PORTLAND, Ore. — Columbia Sportswear has unveiled the apparel the USA Curling National Team will wear during the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing.
The customized jerseys, jackets, pants and accessories are part of Columbia’s multi-year sponsorship of the team announced in September.
“Columbia’s ongoing partnership with USA Curling has been an exceptional experience and has inspired our designers to push our technologies and designs into exciting new directions,” said Joe Boyle, Columbia's president, in a release.
Technical elements include four-way stretch fabrics to optimize mobility, abrasion-resistant materials and the brand's Omni-Wick technology for accelerated moisture evaporation.
Graphic features of the curling uniforms include four non-linear stripes across the chest to represent the four team members competing on the ice, while the “curling” swoops represent the motion and movement of the stone as it slides down the sheet of ice. Stars and stripes cascading down the chest honor each state represented at the Olympics. Faintly blended into the patriotic red, white, and blue jerseys is a pebbled pattern reminiscent of the textured ice.
Curling has gained popularity among Olympic fans over the last few years. In 2018, the USA Curling team secured the country’s first gold medal in the sport with an upset victory over Sweden.
See more photos at the Portland Business Journal.
