Yet another round of sweeping changes, but some curling calm restored
CALGARY — The start of this curling season is an attempt to stuff the sweeping genie back in the bottle.
Elite curlers now have the same fabric — an “ugly mustard yellow” as skip Brad Gushue describes it — in their broomheads.
All sweeping hell broke loose at curling’s highest levels last winter when super-coated brush fabric allowed curlers to manipulate the trajectory of a stone in ways never seen before.
Accurate shot-making took a back seat to steering stones down the ice with “Frankenbrooms.” There were fears the abrasive fabric in brooms damaged the ice.