curling

Before my wife and I moved to Asheville we were on a curling league in Portage, Wisconsin. Actually, I was on two leagues. The mixed league with my wife, and a men's league. Our partners on the mixed league had children who had represented the US in the Olympics and world curling events. My first curling lesson was with Olympic curler Debbie McCormick.
Curling may look easy on TV, kind of the way golf looks easy on TV, but as with golf, precision and strategy are key. Just as top golfers are always planning for the next shot, curlers are always planning for the next throw of the stone. Curlers throw in-turns and out-turns in the same way that golfers hit fades and draws. Most people think one of the challenges of curling is throwing the stone hard enough to reach the other end. In many cases, it's quite the opposite and the error is often in throwing the stone too hard (through the house). On good ice, the difference between a good throw and a bad one is extremely slight.
If you are interested in curling in the Asheville area, check out Palmetto Curling Club in Greenville, SC.  www.palmettocurling.com/