Curls out of: Granite Curling Club, Seattle, Wash.

Nickname: The WEJ or Messy Wessy

Curling start: "I started playing around on curling ice in wool socks at the age of 8 and bought shoes, played a real game and joined a league at 12. I wanted to curl because my older brother, Mark, did and he was getting good at it, and I thought I might, too. He has always been my mentor. He's one of the top four skips in Edmonton."

Backwards sweeper: "For the entire first season of curling I swept backwards, not realizing it until the following year when somebody finally noticed. Not realizing I was doing it wrong I made the extremely awkward switch (I am no longer 'bi-sweptual.' I've been a lousy sweeper ever since. That's why I like to skip. Also because I don't like to put my life in other people's hands."

What he enjoys most about curling: "The thing I enjoy most about the sport is the people I get to meet. I also enjoy the intelligence of the game: the nearly perfect physics; the strategy. It's great to be able to play a gentleman's game that encourages screaming at the top of your lungs. And I love the fact that curling is like great sex: It's all in the touch."

Life dreams: "I have three dreams: 1) To have a happy family life, 2) to create humorous films for a living or for television, 3) to be a world class curler."

In his own words: "I want to play with the best curlers in the world, and I want to win a gold medal for my country: the United States of America. It's our turn."

Curling strengths: "My strengths as a curler are my ability to to remain calm, my sense of balance and timing, the excellent training I had growing up in Edmonton, and my intuition, visualization, confidence, stubbornness and touch.

Curling weaknesses: "My weaknesses as a curler are my eight years off in Los Angeles studying acting and writing, my occasional lapses of memory, and the fact that nobody can hear me scream."

Training regimen: "My training regimen consists of running up and down ladders and stretching in the off season; practicing three to four times a week, playing as many games as 'wifely' possible, drinking lots of water, strategy discussions."

Other activities: Hiking, downhill skiing, water skiing, camping, swimming, bicycling, reading, writing, and most especially walking and playing with his daughter, Kana.

Lucky charm: "People should be made aware that I only wear my silly hat because Leon thinks it has the Mojo, and because I get cold without my long hair."

"I love curling. (But I really love my wife.) It's one thing that finally made people wonder, 'Oh, maybe he's not such a clumsy geek.'"