About six weeks ago I received a letter from my father (he’s a huge supporter of the United States Postal Service!). Included in the mailing was an Associated Press article from an area newspaper profiling Kays Curling, a Scottish company that – the story informed me – is the sole manufacturer of Olympic curling stones. And it’s been the lone provider of the iconic stones since the sport returned as a medal sport to the Winter Olympics in 1998.
Whether it was my dad’s intention or not, I paid the Kays’ website a visit and discovered a contact form. Before I knew it, I had an appointment scheduled with Ricky English, Operations Manager at Kays.
Ricky, with his thick Scottish accent, shares the history of Kays, how it harvests the unique granite (Common Green and Blue Hone) from the nearby uninhabited island, Aisla Craig, in the Firth of Clyde that’s used to craft the stones, and a bit about the production process.
I also learn from Ricky that there are craftsmen working at Kays who have, in fact, handled every curling stone ever used in the Olympic Games. Simply amazing!
It’s a terrific discussion (in my estimation, at least;-) about what it takes to craft these iconic stones for a sport that continues to captivate new fans with each passing Olympic Games.