Curling
How cool can curling get? Meet Chris Plys
This is the story of a man who’s breaking all the rules when it comes to the sport of curling.
6 мин
Meet Chris Plys who is making curling cool
This is the story of a Chris Plys who is breaking all the clichés and making curling cool.
Born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota, Chris began curling around the age of 10 when he and his parents stopped by the local curling centre on a way to watch a hockey game.
Duluth is a small town alongside Lake Superior and it’s known for three things: fierce winters, ice hockey, and curling – in fact it’s so popular for curling, that folks relocate to the city just for the sport.
Chris is the kind of guy you want on your team
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
Curling began in Scotland nearly 500 years ago and spread internationally as Scots emigrated. The sport is now played in 48 countries including Canada, Sweden, USA, and Australia.
That said, despite the sport’s fascinating history, curling has a funny reputation – perhaps it’s the speed (or lack thereof) or perhaps it’s because most people don’t know much about it. However, the reality is, curling is a really cool sport that requires strength, agility, focus and teamwork. Enter Plys, who's hoping to change your perceptions about curling.
Curling – it’s not what you think
It's important to remain fit in curling
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
When you meet Plys for the first time you’ll notice his athletic build. That’s because curling is both mentally and physically demanding. In fact, it’s so physically demanding that it landed him a shot in ESPN’s prestigious 2010 ‘Body Issue.’
“You need the endurance for sweeping because you don’t want to tail off towards the end of a competition, so you need a strong core and legs plus good balance,” Plys said. “Mentally, it’s a bit like golf too – you put everything into it.”
Focus and strength are two keys to curling
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This means Plys is the gym a few times a week as well as getting practice time on the ice – after all it’s practice that makes perfect.
That said, Plys doesn’t live near his team-mates, which means they have to throw independently and then work remotely on the season’s strategy.
“You want to peak during competitions and this can be difficult living apart,” Plys explained. He also explained that when you have a good team and you mesh well, like he does with his team, it makes it much easier.
The goal of curling is to get all of your rocks as close to the centre as possible. But “no two games are the same,” Chris explained. “Sometimes you’re defending and other times you’re playing offensive. You never stop with strategy.”
He doesn’t look the part
Covered in tattoos, Chris looks more like skater
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You might think that Plys was a skateboarder if you saw him from afar – he wears his hat sideways and he's covered in tattoos. “I got my first one when I was 18,” he said.
Some tattoos are the result of a fun night, some are homages to his curling achievements, as well as his hometown. There’s also a nod to his state with a freshly inked loon (Minnesota’s state bird) on his leg.
And then there are the sentimental tattoos – memories and quotes from his father, such as : ‘I choose joy’ which is across his forearm in large cursive writing. “When my father had his stroke he couldn’t speak, but these were the first words that he wrote,” he said. And his favourite tattoo is a re-creation of a photograph of his father teaching him how to ride a bike.
Remaining an individual is very important to Chris
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
All in a day’s work
Even though curling is Plys’s everything, he still needs to manage a full-time job. “After my father died, I took over my family company. I had to become responsible,” he said.
Although the job is pretty flexible with time he must get face-to-face time in with his clients. We should add this is quite normal for curling athletes – it’s very rare for a curler to play full-time.
Chris Plys plays a pick up game of curling
© Ryan Taylor/Red Bull Content Pool
A typical day for Plys starts at 8am when he takes care of emails then he heads to the curling club. In the winter this means driving 10 minutes down the road, but in the summer he has to drive south by about two hours to a curling club that’s open year round. Then it’s off to the gym before he ties up any loose ends with work. All the while balancing a personal life.
Thus proving when you’re dedicated and passionate about something, as Plys is to curling, the challenges and daily hurdles are tiny. “Curling is my number one thing. I can’t imagine my life without it,” Plys said.
Which is probably why he is probably one of curling's biggest advocates. "It's one of those games that's hard to imagine, but I just try to encourage as many people as possible to try it and go play especailly as it becomes more accessible."
So, what are you waiting for? Go throw.
