Eisstockschiessen, a game played on ice in the winter and on asphalt or other surfaces during the rest of the year, similar to curling and shuffleboard. The game became popular in Bavaria and Austria by the late 19th century.
Teams consist of four players and one substitute. The rink is 28 metres (30.8 yards) long and 3 m (3.3 yd) wide. Players slide (shoot) cylindrical Eisstöcken (“ice stocks”) down the rink, aiming to come as close as possible to a Runddaube (“rubber ring”) inside a 6-m- (6.6-yd-) long area called a house. The stock weighs from 4.5 to 6 kg (about 10 to 13 pounds), is about 30 to 38 cm (12 to 15 inches) high and 35.5 cm (14 inches) in diameter, and consists of a solid plastic body (Stockkörper) fitted with a stainless steel ring and a bottom of pressed plywood and reinforced steel; a wooden handle (Stiele); and a sole (Laufsohle), made of rubber for use on ice or of hardwood and plastic for use on other surfaces. The composition of the rubber determines the speed stocks attain on the ice. Players switch soles depending on the kind of shot they need to make. Tournaments consist of 19 teams and have three parts: regular team competition; individual skills competition in which a player tests his ability to place the stock in precise spots; and long shooting, in which maximum distance is the goal and the rink is not used.
Eisstockschiessen was a demonstration sport in the 1936 and 1964 Winter Olympic Games. Men, women, and children compete in the sport, which is most popular in Austria and Germany. There are clubs and associations in some 30 countries, including Canada and the United States. There are national championships and an annual European championship. The sport is governed by the Internationale Föderation für Eisstockschiessen (IFE), with headquarters in Mannheim, Ger.