Correction: In a previous version of this article, Jeff Lutz process of becoming an Israeli citizen was misstated. Lutz intends on becoming a dual citizen. The Daily Orange regrets this error. In the same article, the man identified in the photograph with Lutz was unclear. Simon Pack, the director of development for the curling team, stands next to Lutz.

Back in the 90s, rollerblading was all the rage.

As a high school student, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. native Jeff Lutz would split his time between rollerblading at the local rink, U.S. Blades, with friends and watching the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics — until one day he walked into the building next door. It was a curling club, a sport Lutz had watched on TV for weeks.

“I never put two and two together,” Lutz said. “I thought, ‘This looks fun. This looks interesting.’”

That inspired Lutz to create SU’s first club curling team with the help of Lawrence Mason, a professor of communications, and his son, Jon; SU student Adam Duke; and a freshman Lockerbie scholar named Andrew McClune.

Shortly after the team was started, McClune died in an accident. When the team competed in college nationals in 2003, they won a silver medal in his honor, and went on to place third for the next three years.

“It’s something that I can always go back on and say ‘We did it,’” Lutz said. “There’s always a level of accomplishment.”

Now, eight years after leaving SU, Lutz is helping create the first Israeli curling team, with hopes of competing in this year’s World Championship and the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Lutz first got involved in the process after hearing that the Israel Curling Federation (ICF) became reinstated into the World Curling Federation, said Simon Pack, director of development for the team. He sent a congratulations email to Pack with his information.

“He gave me his biography,” Pack said. “I said, ‘That’s great. We’re trying to form a national team, how can you help us?’”

The ICF has been recruiting in North America for the past six months. Lutz plays a key role in networking with curling communities, especially Jewish ones, Pack said. They are looking for people with Jewish heritage or have Israeli parents to try out. Pack added that people from the ages of 18–65 have already expressed interest.

Rachel Katzman, a 15-year-old curler from Windsor, Ontario, curls six times a week on average during the season. She said the only thing stopping her from joining the team is the military service requirement in Israel. All females and males 18 and older are required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces for at least three years, but Katzman may have an exemption.

Her mother, Marilee Marcotte, said she is keeping an open mind.

“It’s a very cordial sport. When you’re looking at it, you may think, ‘Oh that’s simple,” Marcotte said. “It’s not.”

In order to participate in the European Championships in October, the ICF must have a team by May. The Israeli curling team will start in the “C” Championships, and if they win, will work their way up to the “B” Championships, Pack said. To qualify for the Olympics, the team has to be in the “A” group.

“We’re taking it one day at a time,” Pack said. “We’re a long way away from even thinking about the 2018 Olympics, but we certainly hope and dream that everything falls into place and we are successful.”

Lutz has expressed his interest in joining the team since the beginning, he said. But without his curling experience at SU, he may not be where he is today.

Completing college with an 11-5 curling record, Lutz has a good chance of making the team. If he joins, Lutz intends on becoming a dual citizen with Israel. He said this is something he’s always wanted and the entire process is exciting.

“Not only is it a process that it’s pretty easy to go through, there’s also the fact it’s kind of a dream at the same time where to become Israeli is a cool feeling,” Lutz said. “It’s almost a full circle event since it is the homeland of my religion. It’s a very special place for a lot of us.”

Lutz’s younger brother, Brad, may also join him in the tryouts. Curling became a family affair after Lutz got involved. Brad continued curling at Michigan State University. Later, in 2004, the two later competed against each other in regional qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic curling team.

Now the two will get to compete again, as they attempt to earn spots on the Israeli curling team.

Said Brad: “If we were to make it, I think we’ve got some things to lean back on to realize that we’ve got the potential to do some pretty great things.”

jmfrere@syr.edu

Published on March 27, 2014 at 1:00 am

Contact Jackie: jmfrere@syr.edu | @jackie_frere