50 years of the Cairn Lassies: A women's curling club celebrates a long legacy
Judy Jytyla (left) and Jan Evingson (middle) are original members of the Cairn Lassies curling club which celebrated 50 years on Nov. 7, 2023.
Courtesy of Barb Klussendorf
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A group of women in St. Paul are celebrating a big anniversary Tuesday. It’s the 50th anniversary of the Cairn Lassies, a curling club that started in 1973.
Judy Jytyla is a founding member who still plays on the team 50 years later. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to share the legacy and impact the curling club has had over the last 50 years.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
SPEAKER 1: Programming is supported by CenterPoint Energy. Minnesota businesses can help lower operating costs and decrease energy use with CenterPoint Energy's rebates on energy-efficient natural gas equipment. The application deadline is December 31. CenterPointEnergy.com/savenow.
SPEAKER 2: Support comes from the American Swedish Institute's Holiday Experience, opening November 11. Myths, tales, and traditions of the season collide in one of their most enchanting and immersive experiences ever. Step into the story and learn more at asimn.org.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
CATHY WURZER: I'm glad you're with us. It's Minnesota Now here on MPR News. I'm Cathy Wurzer. A group of women in Saint Paul are celebrating a big anniversary today. It's the 50th anniversary of the Cairn Lassies, a curling club that started back in 1973 and is still going strong today. One of the founding members of the team joins us, Judy Jytyla. Judy, welcome. Congratulations.
JUDY JYTYLA: Well, thank you. It's really exciting to be here. I've been looking forward to this 50th anniversary. We've been planning it for quite a while now.
CATHY WURZER: Wow. Take us back to 1973. How did you get involved in curling?
JUDY JYTYLA: Well you know, I got involved just because I had a husband who was very involved in the curling. And I decided I'd like to see him once in a while. And so I thought, well, if one can do this game, maybe two can.
And I started curling at Arden Hills, and that's where we began. And it was the best thing that ever happened for our family. Our children curl. We curl. And it's been amazing.
CATHY WURZER: Do you remember the first time you got out there, and you were learning how to curl? And I ask that because I was at the Saint Paul Curling Club for my first lesson. And I tell you, I still got the bruises to show that I didn't do too well on the ice. How did you do?
JUDY JYTYLA: Yeah. Well you know, we were all new at that time, and so we were expected to fall. And in the days that I first began curling, we actually lifted that heavy rock off the ice. We lifted it way up to give the momentum. Well, nowadays, we don't do that. We just push it back and with our legs give it the momentum. So it wasn't scary at all.
CATHY WURZER: So was there-- well, I'm assuming here there were very few women-only leagues.
JUDY JYTYLA: Well, I was in one of the early leagues. I know they had started in Saint Paul before. And one of our founding members had been the founding member of the Saint Paul Club. That was Paula Arnold.
And she is coming to our party today. She, of course, isn't curling, but she has got the spirit. And she started curling because her family was involved. And she wanted to, and they let her in. So it's been very, very good.
CATHY WURZER: You say they let her. I wonder, back in the day, 1973, was there any issue with women curling?
JUDY JYTYLA: Oh, absolutely. They didn't want women in the club, let alone curling in the beginning. I mean, it was one of those-- if you've heard of where they blackballed you, that's the kind of a club it was in the very, very beginning. And her dad was involved, and he let her curl. And that's kind of how it started. And then, of course, her husband curled, and it evolved.
But now all over the-- of course, the Olympics, that's what really helped us out a lot. And then we've got such famous people coming right out of Saint Paul. The Peterson sisters, they've been right up there at the top.
CATHY WURZER: Right. So, I mean, you guys were kind of renegades then with the Cairn Lassies, I mean, with your own female curling club--
JUDY JYTYLA: Oh, yeah.
CATHY WURZER: --in a sense.
JUDY JYTYLA: It was. It was fun. And it was-- oh, you always talk about different sports. It was a family. Well, I can't tell you how that was-- how it is, I should say.
I've had deaths in my family in the last couple of years of my husband and son. And I'll tell you, that curling community is like family. They're supportive. And I don't know any other business-- not a business, but a sport where I've seen such camaraderie.
And I don't care where you go in the country. My husband and I curled all over the country. We even curled in Switzerland. And if you're a curler, it's like a fraternity-type thing. You're involved, and you're accepted.
CATHY WURZER: And it's competitive too. I mean your league is not just a bunch of ladies getting together and-- I mean, it's fun, yes. But it's competitive too, isn't it?
JUDY JYTYLA: Oh my goodness, yes. It's very competitive. But once the game is over, you must go upstairs to the club rooms. And usually it's the winner buys the losing team a drink. Well, we curl so much here that everybody takes care of their own.
But you do go upstairs, and you sit with your opponents. And you would never know a game had ever gone on. You hardly even talk about the game. You just talk about everything else. So--
CATHY WURZER: Oh, don't you--
JUDY JYTYLA: --you leave it out--
CATHY WURZER: --have lunch?
JUDY JYTYLA: --on the ice.
CATHY WURZER: OK. Don't you have lunch, by the way? Aren't you known for your lunches?
JUDY JYTYLA: Yes. And not too many leagues do that. And we have really exploded on that because we not only have lunch-- and two teams will make lunch for the whole club or the whole women's group because there's 64 of us curling because we have eight sheets. And so then that means two teams make lunch for the rest.
And there's always some guests that come. So it's not only lunch, but there's also a theme and decorations. And I don't mean fancy decorations that you go out and buy. But if it happens to be Saint Patrick's Day, you say, hey, Susie, do you have anything green? And so everybody gets together, and they put together whatever. And we decorate and enjoy.
CATHY WURZER: And I'm betting-- because some of you are pretty good cooks. And if you're preparing lunch, I bet you got a cookbook, don't you?
JUDY JYTYLA: We certainly do. As it turns out, I was the chairman of the cookbook. And it's called the Ate Ender, ate spelt A-T-E. There's a little play on the word because in curling, if you get eight stones that are counting, that's an eight-ender. So there's where the connection is. And, in fact, for our party today, we're using every single recipe out of our Ate Ender.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, nice. See, I figured as much. I thought you would probably do something like that because it's a big celebration. I mean, 50 years is a very long time. Why do you think that the Cairn Lassies have lasted for 50 years?
JUDY JYTYLA: I think for just what I said. It's camaraderie. And they're not just your competitors or your playmates. They are your friends. And you just want to be with them.
Winter for the curlers is what you wait for. So many people, oh my gosh, I've got to go to Florida, got to get out of here for winter. We don't feel that way. We absolutely love it because that's our big social time is winter.
CATHY WURZER: Well, I really think this is a really great story. So will you be curling today to celebrate or just eating?
JUDY JYTYLA: Well, [LAUGHS] I'm going to be working. I've been decorating, and many of us are doing that. But there will be some that will be curling. In fact, they started at 9:30. Usually, we start at 10 o'clock. But they're starting early because we've got a lot of guests coming, and we want them to have something to watch.
CATHY WURZER: [LAUGHS] Well, it sounds great. I hope you have a wonderful time, and congratulations.
JUDY JYTYLA: Well, thank you. That's one good thing about being old. [LAUGHS] I've kind of been around the block, and it's exciting. But thank you for calling and asking about it because I just love this sport. And I just hope everybody gives it a try.
CATHY WURZER: All right. Judy, thank you. Congratulations again.
JUDY JYTYLA: Thank you very much.
CATHY WURZER: Judy Jytyla is one of the founding members of the Cairn Lassies all-women's curling club, which is celebrating, of course, 50 years today. I bet they're sitting down having lunch right now.
By the way, the Lassies are part of the United States Women's Curling Association. There is a list of all the different curling clubs, women's curling clubs, on their website, uswca.org, including some of the bonspiels that are coming up. So check that out if you have an opportunity.
Well, friends, it has been a very busy, busy show here. And we suspect it's going to be a busy one tomorrow too. Thanks for joining us. Hope you're having a good rest of the day here on MPR News.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER 3: Support comes from Turbo Tim's Anything Automotive, with auto repair shops in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and West Saint Paul. Turbo Tim's is hiring automotive technicians. Learn more and apply at turbotims.com.
CATHY WURZER: And support for Minnesota Now comes from TruStone Financial Credit Union, dedicated to giving back to the community since 1939. Full-service banking is available at 23 locations and online at trustone.org TruStone is an equal housing opportunity lender insured by NCUA.
42 degrees, cloudy skies here at MPR News 91.1 K-N-O-W, Minneapolis, Saint Paul. The forecast, pretty simple forecast the rest of the day. We may get to about 45 for a high. We're at 42.
Rain is likely this evening. 70% chance for rain this evening. Clouds tomorrow but dry with a high of 52 degrees. Gets pretty darn windy on Thursday. Wind gusts around 45 to 50 miles an hour. Sunshine but dry with a high of 45.
SPEAKER 2: Support comes from the American Swedish Institute's Holiday Experience, opening November 11. Myths, tales, and traditions of the season collide in one of their most enchanting and immersive experiences ever. Step into the story and learn more at asimn.org.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
CATHY WURZER: I'm glad you're with us. It's Minnesota Now here on MPR News. I'm Cathy Wurzer. A group of women in Saint Paul are celebrating a big anniversary today. It's the 50th anniversary of the Cairn Lassies, a curling club that started back in 1973 and is still going strong today. One of the founding members of the team joins us, Judy Jytyla. Judy, welcome. Congratulations.
JUDY JYTYLA: Well, thank you. It's really exciting to be here. I've been looking forward to this 50th anniversary. We've been planning it for quite a while now.
CATHY WURZER: Wow. Take us back to 1973. How did you get involved in curling?
JUDY JYTYLA: Well you know, I got involved just because I had a husband who was very involved in the curling. And I decided I'd like to see him once in a while. And so I thought, well, if one can do this game, maybe two can.
And I started curling at Arden Hills, and that's where we began. And it was the best thing that ever happened for our family. Our children curl. We curl. And it's been amazing.
CATHY WURZER: Do you remember the first time you got out there, and you were learning how to curl? And I ask that because I was at the Saint Paul Curling Club for my first lesson. And I tell you, I still got the bruises to show that I didn't do too well on the ice. How did you do?
JUDY JYTYLA: Yeah. Well you know, we were all new at that time, and so we were expected to fall. And in the days that I first began curling, we actually lifted that heavy rock off the ice. We lifted it way up to give the momentum. Well, nowadays, we don't do that. We just push it back and with our legs give it the momentum. So it wasn't scary at all.
CATHY WURZER: So was there-- well, I'm assuming here there were very few women-only leagues.
JUDY JYTYLA: Well, I was in one of the early leagues. I know they had started in Saint Paul before. And one of our founding members had been the founding member of the Saint Paul Club. That was Paula Arnold.
And she is coming to our party today. She, of course, isn't curling, but she has got the spirit. And she started curling because her family was involved. And she wanted to, and they let her in. So it's been very, very good.
CATHY WURZER: You say they let her. I wonder, back in the day, 1973, was there any issue with women curling?
JUDY JYTYLA: Oh, absolutely. They didn't want women in the club, let alone curling in the beginning. I mean, it was one of those-- if you've heard of where they blackballed you, that's the kind of a club it was in the very, very beginning. And her dad was involved, and he let her curl. And that's kind of how it started. And then, of course, her husband curled, and it evolved.
But now all over the-- of course, the Olympics, that's what really helped us out a lot. And then we've got such famous people coming right out of Saint Paul. The Peterson sisters, they've been right up there at the top.
CATHY WURZER: Right. So, I mean, you guys were kind of renegades then with the Cairn Lassies, I mean, with your own female curling club--
JUDY JYTYLA: Oh, yeah.
CATHY WURZER: --in a sense.
JUDY JYTYLA: It was. It was fun. And it was-- oh, you always talk about different sports. It was a family. Well, I can't tell you how that was-- how it is, I should say.
I've had deaths in my family in the last couple of years of my husband and son. And I'll tell you, that curling community is like family. They're supportive. And I don't know any other business-- not a business, but a sport where I've seen such camaraderie.
And I don't care where you go in the country. My husband and I curled all over the country. We even curled in Switzerland. And if you're a curler, it's like a fraternity-type thing. You're involved, and you're accepted.
CATHY WURZER: And it's competitive too. I mean your league is not just a bunch of ladies getting together and-- I mean, it's fun, yes. But it's competitive too, isn't it?
JUDY JYTYLA: Oh my goodness, yes. It's very competitive. But once the game is over, you must go upstairs to the club rooms. And usually it's the winner buys the losing team a drink. Well, we curl so much here that everybody takes care of their own.
But you do go upstairs, and you sit with your opponents. And you would never know a game had ever gone on. You hardly even talk about the game. You just talk about everything else. So--
CATHY WURZER: Oh, don't you--
JUDY JYTYLA: --you leave it out--
CATHY WURZER: --have lunch?
JUDY JYTYLA: --on the ice.
CATHY WURZER: OK. Don't you have lunch, by the way? Aren't you known for your lunches?
JUDY JYTYLA: Yes. And not too many leagues do that. And we have really exploded on that because we not only have lunch-- and two teams will make lunch for the whole club or the whole women's group because there's 64 of us curling because we have eight sheets. And so then that means two teams make lunch for the rest.
And there's always some guests that come. So it's not only lunch, but there's also a theme and decorations. And I don't mean fancy decorations that you go out and buy. But if it happens to be Saint Patrick's Day, you say, hey, Susie, do you have anything green? And so everybody gets together, and they put together whatever. And we decorate and enjoy.
CATHY WURZER: And I'm betting-- because some of you are pretty good cooks. And if you're preparing lunch, I bet you got a cookbook, don't you?
JUDY JYTYLA: We certainly do. As it turns out, I was the chairman of the cookbook. And it's called the Ate Ender, ate spelt A-T-E. There's a little play on the word because in curling, if you get eight stones that are counting, that's an eight-ender. So there's where the connection is. And, in fact, for our party today, we're using every single recipe out of our Ate Ender.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, nice. See, I figured as much. I thought you would probably do something like that because it's a big celebration. I mean, 50 years is a very long time. Why do you think that the Cairn Lassies have lasted for 50 years?
JUDY JYTYLA: I think for just what I said. It's camaraderie. And they're not just your competitors or your playmates. They are your friends. And you just want to be with them.
Winter for the curlers is what you wait for. So many people, oh my gosh, I've got to go to Florida, got to get out of here for winter. We don't feel that way. We absolutely love it because that's our big social time is winter.
CATHY WURZER: Well, I really think this is a really great story. So will you be curling today to celebrate or just eating?
JUDY JYTYLA: Well, [LAUGHS] I'm going to be working. I've been decorating, and many of us are doing that. But there will be some that will be curling. In fact, they started at 9:30. Usually, we start at 10 o'clock. But they're starting early because we've got a lot of guests coming, and we want them to have something to watch.
CATHY WURZER: [LAUGHS] Well, it sounds great. I hope you have a wonderful time, and congratulations.
JUDY JYTYLA: Well, thank you. That's one good thing about being old. [LAUGHS] I've kind of been around the block, and it's exciting. But thank you for calling and asking about it because I just love this sport. And I just hope everybody gives it a try.
CATHY WURZER: All right. Judy, thank you. Congratulations again.
JUDY JYTYLA: Thank you very much.
CATHY WURZER: Judy Jytyla is one of the founding members of the Cairn Lassies all-women's curling club, which is celebrating, of course, 50 years today. I bet they're sitting down having lunch right now.
By the way, the Lassies are part of the United States Women's Curling Association. There is a list of all the different curling clubs, women's curling clubs, on their website, uswca.org, including some of the bonspiels that are coming up. So check that out if you have an opportunity.
Well, friends, it has been a very busy, busy show here. And we suspect it's going to be a busy one tomorrow too. Thanks for joining us. Hope you're having a good rest of the day here on MPR News.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER 3: Support comes from Turbo Tim's Anything Automotive, with auto repair shops in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and West Saint Paul. Turbo Tim's is hiring automotive technicians. Learn more and apply at turbotims.com.
CATHY WURZER: And support for Minnesota Now comes from TruStone Financial Credit Union, dedicated to giving back to the community since 1939. Full-service banking is available at 23 locations and online at trustone.org TruStone is an equal housing opportunity lender insured by NCUA.
42 degrees, cloudy skies here at MPR News 91.1 K-N-O-W, Minneapolis, Saint Paul. The forecast, pretty simple forecast the rest of the day. We may get to about 45 for a high. We're at 42.
Rain is likely this evening. 70% chance for rain this evening. Clouds tomorrow but dry with a high of 52 degrees. Gets pretty darn windy on Thursday. Wind gusts around 45 to 50 miles an hour. Sunshine but dry with a high of 45.
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