Haunted Curling Rinks: True Stories (and Ones We Made Up)
Curling rinks are already a little eerie if you think about it. Dim lighting, echoes bouncing off the arena walls, the shuffle of footsteps on ice, and that unmistakable thunk of granite hitting granite. Add in the fact that many curling clubs are tucked inside aging community centers, barns-turned-rinks, or cold warehouses with suspicious drafts, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a ghost story.
So today, grab your broom (for sweeping… or banishing spirits) and settle in for some haunted curling rink tales. Some are true, some are absolutely fake, and we’ll let you figure out which is which.
The Phantom Skip of Winnipeg
Legend has it that in a Winnipeg curling club built in the 1920s, curlers sometimes hear a booming voice yelling “HURRY HARD!” even when the ice is empty. Long-time members swear the voice belongs to a former skip who passed away mid-game during a bonspiel in the 1950s.
Players claim that during late-night practices, the stones occasionally slide farther than expected, as if pushed by unseen hands. If your rock makes a sudden, impossible curl into the button, well… thank the Phantom Skip for the assist.
(Or maybe it’s just the pebble. But ghosts make better stories.)
The Broom Closet Poltergeist
Every club has a broom closet, and every broom closet is slightly terrifying. At one small-town rink in Ontario, curlers report that brushes and sliders rearrange themselves overnight. One morning, a player swears they found all the corn brooms stacked neatly into the shape of a curling house.
Skeptics chalk it up to a prankster on the ice crew. Believers say the spirit of a janitor—who always loved order—is still sweeping away from beyond the grave. Either way, it’s a reminder that the broom closet is the scariest place in any curling club.
The Bonspiel of the Damned
This one is definitely made up. (Or is it?) Supposedly, every 13 years, a cursed bonspiel is played in a remote Canadian rink. The teams arrive, play three games, and vanish without a trace. Locals say they still hear faint sounds of laughter, clinking beer bottles, and the sliding of stones echoing from the empty arena.
In reality, the only cursed bonspiel most of us know is the one where we forgot snacks for the team and lost all our games.
The Locker Room Whisperer
In Minnesota, one club’s locker room is rumored to be haunted by a whispering spirit. Curlers report faint voices reminding them to bring their grippers or taunting them about missed draws. One night, a skip heard, clear as day: “Should’ve thrown takeout.”
The whisperer’s identity is unknown, but if you’ve ever had your strategy second-guessed from beyond the grave, welcome to haunted curling.
The Ghost Stone of Scotland
This one’s rooted in a real curling artifact. At an old Scottish club, a centuries-old granite stone is said to move slightly overnight, as if it still wants to be in play. When it’s placed on display, staff swear they return to find it rotated or shifted a few inches.
Is it a restless spirit of a long-ago curler? Or just a case of people bumping the pedestal? Either way, it’s a good reminder: never turn your back on a stone with history.
The Ice Plant Moans
Every arena curler knows the unsettling groans and clanks of an old refrigeration system. But at one Midwestern club, the ice plant has a reputation for producing unmistakable moans that sound like words: “Sweeep…” or “Shoooot…”
Engineers say it’s just the pipes. Superstitious curlers say the arena itself is coaching. Either way, it adds atmosphere when you’re lining up a draw at 11:30 p.m. in a nearly empty rink.
Why Haunted Curling Rinks Just Make Sense
Curling is a sport of history, community, and tradition. Many clubs are housed in buildings older than most players. Combine that with late-night leagues, flickering fluorescent lights, and echoes across the ice, and of course ghost stories are going to stick.
And honestly? Curling culture practically welcomes ghosts. Where else do you play on literal frozen ground, shouting at rocks while holding a broom? If I were a ghost, I’d choose to haunt a curling rink over some dusty mansion any day. The bar is warmer, the company’s friendlier, and someone might even buy you a round.
What to Wear When the Ghosts Show Up
If you’re brave enough to face the Phantom Skip or the Broom Closet Poltergeist, you might as well do it in style. That’s where our funny curling shirts come in handy. Nothing says “I’m ready for the afterlife AND the extra end” like a shirt that reads Skip Happens or Bonspiel Survivor.
And hey—if your team loses, just blame it on the ghost stone. Works every time.
Final Thoughts
Haunted or not, curling clubs are places where stories come alive. Some are about impossible shots, some are about unforgettable bonspiels, and some are about things that go bump (or thunk) in the night.
So next time you’re at your rink and the lights flicker, don’t panic. It might just be a ghostly teammate reminding you to sweep harder. Or maybe it’s nothing at all. Either way—Good Curling, and happy haunting.