World Curling permits firmer foam broom heads despite elite curlers' concerns

PERTH - The World Curling Federation won't remove approved broom heads from competition despite recent concerns among elite curlers about foam firmness changing the trajectory of stones.

Thirty of the sport's top teams released a joint "proposal for fair play" in early January before the WFG Masters in Guelph, Ont., amid a belief that new firmer foam products in some manufacturers' broom heads gave sweepers too much control over delivered stones.

Teams that use Goldline equipment switched to a foam that matched the current Hardline Curling competitive foam in Guelph. 

John Epping's men's team from Sudbury, Ont., which was the lone team using BalancePlus, didn't sign the fair-play proposal, but also switched foams.

The WCF said that after review, all previously approved equipment was still within the rules.

"The most recent tests were carried out on equipment gathered before the end of December 2024," the world governing body of curling said Friday in a statement. "With the approval of the manufacturers involved, these testing numbers have now been released. These numbers show that all products tested are within approved specifications."

The WCF athletes' commission worked with players in Guelph in on-ice evaluations to review new and existing broom heads.

"Following analysis of the data and accompanying videos, the review provided no conclusive observations that would warrant the removal of any currently approved equipment," the WCF said.

But the organization said it will host a brush testing forum in 2025 involving elite-level athletes and scientific testing processes to ensure athletes have confidence in their equipment and the approval process.

Curling Canada and other countries' associations follow WCF rules on equipment.

Provincial and territorial men's and women's playdowns are underway to determine entries for the Canadian women's and men's curling championships.

The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is Feb. 14-23 in Thunder Bay, Ont. The Montana's Brier is Feb. 28 to March 9 in Kelowna, B.C.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2025.