World Curling is trying to put an end to Broomgate 2.0 heading into an Olympic season — or at least trying to turn down the temperature on the debate for now.
After a curling season plagued by controversy over sweeping equipment, specifically relating to the firmness of foam used on broomheads, World Curling has updated its regulations going into the Olympic season.
In a release sent out by the sport’s governing body on Friday, World Curling has updated equipment compliance regulations, essentially trying to limit the amount of control sweepers have on the outcome of a shot — or at least scale it back.
Effective immediately, all foams including the BalancePlus RS with Firm 2.0 foam, Goldline Impact with Evader or Pursuer foam, Hardline Ice Pad with Competitive foam, and SmartBroom by Curling Tools with current foam are no longer approved for play.
Brooms with less-firm foam, including BalancePlus with Original RS Foam, BalancePlus RS with 3.0 foam, SmartBroom by Curling Tools with less-firm foam (subject to lab approval), Goldline Impact with Pulsar foam, Hardline Ice Pad with Recreational foam and End Game Icon have been approved for play.
This all comes in the wake of a sweeping summit held at the Morris Curling Club facility in Manitoba a couple of months ago at the conclusion of this past season. Curlers, manufacturers and ice experts were all invited to take part in the sweep testing exercise that was held over a number of days.
Five-time Brier champion, second for Team Jacobs, Brett Gallant was one of the curlers invited to the testing event. He says there was a rock-throwing machine on site throughout the process, allowing for consistency of speed, line and delivery.
“We had a few really long days in Morris. We wanted to eliminate as many variables as possible during our testing so we could compare the effectiveness of each brush as scientifically as possible,” Gallant said.
“It was a big effort to collect as much data as possible and then evaluate it with all of the stakeholders involved. I was impressed with how the athletes, brush manufacturers and World Curling representatives were able to work together to find a solution. It was very much a collaborative effort.”
Gallant says the majority of competitive curlers have been feeling like the brushes were now becoming too effective, defeating the purpose of why the regulations were brought on in the first place.
“There was a lot of discussion this past season about brushing being too effective and diminishing the value of a well-thrown curling stone,” Gallant said.
“Since the brush regulations were put into place eight years ago, most manufacturers have been improving their brushes to reach the upper threshold of these regulations.”
The broom foam debate reached a climax this past January ahead of the Grand Slam of Curling’s WFG Masters event. Before the competition, upwards of 30 teams signed a lengthy document calling for teams using firmer broomheads to swap them out in the spirit of fair play.
Team John Epping, the only team in the field using BalancePlus, switched their brooms for the event. It led to some emotional moments throughout the week, including a post-game interview by Epping where he was visibly shaken by what had transpired — he felt there was a lack of communication during the process.
“Talk to me as just a human. They know me and they know what I’m about,” Epping said in January.
Epping now says he’s pleased to see the changes made, “and that we’re back closer to where we were six to seven years ago. Which is where I think we want to be for now.”
BalancePlus was outspoken throughout the process, posting a statement in the wake of Epping swapping out their brooms.
Scott Taylor of BalancePlus says this recent announcement by World Curling is “a good stop-gap measure to try and get curling through the coming season.”
“It includes a commitment to do better during the next quadrennial,” Taylor said.
“Our position has not changed. Brooms will still be too effective even with the dial-back announcement yesterday. Golf has a similar problem. Athletes, equipment and playing conditions continue to improve. Therefore, equipment will need to become less effective, not more effective, or the game we know will disappear.”
There were many curlers frustrated by World Curling’s lack of leadership on the issue. For its part, in the release on Friday, World Curling acknowledged its role for the entire situation boiling over.
“World Curling regrets the issues in the previous testing processes that contributed to the situation reaching a critical point last season,” the release said.
“We recognise the importance of reliable, ongoing testing and are committed to the creation of an effective pre-competition testing protocol to bring confidence to this aspect of the sport.”
Brad Jacobs says this update is a step in the right direction.
“It’s great to see World Curling make these changes in an attempt to have equal e
