Andy Kapp
The German skip who transformed his nation from curling outsiders into a consistent European power and world medal threat.
Born 1967 (age 59)·German curler·Birthday: December 8·Generation X
Biography
Andy Kapp didn't just play curling for Germany; he built its modern reputation from the ice up. Born in 1967 in Unterthingau, a world away from curling's traditional heartlands, Kapp embraced the sport's strategic intricacies with a quiet intensity. As a skip, his leadership was less about flamboyant shot-making and more about meticulous game management and unshakeable nerve. His 1992 European championship victory was a shock to the establishment, a signal that Germany was a team to be taken seriously. Throughout the 1990s, Kapp's rink became a fixture on the podium, securing world championship bronze medals in 1994 and 1995, and climbing to the silver medal position in 1997. He carried the flag for Germany at multiple Winter Olympics, his presence alone a testament to the program he helped elevate. Kapp's career arc mirrors the story of German curling itself—a journey from enthusiastic participant to respected contender, forged through his steady hand and competitive longevity.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andy was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Andy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led his German team to a surprise gold medal at the 1992 European Curling Championships.
- Won back-to-back bronze medals at the World Men's Curling Championships in 1994 and 1995.
- Secured a silver medal at the 1997 World Championships, the best finish for a German men's team at the time.
- Represented Germany as skip in multiple Winter Olympic Games, including in 1992, 1998, and 2002.
- His consistent performance helped Germany earn regular qualification for world championships throughout the 1990s.
Did You Know?
His full first name is Andreas, but he is universally known in the curling world as Andy.
He comes from a curling family; his father, Keith, was a Canadian curler who moved to Germany and helped develop the sport there.
Kapp served as the skip for the German men's team for over a decade, a remarkably long tenure at the international level.
After his playing career, he transitioned into coaching, guiding the German national teams.
He was inducted into the German Curling Hall of Fame in recognition of his impact on the sport.
“Every stone is a question, and the answer is in the next one.”
