Columbia Sportswear announced a multi-year sponsorship with USA Curling on Wednesday in which the company will work closely with the USA Curling National Team Program, including the men’s, women’s, junior and wheelchair national teams.
This included debuting new competitive uniforms on Curling Night in America airing on the NBC Sports Network starting Sept. 19. Columbia will leverage its sponsorship to promote its product lines and performance technologies.
The team of more than 50 world-class USA Curling athletes and coaches will wear Columbia designs as they train and participate in curling competitions around the world, including the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.
“USA Curling is an elite organization with best-in-class athletes and we are huge fans of this growing sport,” Joe Boyle, Columbia brand president, said. “Columbia’s products are designed to help people pursue their passions in a variety of environments and we can’t think of a better way to showcase our brand than in a global sport that takes place completely on ice.”
In the 2018 Winter Olympics, the USA men’s curling team captured America’s attention with its upset victory over Sweden that secured the country’s first gold medal in the sport. Since then, the full USA Curling team has been training in its facility in Chaska, Minn., ahead of the athletes’ competition on the world stage. Most recently, USA Curling announced its headquarters relocation from Stevens Point, Wisc., to the Viking Lakes campus in suburban Minneapolis.
“Columbia Sportswear is a highly regarded brand that immediately resonated with our athletes,” USA Curling CEO Jeff Plush said. “We could not be more excited to enter into a long-term partnership with an iconic American brand that shares our commitment to valuing people, our communities and the many stakeholders that make up our great sport.”
Columbia’s sponsorship of the reigning champions complements the brand’s gold-centric messaging this season. Columbia recently unveiled its new Omni-Heat Infinity technology, a new gold metallic lining material scientifically engineered to optimize warmth and breathability. The new patented technology will be incorporated into select outerwear provided to USA Curling.