If you’re a fan of the winter Olympics, you’ve no doubt seen at least a little curling. It’s that thing where Scandinavians in wacky pants slide stones along a sheet of ice while other Scandinavians in wacky pants yell and use brooms to sweep the slippery surface. It looks a like a giant game of shuffleboard on ice, but it’s much more than that. It’s great exercise, a lot of fun, and (here’s the surprise) available in Atlanta. The Atlanta Curling Club offers learn-to-curl sessions, open house events, and even a regular leagues for vets and newbies.

1. Our state’s first and only curling club kicked off in 2010.

Founders Jeff Williams and his then 18-year-old son Maxwell got so inspired by the Vancouver Olympic Games, they set about starting their own club despite the fact that they’d never so much as picked up a curling broom. They found a venue and borrowed some brooms and stones — which start at $7,000 a set — from Knoxville then beckoned curling enthusiasts to come give it a shot. Since then, hundreds of Atlantans have stopped into the club’s HQ at the Marietta Ice Center (4880 Lower Roswell Road, behind the Kroger) to try their hand at the sport.

2. The goal is simple. The strategy is not.

Sometimes known as “chess on ice,” curling involves trying to get your team’s stones closer to the target (the “house”) than the other team’s stones. To do that, you set up blockers, orchestrate complex take-out shots, and gauge the state of the pebbled ice as it changes. This great video on the Atlanta Curling Club explains the rules and strategies in more detail:



3. It is actual exercise.

You are, after all, sliding 38- to 44-pound chunks of granite down a 146-foot ice path and that requires power, coordination, and finesse. You push off and then go into a sort of lunge position before releasing the stone. I wasn’t great at it. If you’re doing the sweeping, which is designed to reduce friction and move the stone further, you are cruising quickly down a sheet of ice while vigorously moving a broom back and forth. You’re going to need some strength and balance — although staying upright on the ice is far easier than you’d imagine because it’s pebbled.

4. Anyone can do it.

Despite the aforementioned necessity for balance and strength, curling is a sport that can be played by people of all ages, fitness levels, and physical limitations. If you’ve got a bad back or knees, or even if you’re in a wheelchair, you use a delivery stick or take advantage of other common modifications.

5. It’ll take you about two hours to learn the basics.

The Atlanta Curling Club’s next learn-to-curl event ($20) is Friday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. There’s another one on Monday, September 29 at 8:30 p.m. You’ll spend about two hours on the ice, but you should tack on an extra 45 minutes to an hour for broomstacking, the traditional post-game social aspect of the sport. Be sure to register because they do fill up and wear loose-fitting clothes (no jeans) and a clean pair of rubber-soled shoes or running shoes. You might also want some gloves or a warm hat… because ice. They’ve got all the brooms and other equipment you’ll need. Once you’ve attended a learn-to-curl session, the world is your oyster. You’re free to jump on a team or come to any other open curling event.

For more information, visit atlcurling.org, email atlcurling@gmail.com, or follow @atlcurling on Twitter.