🇺🇸 From joking with the crowd to delivering under pressure, Casper and his team proved they’re ready to take the next step with Olympic Trials just around the corner. Read the full feature from Ben Hoppe 👇 https://bit.ly/3IqDGz0

Casper puts maturity, personality on display My USA recap of the first Slam of the year 👇 www.thegrandslamofcurling.com/news/team-ca... @grandslamofcurling.bsky.social

But wait, there's more! My latest newsletter is now live, and it's jam-packed: - @chrisplys.bsky.social shared his thoughts on the impact of 5U curling in the US. - 5U qualifiers - Personal news, and more curlingintheusa.substack.com/p/usa-curlin...

Casper puts maturity, personality on display My USA recap of the first Slam of the year 👇 www.thegrandslamofcurling.com/news/team-ca... @grandslamofcurling.bsky.social

NBC says Snoop Dogg will be in Italy for the Olympics in February. Please, NBC, give us some footage of Snoop trying to throw a curling stone.

New Stones & Stripes coming tomorrow. Really looking forward to sharing some love for the 5-and-Under program from a top US curler

The first spot at 5U nationals is secured! Team Skip It, led by Jaclyn Pytlarz, is returning to 5U nationals after winning the first US 5U qualifier of the season at Lake Tahoe Epic Curling.

AMJ Masters Tier 2 Champions: Team Casper! 🏆

Congratulations to Team Casper on capturing the Tier 2 Men’s title at the AMJ Masters! 🏆

For those who don't know. Team Casper ranks high in the team logo power rankings.

Team Casper are your Tier 2 champions! What a fantastic run. The ghost man's stock continues to rise.

Ben Richardson just made a double peel that might be the game-sealing shot. Fantastic. Casper likely going to just blast rocks in the house now.

This 7th end is fluctuating between sketchy for Casper. Then sketchy for Koe. The tides have turned and this is now looking scary for Casper again

Clutch dig from Danny Casper to score 2. Huge to convert with hammer in an even end.

Koe makes a good shot to pick out Casper's shot stone to score 2. The 6th end will be the first time Casper will have the hammer

So many rocks in the house. Fun end here in the Tier 2 final. If you are a fan of strategy and angle management, this is an excellent end to watch.

We have a score! Koe's runback floats just a hair wide and Casper steals 1 in the 4th! Catch the game from London at rockchannel.com @grandslamcurl

Blank. Blank. Blank. Trending towards a 2-1 final score between Koe and Casper.

And in the one day, we are out. If I had thrown a better draw to the button in the last game then perhaps we had a shot to make the playoffs. All things considered, very happy with this weekend considering it was our 2nd ever MD event and first competitive event. Onward!

Was not expecting them to do another scrape before the 9pm draw. It's 1010 and they're now pebbling 😅

First ever win in a points event. We are on the board!!

Kudos to the person who shows up in Nisku as a yellow #2 pencil

East York is a really beautiful club.

There will be a US team in the final!

Peterson wins a tiebreaker over Kang in St Thomas in a shootuout! Tab's draw covered the pin, and Kang's rock just sailed a little deep. Peterson, Shuster, and Casper all onto the playoffs in the Tier 2 Slam!

Woke up this morning still thinking about the dinner I had last night. If you're ever near Oakville, eat at Maro's. S/o @chrisplys.bsky.social for the recommendation.

Great atmosphere at the Tier 2 Slam in St. Thomas! It was fantastic getting to briefly meet so many people! If you're anywhere from Detroit to Toronto, come on down to either the Tier 1 or Tier 2. Great curling everywhere you go.

Down the road from London and in St. Thomas, Ontario where the Tier 2 @grandslamcurl is heating up. A healthy crowd of curling fans inside this beautiful club. A reminder that the women’s and men’s Tier 2 championship games will be played at the arena in London on Sunday.

Balance in all things. Peterson steals 1 to go up 7-3 after 7. Shuster steals 1 to go up 7-3 after 7. Maeda shakes, so Shuster moves to 2-1. Inglis and Peterson are playing the 8th. No bananas here to call out peels.

Steal opportunity brewing for Tab Peterson!

More multi-sheet curling to watch. Tab Peterson makes a precise tap with a fantastic sweep from Taylor Anderson-Heide to score 2 and tie the game going into the 4th. On the men's side, after Maeda wrecks on a guard, Shuster makes a draw for 3 to take a 4-2 lead after 3

Thanks to East York and Guelph for helping out so we didn't travel all this way to not curl.

Good news! Our event wasn't canceled! I get to watch curling AND compete this weekend!

This is the way.

Sheets A-E have 1-3 rocks in play. In classic form, Shuster is on Sheet F against Maeda with 6 rocks in the houe3 and another 2 guards. No blanks here!

After Brunner's last rock rolls too far, Casper needs a hit and stick to win but also rolls too far. To a shootout we go.

Handshakes on sheet D as Strouse drops their first game of the event. They drop to 2-1. Next game TBD. Could be a 3-way tie after 3 games with MacMillan and Kate Cameron

Casper and Brunner throwing (not literal) haymakers. Tough shot made after tough shot made from both sides. There is a good reason they're locked in a tie.

Delaney Strouse needed a double to escape, but hit the wrong side of a MacMillan stone and it jammed. MacMillan answered with a hit-and-stick to take a 6-2 lead with 2 ends to play. Gonna be a busy house in the 7th!

Both US teams are playing in perfect sync. Gotta split my vision between sheets A and D here at the Tier 2 Slam. Strouse makes a hit on a partially buried rock to score 2 to cut Macmillan's lead to 1 Casper is forced by Brunner and takes a 5-3 lead into the 6th. @grandslamcurl

I have arrived in London! Strouse and Casper are on the ice for this early morning draw. Casper up 4-3 with hammer in the 5th. Strouse down 3-0 with hammer in the 5th.

At the end of the first full day of Tier 2, US teams are all in playoff contention with a big day ahead. Strouse 2-0 Peterson 1-1 Casper 1-1 Shuster 1-1 If all goes better than it did today, I should be able to catch some games live from St. Thomas in the morning.

Today is turning into potentially being a really crappy day. And I don't think I've ever said that on the eve of going to curling events before.

This is a long shot, but does anyone know of any clubs with ice in and potential practice ice available tomorrow between St Thomas and Mississauga? Our practice ice for tomorrow in Mississauga just got canceled.

Other US results with the Tier 2 Slam underway Strouse defeated Brown 6-5 last night. Peterson takes the W over Kang this morning. Shuster drops their opener to Jordon McDonald. Casper game 1 coming up in next draw.

Dropkin put the pressure onto Magnus Ramsfjell in the last end, but the Norwegian skip's last rock just checks up in time to hold on for the win. Dropkin falls to 0-3 and will face the top seed from Pool A, Italy's Joel Retornaz

Here's a teaser for something new I am incorporating into my next newsletter, publishing either Sunday night or Monday morning. 👀 Subscribe for free at curlingintheusa.substack.com

Here's a teaser for something new I am incorporating into my next newsletter, publishing either Sunday night or Monday morning. 👀 Subscribe for free at curlingintheusa.substack.com

Really tough game for Team Dropkin. The McEwen rink did a better job working through the challenging ice conditions early. The Youngbucks' next game comes tomorrow morning against Ramsfjell which will determine who they end up playing on Friday.