Average Joes, Olympians square off in charity curling match

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – A friendly showdown took place Thursday night at the Frogtown Curling Club in St. Paul as local curlers face off against the men’s Olympic team, all for a good cause.

Average Joes vs Olympians curling match

What we know:

The leader of the Curling Guys reached out to a member of the Olympic team on Instagram, setting up the match with hopes of beating some of the best curlers in the country.

The Curling Guys warmed up earlier feeling confident about winning. Meanwhile, the Olympic team might be a bit rusty since they haven’t practiced much since the Olympics.

“It’s kind of exciting to be able to play against them, knowing that one they’re the best in the U.S., and they have a super high ceiling, and it’s going to be pretty sweet to beat them tonight,” said Jonah Traaseth, leader of the Curling Guys.

“Okay, yeah. I mean, it’s all in good fun. They won’t, but, you know, we’ll just leave it at,” said Danny Casper, Olympic curler.

“I mean, we’ve been to the Olympics, and they haven’t, so that’s all I’ll say,” said Ben Richardson, Olympic curler.

The match was live-streamed on the Curling Guys’ TikTok account for anyone who couldn’t attend in person.

Supporting ‘Every Meal’ through curling

Why you should care:

The event’s proceeds go to Every Meal, a nonprofit working to prevent food insecurity for kids across Minnesota, especially over the weekends.

“I’ve done some volunteering with them, and I saw what they do, and it’s just great work. So being able to highlight their work of filling the gap of to prevent food insecurity over the weekends for a lot of kids all around Minnesota,” said Traaseth.

“And that was one of the selling points for us. As soon as we heard that it was for a good cause and for a charity like this, we definitely wanted to come and be behind it. This is really special for us,” said Richardson.

 “Another big reason and big pull for us to for us to do this was because of that. So it’s supporting something and supporting them, and something that you know they seemingly care about, which is great,” said Casper.

The playful spirit of the match is highlighted by stickers given out by team leader Jonan. If the Curling Guys win, the sticker says “I witnessed the 2nd Miracle on Ice.” If not, it reads “I almost witnessed the 2nd Miracle on Ice.”

The Olympic team beat Average Joe’s, 4-3.

What we don’t know:

It’s not how much money will be raised for Every Meal.