The Seniors, Southern Wisconsin
In the heart of the Midwest, Team Lawless includes women in their 50s and 60s who are proud winners of a silver medal at the 2019 senior women’s nationals. For member KristinSmith, more important than strategizing on the big stage is the camaraderie born of league play at the local level. Her very favorite curling tradition is broomstacking, sitting down after a game with teammates and opponents, eating, drinking, socializing, creating new friends and being with old friends. “It’s part of the polite nature of curling—it’s good for kindness,” she says.
The Mentors, Seattle
Mentoring the next generation motivates MiyoKonno, 61, who first tried curling 20 years ago. She was hooked, then met USA Curling Hall of Famer NancyRichard, who took Konno under her wing. “I learned so much that I figured I should impart some of that knowledge to the younger curlers at Granite Curling Club of Seattle.” Konno’s teammates are half her age, she says, and “everybody has to like their seat on the bus to keep it rolling,” meaning each player must embrace her position for the good of the team.
The City Dwellers, Brooklyn, New York
In 2010, while binge-watching the Vancouver Games, actor HusaniBlaze had an aha! moment: “I realized curling is a thinking sport! This is chess on ice. This is my bag,” he says. In 2018, the self-described Olympics fanatic tried curling for the first time and loved it. He threw himself into playing and subbing with Brooklyn Lakeside Curling Club, which had no dedicated permanent facility. Then he joined the board of the Brooklyn Curling Center, which aims to build one. “That’s my team,” he says of his fellow board members. And leave it to the 20-something to dream big. “I’ve never played on dedicated ice, and I’ve never played in a tournament,” Blaze says. “But I’m aiming to compete in the 2030 Games.”
