The Brookings Curling Club invites visitors to join in the fun of curling. Every year, curlers from across the Midwest travel to Brookings and participate in club activities. This winter team-based sport, which involves sliding stones across ice toward a target called “the house,” has seen a surge in national popularity since the gold medal success of the 2018 U.S. Men’s Olympic Curling Team.
Local interest in the sport spiked after the2026 U.S. Olympic Curling Trials were held inSouth Dakota. In Brookings, the club curls at the Larson Ice Center and offers the sport as an engaging winter activity, where anyone can watch, learn and participate.
The most popular club events are its regional tournaments, known as bonspiels. The Jackhammer ’Spiel is the club’s annual bonspiel, which hosts teams from across South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. This multi-day event typically takes place in February and includes food, prizes and, of course, curling.
Although club events are open to spectators, participation requires registration. An event schedule and bonspiel registration forms are available on the club’s website, brookingscurling.com.
For those new to curling, the club hosts Learn to Curl Nights. For $30, anyone over 16 years old can step onto the ice for two hours and see the fundamentals. Club members say it takes only 30 minutes to become comfortable with this approachable and easygoing sport. These events offer a competitive learning experience in a welcoming environment, making them an ideal choice for a fun night out.
In the future, the Brookings Curling Club aims to continue growing the popularity of this skill-based sport and looks forward to hosting more visitors from across the Midwest.
*This story has been written in collaboration with South Dakota State University‘s Public Relations class for our 2026 Visitor Guide. Read the guide here.*
