Curling Sweeps Through Regis By Way of Peter Austin ’95

(Left) Peter Austin ’95 talks curling with Regians. (Right) Peter and his father, George, earned silver medals at the 2018 U.S. Club National Championships.

Ever since the 2018 US Men’s Curling team unexpectedly took home the gold medal from the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, interest in the sport has never been hotter. It was therefore a treat for Regians to welcome a visit by Peter Austin ’95 this past May. Austin, who has been curling for almost two decades, was first introduced to playing the sport by his dad, George, shortly after graduating from college. Since then, the Austins have earned a series of accolades on the ice, including the gold medal in the 2016 U.S. Club National Championships. They also earned the silver medal in 2018 and the bronze medal in 2015. Among other topics, Austin discussed rules, techniques, and training. “The most common misperception is that curlers are not athletes,” said Austin. “But after playing in a 2.5 hour competitive match, you realize quite the contrary.” The lively discussion also focused on the science behind sweeping the ice in front of a moving stone. “I really enjoyed sharing with the Regians the physics behind sweeping. I knew it would pique their interest.”