursday evenings, the space comes to life.

Members of the Austrian community from Kingston and Frontenac County, and others who have become hooked on Eisstock, arrive at 6:00. They pull their Eisstock's from their cars and head over to the makeshift rink.

The sport of Eisstock was popular in Kingston in the 1960's and 70's, around the time when the cities' Austrian club was in its heyday. The club has faded as has the sport, but it is making a comeback.

Eisstock is the name of the sport, and of the apparatus that is at its core. Eisstocks are similar to curling stones, but they are manufactured. They have a heavfy metal base, on which both a handle and a surface pad can be affixed. There are different pads available, and because they have a smoother or rougher finish they are switched to react either to whatever shot is requited or to the conditions.

While in curling the point is to get the stones as close to the button as possible, in Eisstock there is a Daube, a small rubber disk that is set in the middle of the house at the start but can be pushed further back by a well aimed Eisstock.

In that way Eisstock is a cross between curling and bocce or lawn bowling.

Each player on a team throws one Eisstock in each end, and the team with an Eisstock closest to the daube wins the points.

Eisstock can be played on ashphalt and ice as well. Although there are references to Eisstock as far backa s the 13th century, in a 1565 painting by Peiter Breghel the Elder called Hunters in the Snow there are people on the ice in the background playing Eisstock.

All of this has been brought back to life int he SHS parking lot, with the addition of some good natured trash talking, very occsaional profanity, in English or a number of other languages, and even the throw to the Daube or a spectacular takeout o change the character of an end entirely.

The game can be played by all ages and skill levels. The pick game in Sydenham was first organized by Karl Hammer. His father Karl and a number his friends from the Austrian Club days are among the most enthusiastic participants, along with some younger men, women, and children who are learning the ins and outs of the sport.

This weekend, however, there is a more serious game afoot. On Sunday, August 17, at Centennial Park in Harrowsmith, an Eisstock tournament is being staged. A number of four member teams from the Sydenham weekly game have been established and they will compete against teams from far flung communities, including Woodstock and Cambridge. The tournament is the revival of a tournament that was held annually by the Kingston Austrian Club for many years until it fizzled in the 1980's.

For Karl Hammer, it is an opportunity to bring a sport that is dear to his father back to his own son's generation.

“You hate to see something that was so vital and so much fun be lost forever,” he said.

“It's also a lot of fun to see my father get excited, and even more fun to beat him at his own game.”

For more information about the Thursday Eisstock games, email Karl at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.