2 July 2026
The headband recognised around the world: Aidan Oldenburg rides the Olympic wave
Team Casper has become an emerging force in American curling, disrupting the decade of dominance of Team Shuster and turning heads in the process.
And their lead has naturally been turning heads since undergoing a style glow-up at the start of last season.
Sporting a red headband, Aidan Oldenburg has become an internet sensation, being dubbed the “Curling Rambo” with some sports fans also calling American Olympic gymnastics bronze medallist Stephen Nedoroscik his doppelganger.
It’s rare that a lead is more recognisable than their skip, but for the 25-year-old, he has become one of the most famous curlers in the world to the casual fan.
“It’s a little surreal to have just random people recognise you in the streets,” he said, reflecting back on his time at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, “Something that hopefully you get used to a little more but it’s still a little bit of a shock sometimes now.
“There were so many people, randoms, in the streets of Cortina that would be like ‘Oh my god you’re on the US curling team can I take a photo?’”
He was able to miss most of the off-ice hype by using a second phone during the Olympics, but it was difficult to not feel the magnitude of their achievements when on the field of play. Oldenburg summed his season up simply as “incredible”.
Unlikely road to the Olympic Games
“I know a couple of years ago, I told someone there’s probably less than a 1 per cent chance I make the 2026 Olympics and 2030 is the main goal; but I made it this year and had a good successful season,” he laughed.
“It really helped joining this team a couple of years ago now. All these guys worked super hard and they worked hard before I joined this team and then continued that.”
That one per cent does not seem like hyperbole when factoring in skip Danny Casper’s Guillain–Barré syndrome, which could affect him suddenly during games, forcing them to adapt at a moment’s notice.
John Shuster’s rink had also won all but two national titles they had entered since 2015, with the skip wearing the national colours of the United States at every Olympic Games since 2006.
Casper and Oldenburg were still juniors at the time of the Olympic Trials for Beijing 2022, but were joined by third Luc Violette, second Ben Richardson and grizzled veteran alternate Rich Ruohonen to challenge the old guard.
Competing to wear the stars and stripes
Their run was not a complete Hollywood underdog tale — they had been knocking on the door. An Oldenburg-less Team Casper won bronze at the 2024 USA Curling Championship and with the addition of the Minnesotan, went undefeated in the round-robin in 2025, but lost the crucial final against Korey Dropkin’s side, settling for silver.
Three teams looked in contention for the Olympic spot, but Team Shuster were the undefeated rink in the round-robin. Importantly, Team Casper defeated Dropkin twice to ensure they would go into the best-of-three series with their idols.
A score of four in the seventh helped Team Casper win the first game 7-6, before the consistent Shuster took the second game by the same score. Scoring high with the hammer and defending well, Danny Casper led his team to the Olympic Games by winning the decider by a 7-5 scoreline.
Over 1,000 people per day turned out to watch the finals in Sioux Falls, South Dakota which was the “biggest crowd” the lead had played in front of prior to their trip to Italy. Both teams are very close in their personal lives too, and coincidentally had booked accommodation right next to each other during the Olympic Trials.
After the final, the losing rink came over to their new neighbours for a congratulatory drink, a tradition that Ruohonen had long become accustomed to playing Shuster throughout his career. The camaraderie was felt afterwards, with Team Casper receiving advice from the veterans ahead of their Games debut.
Becoming Olympians
But for Oldenburg, the moment their team was victorious at the Olympic Qualification Event is what “helped solidify that we belong at the Olympics”.
And once there, it was all about remembering their coach’s advice.
“Our coach Jordan mentions all the time, we play better when we have fun and we enjoy it,” he said, “Everyone else watching paid at least a decent chunk of money to come watch, so we might as well give them some more entertainment value.”
Oldenburg has always been about the entertainment, and while humble, clearly enjoys those unserious moments in tense contests. He regales a tale of himself and opponent Colin Hufman having fun with the broadcast team who would put their hand up when going to commercials, with both players in the Olympic Trials final giving them a double high-five.
He also admits he was a pretty solid pole vaulter at state level, but gave up athletics when he realised he could never match the now-world record holder, Mondo Duplantis.
“So we’ve got Mondo to thank for the fact that you’re an Olympic athlete?”
“I think at least partially, yes.”
But if you think propelling yourself five metres in the air is dangerous, he continues to live the daredevil lifestyle – juggling fire.
“I’ve got the torches, I’ve got some machetes too,” he said nonchalantly, “I just kept juggling and I was like, ‘oh, what next?’
“I was maybe going to go to chainsaws, but once I saw how much it would be for health insurance, I decided not to pursue that one.
“And I need to keep all my hands for curling too.”
A refreshing energy on the ice
Ever the showman, he soaked up the experience in Cortina d’Ampezzo as the United States finished fifth — one place outside the playoffs. It wasn’t just about the score, but making the arena roar.
“I was trying to hype up the crowd a little bit and have fun with it, and even if they weren’t getting into it, I was getting into it,” said Oldenburg.
“When we were playing in Italy we made a good shot and I was trying to hype up the crowd a little bit. And I just remember the Italians then just started booing us in the stands.
“I was like, ‘I’ve never heard boos at a curling event before’, so that was pretty funny, but we all loved it.
“I know it’s not the curling way, you might say, but we had a lot of fun with it.”
It is refreshing to see a young team capable of enjoying the experience, but do not write off the lead as a mere juggling jester. He has been trusted by Team Casper and Team Shuster for his reliability. Following the Games, he joined Shuster at the LGT World Men’s Curling Championship 2026 on home soil in Utah, serving as the alternate on his debut where they finished fourth.
“It was pretty special to be asked and I’m very grateful that they asked me to join them,” he said in a moment of true sincerity, “To be able to play two full games was pretty cool to experience what it was like play with John Shuster. I mean, he’s a US curling legend. And Chris Plys, Colin Hufman and Matt Hamilton are all just legends and to be a part of their team for a little bit was awesome.”
Last season showed just what a safe pair of hands Aidan Oldenburg could be, and he could be one of USA Curling’s most valuable assets going forward.
Assuming you can keep him away from chainsaws.
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