The recent warmth put a bit of a dent in many of our outdoor plans over the extended holiday weekend. But before the warm temperatures arrived, our own Mitch Sego was on the ice downtown trying a sport most are unfamiliar with.

If you've ever thought curling is just sliding a stone around on the ice, think again.

"It's kind of like a chess match out there, thinking ahead of what the other skip is going to do," said Ken Bauer of the Anchorage Curling Club.

A team is made up of the lead, the sweepers and the captain, or skip. All have to work in perfect harmony to get the perfect shot. When the rock stops in the house, you've got a good shot. But if one thing is off....

    It needs to curl. It's not curling. Oh, no! Red gets the point.
    You'll miss your mark!

One of the most important jobs is sweeping.

"Sweeping does two things: it will make the stone go farther in case you didn't throw it hard enough, or it will make it go straighter, in case you put too much curl on it," said Bauer.

The sport got its start centuries ago in Scotland; but it wasn't until the 50's that a club was established in Anchorage. Today, charity work is a big part of the clubs efforts, including the "Top Rock Event" in February to aid hospitalized veterans.

"We are pitting eight different military groups against each other in a challenge. And we're looking forward to that. We've got commanders from both bases and the mayor showing up for an introductory ceremony. And it should be a lot of fun," said Bauer.

So whether you're eight or 80, curling is a fun, can-do sport for everyone.

League play at the curling clubhouse is Tuesday through Friday, with events on most weekends. For more information, click below:

If you have any ideas for the Get Out series that you'd like to share, you can give me a call on the Get Out Hotline at 273-3118.