Israeli curling team takes first competitive steps, lofty goals in mind

Jeff Lutz understands the confused looks on the faces of some when he tells them he's a member of the Israeli Men's National Curling Team.

“We get it it," he says, with a lighthearted tone. "It sounds weird. It sounds out of the ordinary. But it’s who we are, it’s who we represent and we’re proud to do that.”

The nation of Israel is, once again, a member of the World Curling Federation. Bonus points to those who knew it had been in the federation before, its membership being revoked in 2007 due to inactivity. Reinstated in time for this season, the 45th-ranked curling power on planet Earth (tied with the likes of Mongolia and the U.S. Virgin Islands - Brazil is ranked 44th) has a men's team that is returning to action this weekend, in Manitoba.

The National Curling Team of Israel is taking part in the Fall Curling Classic, at Winnipeg's famed Granite Club.

Lutz, a native of Bloomfield, Michigan, plays second on the team. He and his mates had just finished their final practice session hours before their first game at The Classic, when he took time out to discuss the rebirth of Israeli curling.

These are serious stone throwers. They have big, big goals. The biggest, in fact. Like a berth at the Olympics, in 2018.

“We’re building a federation at the same time that we’re building a men’s team and hoping to ascend that quickly," Lutz explained, assuring that he's aware of the incredibly steep climb the rink would need to make. "I mean, you put all that together and it comes from a nation like Israel that has no previous involvement, does not have dedicated ice... we get it. It’s pretty lofty.”

That it is. Lutz and his teammates will get a taste of just where they stand this weekend. No, they won't be taking on the Jeff Stoughtons and Mike McEwens of the curling world, but the Classic has a pretty decent roster of competitive curlers, including 2013 Canadian junior champ Matt Dunstone, and 2014 Canadian junior champ Braden Calvert, as well as battle hardened veterans like Sean Grassie.

It will be a decent test and will give the Israelis a barometer by which they can measure their early progress.

But, let's back up a little here. Israel would like to ice a curling team in the 2018 Olympics.

Amazing, considering there is very little ice in that country. Just a handful of hockey arenas and zero curling clubs.

“As you can imagine, in Israel, winter sports are not heavily funded," Lutz offered with a chuckle. "We’ve had to really rely on a fair amount of sponsors so far. If we were to continue all the way to Worlds, it would be somewhat of a challenge to come up with that (funding).”

How can it be, then, that these five curlers can have the audacity to think that they could trek to the pebbled slope of Mount Olympus in just four years' time?

Partly because the Israel Curling Federation came to North America to find a mix of experienced throwers as well as up and coming hot shots.

It's why people like Lutz are on this team. While he's an American who recently gained his Israeli citizenship in order to play, three other team members were born in Israel and one member has a father who is Israeli. That would be 21 year old skip Adam Freilich, of Montreal. A curler for seven years, he skipped the Quebec entry at last season's Canadian Junior Championship.

“We had great practices, great tryouts all throughout North America, pretty much," said Lutz, who added that a final camp in Blaine, Minnesota, was a turning point. Decorated Manitoba curlers like Ray Turnbull and Terry Braunstein were there to lend a hand and a critical eye.

“That was the first indication we were moving forward," continued Lutz, who won an NCAA silver medal as part of the Syracuse curling team in 2003. "There were about 25 curlers there, there was a high level of competition, great games. That was really the jumping off point for where we’re hoping to go.”

Next month, comes a big step for the Israeli team in its plan to eventually make it to rarefied air. They'll take part in the 'C' Group European Championships, in the Netherlands. Scrapping with other curling neophytes like Luxembourg, Ireland and Slovakia, Team Israel will go into the competition as the lowest-ranked in the field.

“That’s our big competition," said Lutz. "Ten men’s teams. Top two go to the Euro ‘B’s at the end of November. Top two there, out of sixteen teams move up to the ‘A’ division.”

Whether his rink can pull off a finals finish in the Netherlands is questionable, but Lutz is filled with confidence. “We have no doubt that we should be competitive. We believe it’s there. We believe the talent’s there. There’s no doubt in our minds that we should - at minimum - be top half of the field and be very competitive for those two spots.”

Wherever Team Israel finishes in Euro championships this season, they will continue to take aim at what is most crucial to them; A shot at an Olympic berth.

“Our only real chance of making The Olympics is (that) we have to be in the World Championship by 2017, so we can get in that qualifying event,” said Lutz.

There is heavy, heavy lifting to be done in the meantime and Team Israel faces some of the usual curling challenges to go along with the less than usual situation of having no facilities in the country they represent.

They are five players living in four cities. That is not unusual in this day and age. What is also not unusual is having to scramble for funds to meet expenses. They do get a little money from the Israel Curling Federation, but not much. Scrambling for sponsors - they've had their equipment needs taken care of - they are left trying to fill the gap with solicited donations and even some money from their own bank accounts or those of family members. “We would definitely not turn them away,” says Lutz, when asked if the team is actively looking for sponsors.

On a daily basis, someone screws up their face and says "what?" when Lutz or one of his teammates tell them they play for the Israeli Curling Team. “All day long," he laughs.

He adds, though, that the more surprising responses are those he got when he recently travelled overseas.

“The thing that I found astounding, when I went to Israel recently, was that when we said ‘we’re the Israeli Curling Team,’ (people would reply) ‘Oh yeah, I’ve seen that sport on TV,’ which was a different reaction than I thought we were gonna get in Israel. So, it’s cool to see that.”

It's a long, long icy road to Pyeongchang and a spot in the 2018 Olympic Games. Those ten berths are reserved for the ultra cream of the curling crop and the Israeli team has 35 positions to leapfrog in order to do it. The odds are stacked against them, the hurdles are high and many. There is irony afoot, too, as they have no place to call their curling home in the country they represent.

Never mind, says Lutz. They'll keep their eyes focussed on the challenge and will make sure that they are having fun along the way.

“In the process, build a great program,” he adds.

And deal with the chuckles and puzzled looks with good humour.

ISRAEL MEN'S CURLING TEAM BIOGRAPHIES (provided by Jeff Lutz)

Skip: Adam Freilich, 21, Montreal. Curled for 7 years. Father is Israeli. Home club is Montreal West. Student at Concordia.

Vice: Yuval Grinspun, 35, Toronto. Curled for 18 years. Born in Kfar Saba, Israel. Home club is East York. Business Process Analyst for Toronto Transit Commission.

Second: Jeff Lutz, 30, Detroit (Bloomfield Hills, MI). Curled for 15 years. Took up citizenship this year. Home club is Roseland in Windsor, Ont. Dir of Marketing for gloStream.

Lead: Gabriel Kempenich, 18, Rockville, MD. Curled for 12 years. Born in Beer Yaakov, Israel. Home club is Potomac. Student at UMBC.

Fifth: Gilad Kempenich, 22, Rockville, MD. Curled for 12 years. Born in Tel Aviv. Home club is Potomac. Student at Univ of Maryland.