Watching the Milan Cortina Olympics, taking place from February 6 to 22, offers a chance to see top winter athletes compete. Curling is one sport where the community welcomes both experienced players and beginners, creating opportunities for interaction with Olympians.
“At some point we’ve all interacted with actual Olympians,” said Heather Kopeck, executive director of Institutional Advancement at the UC Office of the President. “They would no doubt win if I played them, but it’s not a large community of people that participate in the sport.”
The curling rink serves as a meeting place for athletes of all skill levels. The game values accessibility and strategy. Ian Harazduk, policy and strategic initiatives manager at the UC Office of the President, commented on playing against younger competitors: “It’s pretty humbling to get beat by junior curlers who are 15 years old, though, who are much better than me.”
Curling has attracted participants from the University of California system inspired by past Winter Olympics. Jesus Barajas, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at UC Davis, began curling in 2006 after discovering a club near his home in San Antonio, Texas. Kristina Lugo started playing in 2014 along with Kopeck; now they all compete together at the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club. Harazduk plays mainly in San Diego but has experience elsewhere.
Harazduk recalled declining an invitation to play with Danish Olympic curler Madeline Dupont’s father while in Denmark: “I was too scared to try it there… I was like, ‘No, no, I’m good.’” He did not feel ready to join Olympic-level players.
Curling requires only ice and stones—20-kilogram granite pucks—and a broom to guide their path. Unlike other winter sports, skates are unnecessary; Paralympic curling can be played without brooms. The goal is precision: sliding stones toward a target called “the house.” Players must calculate shots based on stone placement and potential interactions with others on the ice.
“It’s fascinating from a gameplay perspective, and a great team sport,” Kopeck said. “Plus, the delivery of the stone is just the ultimate ASMR.”
During the Olympics, curling events begin before Opening Ceremonies and include men’s teams, women’s teams (each four players), and mixed doubles (one man and one woman). Communication is constant during matches. Harazduk explained: “If you go to a curling club or watch the Olympics, you’ll hear a lot of yelling. It’s constant communication… A highlight of curling is watching when someone gets a double or triple take out… Those are amazing shots I have only dreamed of doing.”
Kopeck added: “I really enjoy sweeping… When I’m watching, I look at what sort of shots the players call… they do things I wouldn’t even contemplate trying.” The sport involves teamwork—sliding down ice while sweeping vigorously affects stone direction and distance.
Barajas, Kopeck and Lugo have participated in national tournaments sponsored by USA Curling; Barajas and Lugo earned bronze medals together on a mixed team (two men and two women), while Lugo and Kopeck won bronze on a women’s team. Lugo described encountering well-known competitors: “I had a moment where I arrived at the club and looked at the competition and said, ‘Roth? Roth? You mean the Olympian Nina Roth??’”
All agreed that dedication improves performance as curling grows more popular across the United States. Lugo observed that new curlers progress rapidly.
Kopeck encouraged newcomers: “It’s an awesome community of people”—including those preparing for Milan.
