Rice Lake Curling History
During the winter of 1967-68, approximately 20 couples, including 4-6 individuals who had curled previously, joined in the cattle barn of the Barron County Fairgrounds, and began what is now known as the Rice Lake Curling Club. Two sheets of ice between the rows of stanchions were flooded with a truck that, in warmer weather, sprinkled water down the race track. All scraping was done by hand, The "warming house" was a modified school bus that Vonasek & Schieffer construction workers used for a lunch area. The State Curling Association loaned the club second-hand rocks, and 16 brooms were made out of broom handles and carpet. In 1976-77, after an addition was completed to make the rinks the correct length and a viewing room was added, the club moved into the 4-H building. The same year also saw the acquisition of a double-wide trailer for a clubhouse, complete with indoor bathrooms! That same season, the RLCC hosted its first mixed invitational bonspiel. On August 1 of 1988, the building burned to the ground. With the hard work and dedication of the membership, the impossible was accomplished; the building that now houses one of Wisconsin's largest and most modern curling clubs was financed, constructed and ready for curling for that 1988-89 season !!
