Lisa and Doug achieve curling feat

Lisa and Doug were on a curling team that achieved a remarkable feat on Saturday: an "eight-ender." It's been referred to as the curling equivalent of a hole-in-one.

In each round, or "end," of a curling match, the two teams take turns sliding eight rocks apiece toward the "house," the target-like area seen above. The object is to get the rocks to lie closer to the "button" in the center than the opponent's. This involves careful placement and, often, knocking aside the other team's stones.

When finished, the team with a rock closest to the button scores one point for that and any other stones that are closer than any of the opponent's. An "eight-ender" means one team manages to have all eight of its rocks in scoring position.

In the photo above, Lisa and Doug flank teammates Laura and Dan after their accomplishment in the seventh end of a game during the Southern Comfort Inaugural Bonspiel at the Potomac Curling Club in Laurel, Md., their home club. Doug was actually substituting for Laura's husband Todd, who was unable to make the game. Their team went on to win the second event in the bonspiel. The club's web site currently has a write-up about the eight-ender.

As rare as an eight-ender is, this is actually Lisa's second. The other came in league play in March 2009.