Rylan Kleiter is about to step into a bright spotlight, but if he’s nervous it’s hard to tell.
The 18-year-old skip is known for being a pretty cool customer on and off the ice and although he’s about to make his first ever trip to the Canadian junior men’s curling championship, he talks about it like a seasoned pro.
“(I’m) taking every game as its own event, and just being able to refocus after every shot, even break it down to one shot at a time,” Kleiter said.
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Kleiter’s even-keeled demeanour is one of his biggest assets as a skip.
“Even when he misses a big shot or anything like that, Rylan will stay calm and collected out there, and he’ll come back next end and he’ll be firing again like he always is,” lead Mathieu Taillon said.
However, Kleiter hasn’t missed many big shots lately. After coming up short in the final two years ago, his Sutherland Curling Club foursome captured its first provincial junior men’s title in early January, earning a trip to nationals in Victoria, B.C.
It comes just two months after the multi-sport athlete travelled to the very same city and won a Canadian Bowl title as a rookie receiver with the Saskatoon Hilltops junior football team.
“It was unbelievable,” Kleiter said of winning provincials. “To have three of my buddies with me supporting, and all the family support that was there as well was awesome.”
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That family includes his father and coach, Dean. An accomplished curler in his own right, Dean played in three provincial men’s finals – most recently in 2012 and 2013 as the third on Bruce Korte’s team – but never won. Seeing Rylan take the next step is a proud moment.
“It’s very gratifying to see the success that they’re having at this young age, and to be part of it with your son is just a pretty cool thing,” Dean Kleiter said.
The son has learned much of what he knows on the pebbled ice from his father.
“(The) biggest lesson, I think, is to have fun out there and enjoy being with your teammates,” Rylan said.
It was Dean who convinced a then-11-year-old Rylan to try curling. The younger Kleiter recruited good friends Taillon and Josh Mattern, who throws second stones, soon after. They added third Trevor Johnson three years ago and have been climbing the ranks ever since.
The team has won a provincial high school championship and a pair of under-18 titles, but the junior men’s nationals is still a dream of theirs.
“It’s been our goal since, I don’t know, the past four or five years that we’re gonna go and win this provincial and represent Saskatchewan, and that’s what we’re getting here and it’s almost a dream come true,” Taillon said.
Kleiter, cool as ever, is looking forward to the unique aspects that come with a national championship.
“I’m excited to experience a 10-day event, how long it’ll be and just learning how to operate throughout the whole week.”
But learning isn’t the only thing Team Kleiter is interested in; they want to wear the Maple Leaf as Canada’s representative at the world championships, and Dean Kleiter thinks they have what it takes.
“They’re very strong young boys, they’re good athletes, they’ve trained hard all summer to get to where they are today, and they’re mentally tough,” he said.
The Canadian junior men’s curling championship runs Jan. 21 to 29.