OLYMPICS: Curling-Fancy pants Norway pay tribute to Ulsrud at Winter Games

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy – Norway's men’s curling team delighted fans on Tuesday by bringing back the famous red, white, and blue-patterned trousers that became a sensation 16 years ago, originally worn by Thomas Ulsrud’s team.

The eye-catching pants first turned heads at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics as part of a sponsorship deal with sportswear company Loudmouth Golf. Ulsrud’s Norwegian rink quickly captured the hearts of curling fans worldwide with their bold fashion statement.

“When we qualified for the Olympics, it was always in the back of our minds, ‘Oh, we should really bring back the pants,’” Norway skip Magnus Ramsfjell said. “We had the compromise that one game, honoring the whole Ulsrud team and wearing the fully Norwegian outfits out there on the ice, would be just amazing for all parties.”

The pants have since achieved cult status in curling circles, with a Facebook page dedicated to “The Norwegian Olympic Curling Team’s Pants” boasting over 360,000 followers.

Asked why the pants continue to captivate fans, Ramsfjell said, “It’s something about curling being a bit silly, and then people showing up looking a bit silly. I feel like it’s a perfect synergy.”

A Tribute to Ulsrud

Ulsrud’s teams continued to impress with their unique sartorial choices at the 2014 and 2018 Games and other tournaments, before his passing from cancer in 2022 at the age of 50.

“Thomas was an incredible guy, incredible curler,” Ramsfjell said. “The passion for curling is something I hope everyone can carry forward. Just his energy in general – fantastic, fun, and an amazing curler.”

The iconic pants made their Olympic comeback during a game against Sweden’s Niklas Edin, who had competed with Ulsrud in 2010. Edin fondly recalled the original Norwegian team, joking that they looked like “four clowns coming up and down the ice.”

“Team Ulsrud were some of our best friends for nearly two decades,” Edin said. “This new Norwegian team is the same – super nice personalities. They had probably a hundred different kinds of pants back in the day with new silly details every game. That was the only team that could wear those kinds of pants and still look sharp. We always had a good laugh, and yeah, fantastic memories with those teams.” -Reporting by Aadi Nair; Editing by Ken Ferris/Reuters