Photos courtesy of Noah Phillippe, Matthew Wilder, Mindy Smith and Gus Hansen.

DOROTHY LAKSHMANAMURTHY | SPORTS CO-EDITOR | dlakshmanamurthy@butler.edu

With the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in full swing, winter sports have taken the international spotlight. While many fans watch from afar, Butler’s campus has its own group of students bringing these sports to life on campus. From skating, curling, hockey, skiing and snowboarding, these students share their passions for these winter sports.

Hockey

Matthew Wilder, junior finance and international business major is a defenseman on the club hockey team. Wilder got into the sport after growing up around Columbus Blue Jackets games, learning to skate at the age of four and beginning hockey at six.

Something people who do not play hockey would not understand: “People are always surprised by how fast and physical the game is, especially compared to how it looks on TV.”

Ice Skating

Fifth-year PharmD major Noah Phillippe began ice skating his senior year of high school after leaving world guard during COVID. Inspired by watching the Olympics, Phillippe has now been skating for five years. He placed first in the Adult Silver Men’s Free Skate at the Midwest Sectional Championship last year.

Something that people who do not do ice skating would not understand: “While the jumps are cool, the hardest part is actually the in-between stuff and step sequences.”

Curling

Junior economics and supply chain major Mindy Smith is the president of club curling. She leads the club’s weekly practices and travels to compete.

Something that people who do not do curling would not understand: “A lot of people call curling chess on ice. It’s very strategic. You’re thinking two or three shots ahead, not only about what you’re doing, but what your opponent is going to do.”

Snowboarding

Junior biology major Sarah Morales got into snowboarding after first trying skiing and realizing it was not for her. Starting about a year and a half ago, Morales’ skateboarding background made the transition into snowboarding easier. She has fallen in love with the challenge, speed and freedom of snowboarding, often traveling to places like Perfect North to ride.

Something that people who do not snowboard would not understand: “Where to put pressure on your feet is the most important part because when you’re snowboarding, you have to shift from your toes to your heels.”

Skiing
Gus Hansen, junior finance and accounting major, grew up in Colorado, spending much of his childhood skiing up to 50 days a year. While at Butler, Hansen has remained involved through the ski and snowboard club, helping bring together students who want to stay involved despite limited opportunities in Indiana.

Something that people who do not ski would not understand: “The flips you see in the Winter Olympics, where they go really high in the air, that’s like 0.1% of skiing. That’s an extreme version of it.”