Curling is thought to be a game played by gentlemen and women, and in most cases, it is. However, there has been the occasion where the decorum has slipped and, just as in Canada’s other great winter ice sport, fights have broken out. Here are a few incidents of fisticuffs on the curling sheets:
• During a club championship game in Winnipeg in the 1980s, two players decided that bodychecking should be a part of the game. Player A was sweeping his skip’s stone into the house when it reached the tee line. At that point, Player B from the opposing team decided he wanted to sweep it as well, hoping to drag the rock farther back in the house. But his efforts to do so were stymied by Player A, who blocked him off, declaring, “It’s my house.” The two players battled for position, with Player B using his body to push Player A away from the stone. The result was plenty of pushing and shoving and tangled brooms.With the rock now stopped, the two players continued jostling, and then punches were finally thrown, with both players falling to the ice. The club president happened to be on the ice at the time and he raced over from Sheet 6 to break up the melee. Order was restored, and the game continued without any more punches being thrown.
• In 1976 in Sarnia, Ontario, two curlers in a local bonspiel began arguing when one accused the other of not releasing the stone before crossing the hog line. The argument became so intense, the player who allegedly committed the foul left the ice with his team, forfeiting the game. However, the squabble continued in the club after that and resulted in the accuser throwing a knockout punch to the head of the rock thrower. Charges were laid, and the accuser ended up in court. “Surely we aren’t going to get into violence in curling,” said Sarnia Judge Alan Fowler, before fining the man $250 or 25 days in jail.
• In 1982 the president of the Ottawa Curling Club sent a letter of reprimand to a member for a certain indiscretion. The member was quite upset about receiving the letter and disagreed with its accusations. During one evening’s curling, the president and the member in question were playing, when the member dropped his broom, went across three sheets of ice, and clocked the president, who fell to the ice.The member received another letter, this one telling him he was banned from the club for one year. That prevented him from attending the closing men’s banquet, so the member sat on a lawn chair in the parking lot of an adjoining property and threw stones at the window of the lounge where his team was eating. His teammates brought him a beer so he could at least experience a small part of the evening.
• One night at the Bobcaygeon Curling Club, Player A was celebrating his birthday prior to taking to the ice for his game. He had been knocking back the drinks, and by the time the game started, he was feeling no pain. During the game, his behaviour bothered his opposing skip, Player B, who finally confronted him, pushing his finger into his chest. The two players began pushing each other, and Player A started throwing punches, landing a few, but also slipping to the ice. Another curler ran over, grabbed the birthday boy, and put him in a headlock, keeping him that way until he tossed him out the front door of the club. The incident appeared over, but about an hour later, Player A re-appeared through the front door and challenged Player B to a fight in the parking lot. The police were called, and the Player A was removed from the property.