Is there a cultural reason why there are so many traditionally attractive athletes in women's curling?

Maybe it has something to do with the spandex.

I haven’t seen a bad looking athlete in the Olympics yet, I don’t think.

You really are in love with these girls, aren’t you?

I am blown away by how good looking many of the women athletes are. Did you see the US alpine ski team? Lindsay Vonn, Melanson.

They could be models! They are all shoo-ins for endorsements. Top of the gene pool.

I asked this Q in so many words and got modded, but I agree there’s a whole lotta sexy on the ice.

@kevbo Sorry about your Q. I don’t really care if other people think they’re attractive or not, I just want to know if there’s a reason behind it!

@andrew Well, I wasn’t really kidding about the top of the gene pool.

@andrew I’m thinking that you need money to compete at this level. You get the looks and the money (and perhaps the skill) from your parents, and why would your parents have kids with someone that’s ugly? Not the most eloquently put, but you get the point.

@marinelife Lindsay Vonn, Melanson.?

@lilikoi That’s a really interesting point—but why isn’t that the case in other sports?

Gah, there was this one German player. Stunning.

Hurry, hurry hard. Amen.

Et voila. Ah, she’s a Canuck and she plays for the German team (her Mom is German). Hola.

@andrew Are you saying these folks are less attractive than the curling ladies?

Lindsey Vonn
Hannah Teter
Julia Mancuso
Charlote Kalla

What I’d like to know is where are all the hot men???

Then there are these luge-rs – here and here just on the first page…

Well, I don’t know – it’s probably just your own taste. Maybe they’re not attractive to all. And I don’t get the surprise others have when they athletes are attractive – why can’t they be attractive just because they do something not typically expected of women. And why can’t they be ugly without everyone saying ‘oh it’s because they’re athletes’.

@jjmah I meant Julia Mancuso. My face is red, because I didn’t bother to stop and look her up.

@marinelife Haha, oh, okay. ;-)

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Regarding taste, I think it’s a valid point—which is why I was very careful to qualify my use of ‘beauty’ in my question. I’m sure they’re not attractive to everyone. Perhaps I should have done a better job separating beauty and attractiveness for the purpose of this question.

It’s not necessarily a gendered issue, either, nor just about sports. The average male rock star, say, is not what you would call ‘traditionally beautiful’—in fact, many rock stars have said that the reason they became involved music was so they could gain stature in adolescent jostling for attention. Gene Simmons, while very attractive, wouldn’t be considered a ‘beauty’.

@lilikoi No, I’m not—and mentioned them in my question. I’m not saying there aren’t beautiful people in many of the sports. Maybe I just happened to tune in to a freak televised occurrence of curling—but I still think there’s another explanation going on. And have you seen Bode MIller? C’mon!

Maybe someone can answer this—who becomes involved in the sport of curling? Is it a particular socio-economic class?

Here is a British curling person. She seems to be very attractive too.

@andrew No…this guy? Is an 8-pack too much to ask of an olympic athlete!?!?!?!! Now here is a good looking man.

Can we just use this thread to talk about all the hot athletes? I need an outlet to discuss my new celebrity crush on Evan Lysacek.

@nikipedia You must have seen him when he was off the ice, right? Otherwise, the hair grease factor would get you down, wouldn’t it? I had to look up a picture without his hair slicked back after my sister said he was a hottie.

@nikipedia meh… he is too pretty-boy-ish for me….maybe shaun white if he wasn’t so young…

Canada’s playing Denmark right now. Wow, pretty ladies (the Danes).

I’ve been thinking (which is always dangerous) of a way to make curling more interesting; then I saw this question and the answer came to me: Olympic Nude Curling! Eureka! I’m a genius!

Darwinism. Luge kills people. The attractive folk stick to sports where you don’t die, thus passing on their genetic material.~

What I like about the women in curling is that they’re normal looking with normal body types.

I wonder if it’s because curling is a little bit ridiculous so the successful female curlers have to be attractive in order to be taken seriously.

I swear to god this is a serious response. Unfortunately, unattractive women are looked down on more than unattractive men.

@marinelife and @lilikoi: I rest my case, ladies.

Bah. It is interesting (not ridiculous). Very strategic.

@breedmitch By Brian, I think he’s got it.

Ice ice babies.They can curl up with me anytime.Although i’ll have to brush up on my pick up lines.They miss the target methinks.

@nikipedia That is so much a better picture of him. But when he talks he is too effete; it turns me off. If I hadn’t heard him talk, I’d agree he’s a hottee. But GA for the eye candy lol.

The Canadian mens team is on right now. Ok. They’re pretty hot. Cept for the bald guy

@lilikoi: As to money, the commentators just said that two of the team are fully funded, meaning that it is their job to play. The other two are half funded (and full time farmers). So I don’t think you have to come from money if you’re good.