The ice sheet is back at The Pavilion in Bend, and there is an amazing opportunity to learn a new skill if you’re up for it.

A couple of years ago, I signed up for Learn to Curl because my Olympic dreams hadn’t been dashed despite my ID telling me I’m in my 40s. Every four years during the Winter Olympics, I am fascinated by curling and we have a cool chance to get involved in this sport right here in Central Oregon.

While the roots of curling go way back to Scotland and its popularity peaks in Canada, there is a wildly enthusiastic community here in Bend, too. When I watch curling in the Olympics, the athletes tend to tilt closer to my age, so I thought, “How hard can it be?”

In a two-hour introductory session lesson on a Friday morning, I learned a lot and came to appreciate curling even more than I had previously. Bend Park & Recreation District offers the class from 9 to 11 a.m. each Friday in November and December; advanced registration required and fee is $35.

The experienced instructors go over the rules, basics of the sport, etiquette and will help you hone your curling skills. All necessary equipment is provided, including slip-resistant covers for regular shoes, so there is no need to lace up skates.

Curling is a lot like shuffleboard. There’s circular targets and you’re aiming to get as close to the middle as possible while competing for points against another team. As a communicator, one of my favorite aspects of curling is its terminology and use of words in new ways.

It’s not a puck or a ball; it’s a stone or a rock. It’s not a bullseye; it’s the button. The target is the house. The curling broom or brush is used to sweep the ice surface in the path of the stone.

The team captain is the skip. And that position is the only one allowed to talk, so naturally it was my favorite one as I was learning to curl. The best skips determine the desired stone placement with a lot of strategy and teamwork to introduce a curved path, described as curl, by encouraging the stone to slowly rotate as it slides.

After a stone is delivered, which takes a precise launch with strong leg extension, balance and grace, its trajectory is influenced by the two sweepers under instruction from the skip. During my first two-hour session, I was not able to get any rotation on my stone. In fact, I barely got it to travel the full distance of the ice sheet to score on the house.

I also underestimated how challenging it is to maintain arm strength and control while feverishly trying to sweep the ice at the direction of my skip. Your job is to stay in front of the stone and sweep quickly while not touching the stone until the skip calls for you to stop. It’s definitely a team sport and everyone has a role to play.

Curling’s history goes back to the early 16th century in Scotland. Today, the sport is huge in Canada and took Bend by storm when The Pavilion opened in 2015. Today, it’s reliably the first recreation program to fill to capacity, with a waitlist, within an hour of registration opening.

Curling is a game of strategy, tactics and skill. I didn’t really think I’d become an Olympian after one lesson, but I developed deep appreciation for the precision needed and the atmosphere that surrounds the team sport.

The “Spirit of Curling” exemplifies good sportsmanship. Teams congratulate their opponents for making a good shot or strong sweeping. One’s own celebrations are subdued with occasional head nods, fist bumps or other subtle nods to performance by one’s own team or the opponent. That’s a lesson that could extend beyond the ice and is pretty cool to watch as a spectator too.

The Learn to Curl program is a great way to spend a Friday morning. If that’s not possible, consider visiting The Pavilion as a spectator during Bend Ice’s Bend Curling Club league play on Sunday evenings. The skills are on display, and they are impressive up close or from a viewing place at the outdoor fire pits.