OLIVE BRANCH, MS (abc24.com) - Get into the hack. Keep your eye on the broom. Release the rock. Any of that make any sense? They're all curling terms. The sport that's normally reserved for our neighbors up north or known during the Olympics is now being taught in the Mid-South
You can take lessons at the Mid-South Ice House in Olive Branch. Instructors say despite it being somewhat obscure in these parts, people are jumping to try it.
"It's been fantastic, I think people are having a great time," says instructor Larry Unterberger. "We had our first 'Learn to Curl' a week ago Sunday. We had 69 people."
Most are learning the sport for the first time.
"Just the basics," Unterberger explains. "This is how the game is played, basic delivery, this is how you sweep, what it does. It takes years and years to master this game, but it takes a short period of time to start playing it and having fun."
He believes anyone can learn to curl. "You can be five or you can be 95," he laughs.
Two teams of four compete by throwing 42 pound granite rocks from one end of the ice to the other.
"The object of the game is to get the most amount of rocks closest to the button, which is the center of the target," he explains.
Curlers wear special shoes and line up like runners before releasing stones down the ice. Unterberger calls it chess on ice, a game of strategy. But mostly he says, it's about fun.
"All I want to know is they're having fun, if they're having fun they'll stay with the sport, if not they'll leave it."
If you're interested, the next Learn to Curl classes are May 16th and 23rd. It costs $15 for the two hour class.
