Sealand Curling Team Expands Global Presence From Minnesota To Iceland
The Principality of Sealand may be best known for its historic sea fort, growing international profile and emerging American football scene, but one of its most established sporting communities is thriving on ice rinks across the globe.
Led by Matt Heile, also known within Sealand circles as “Baron Hazmatt”, the Sealand Curling community has quietly grown into an international network of between 150 and 180 affiliated curlers competing across the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe.
“Prince Michael put me in charge in 2012,” Heile explained, having first discovered curling in 2007.
“I got into it as something to do. Who knew five years later I’d be representing the world’s smallest micronation?”
International Curling Under The Sealand Banner
Unlike traditional national teams, Sealand Curling operates as a worldwide community rather than a single fixed roster.
“It isn’t just me or even a single team,” said Heile. “We usually form teams for a tournament or a nightly league.”
That flexibility has helped Sealand establish a presence at curling events around the world, with representatives regularly competing in major bonspiels and international tournaments.
Heile himself curls three nights a week in Minnesota and competes in around 10 to 15 bonspiels every year.
Most recently, Sealand representatives travelled to Iceland to compete in the Ice Cup tournament.
“We finished sixth overall,” Heile said.
The Iceland squad featured players from multiple countries, including Lord Jack and Lady Fillippini from Inverness, Scotland, alongside Commoner Gartner and Heile himself.
Additional Sealand representatives also competed on other teams during the event.
How Curling Tournaments Work
For newcomers discovering the sport through Sealand’s growing community, Heile also explained how curling tournaments are structured.
“The way most curling tournaments work is you get a three-game guarantee,” he said.
“The pattern of wins and losses in your first games determines your event. Win-win is first event, lose-win is second event, win-lose is third event and lose-lose is fourth event.”
This weekend, Heile and the Sealand curlers are competing at the St. Paul Curling Club in Minnesota.
“My games are 8pm on Friday and then 12:30pm and 7pm on Saturday,” he explained.
“If we win our third game, we move onto the semi-finals and then finals if we keep winning.”
Sealand Curling’s Growing Community
The Sealand curling scene has developed into more than simply competition, with friendships and connections forming through international events.
“I met Mike (Lord Jack) through Highland Week in Scotland,” Heile explained. “Lady FlippyCup was a club mate of mine who started going to Highland Week too, they eventually fell in love and she moved from the States to Inverness last year.”
Earlier this year, Sealand curlers also competed during the 59th Highland Week of International Curling in Inverness while teammates simultaneously represented Sealand at the Hobber Dobber Invitational in Minnesota.
The community continues to attract players from across the globe, sometimes from places far removed from traditional curling strongholds.
“Well, in curling circles you’re running into people all over the globe,” Heile said. “There’s even someone in Afghanistan.”
According to Heile, one group improvised their own version of the sport despite having virtually no access to equipment.
“They made their own rocks out of stone that was available there,” he explained. “They sent me a video at one time of them curling. They only had one rock and it was behind what looked like a bombed-out wall on a small patch of ice, but they were excited about Sealand.”
What’s Next For Sealand Curling?
The next planned appearance after this Friday’s event for the Sealand Curling community is the Pirate Spiel tournament at Dakota Curling Club in Lakeville, Minnesota later this year.
As Sealand’s sporting presence continues to expand internationally through American football, roller derby, softball, cornhole and curling, the ice-based side of the micronation is proving to be one of its most globally connected communities yet.
- Mike Ireland, Minister for Sport and Culture.
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