| Shoes
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| | delivery. The degree of curl depends on
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| Curling shoes: The slider shoe (center),
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| | several factors, including the
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| with its thin Teflon surface, is worn
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| | preparation of the ice and the flattening
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| during delivery to slide on the ice; a
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| | of common paths to the house during the
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| slip-on gripper (left) is worn over the
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| | game. Ice on which the rocks curl well is
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| slider at other times; the other shoe
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| | said to be swingy.
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| (right) has a rough surface to give
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| | The Scots in particular believe that the
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| traction on the ice.When curling, players
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| | best quality curling stones are made from
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| need to wear specially designed shoes.
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| | a specific type of granite called
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| The sole of one shoe has a thin strip of
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| | "Ailsite", found on the Ailsa Craig, an
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| Teflon or another type of smooth surface,
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| | island off the Ayrshire coast. According
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| called a slider. Inexpensive sliders can
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| | to the Scottish Curling Stone Company,
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| be purchased and attached to any shoes by
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| | Ailsite has very low water absorption
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| means of an elastic strap. This enables
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| | which prevents the action of freezing and
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| curlers to slide out of the hack when
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| | melting water from eroding the stone. [4]
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| delivering a rock. Left-handed curlers
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| | In the past, most curling stones were
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| wear this shoe on their right foot, while
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| | made from this granite. However, the
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| right-handed curlers wear it on their
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| | island is now a wildlife reserve, and is
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| left. The other shoe has a thin layer of
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| | no longer used for quarrying. Because of
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| rubber to maximize traction on the ice.
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| | the particular rarity of Ailsite, costs
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| Another piece of footwear is the gripper,
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| | for curling stones can reach as much as
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| which can slide on and off the shoe with
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| | $1500 (USD) for Olympic grade stones.
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| the slippery surface. This is also
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| | Many curling clubs use a lower grade
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| usually made of rubber. This piece of
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| | stone that can be upwards of $500. There
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| equipment is needed when a player is
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| | are also stones which use a disc of
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| sweeping, and needs traction with both
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| | ailsite attached to another type of
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| feet.
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| | granite to provide the running surface.
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| The curling broom is used to sweep the
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| | Very informal neighbourhood curling clubs
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| ice surface in front of the rock.
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| | with limited resources may make
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| Brooms (or brushes)
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| | cylindrical "curling stones" out of
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| The curling broom is used to sweep the
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| | concrete-filled cans.
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| ice surface in front of the rock.
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| | The curling stones used at the 2006
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| Aggressive sweeping momentarily melts the
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| | Winter Olympics in Torino were provided
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| ice, which lessens friction, thereby
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| | by the Garn For granite quarry at the Yr
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| lessening the deceleration of the rock,
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| | Eifl mountain on the Llyn Peninsula in
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| while straightening the trajectory of the
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| | North-West Wales.
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| rock. The broom can also be used to clean
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| | Specialized equipment
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| debris off the ice, although this is
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| | A special handle for stones, called "Eye
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| often done in vain. The skip will also
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| | On The Hog", has recently been developed,
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| hold a broom at the opposite end of the
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| | which integrates electronics to ensure
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| rink from the delivering player to show
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| | the stone is released before it crosses
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| the deliverer where to aim the rock.
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| | the hog line. The handle is coated in
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| In earlier days, brooms were made of corn
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| | metallic paint; the circuitry detects the
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| strands and were similar to household
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| | relative charge of the thrower's hand
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| brooms. Brushes were used primarily by
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| | contact to determine if they are still in
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| elderly curlers as a substitute for corn
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| | contact, and a linear field is
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| brooms. Today, brushes have replaced
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| | established at the hog line to indicate
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| traditional corn brooms at every level of
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| | its location to the internal sensor.
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| curling, but are universally referred to
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| | Lights at the base of the handle indicate
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| as brooms. Brooms are also used by some
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| | whether contact was sustained past the
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| curlers as a balancing aid during
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| | line or not. Not only does this remove
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| delivery of the stone.
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| | the chance for human error (eliminating
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| Curling stone (or rock)
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| | the game's most frequent cause of
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| The curling stone or rock is made out of
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| | controversy), but it means there is no
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| granite.The curling stone, or rock,
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| | need for hogline officials as well. The
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| weighs a maximum of 44 lbs. (19.96 kg)
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| | downside for the technology is that the
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| and is fitted with a handle on top
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| | equipment currently costs around $650 a
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| allowing it to be rotated as it is
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| | piece which multiplies quickly with the
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| released. If the handle is rotated across
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| | amount of rocks and sheets of ice in a
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| the body (clockwise for a right-handed
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| | tournament. Therefore its use is found
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| thrower, counter-clockwise for a leftie),
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| | mostly in high-level national and
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| the shot is said to be an in-turn, and if
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| | international competitions such as the
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| rotated away from the body
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| | Winter Olympics.
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| (counter-clockwise for a right-handed
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| | Although the rock is designed to be
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| thrower, clockwise for a leftie), it is
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| | delivered by players grasping the handle
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| an out-turn. The handles are colour-coded
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| | as they slide down the ice, a special
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| to differentiate one team's rocks from
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| | "delivery stick" may be used by players
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| the other's (usually, one team's rocks
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| | incapable of delivering the rock in this
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| are red and the other's are yellow). The
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| | fashion. Such a stick is designed to
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| handle may also contain circuitry for
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| | attach to the handle so that it can be
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| detecting hog line violations.
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| | released without requiring the player to
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| The bottom of the rock is not flat,
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| | place a hand on the handle in a crouched
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| however, but concave with the actual
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| | position. This allows the game to be
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| surface in contact with the ice ("running
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| | played by players with disabilities, as
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| surface") being only 1 to 1 inch (6 to 12
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| | well as those unable to crouch
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| mm) wide along the rim of the concave
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| | comfortably. According to the Canadian
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| bottom. This narrow running surface
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| | Curling Association Rules of Curling,
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| allows the pebble applied to the ice to
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| | "The use of a curling aid commonly
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| have an effect on the action of the rock.
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| | referred to as a 'delivery stick' which
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| On properly prepared ice, the rock's path
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| | enables the player to deliver a stone
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| will bend (curl) in the direction the
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| | without placing a hand on the handle is
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| front edge of the rock is turning,
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| | considered acceptable."
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| especially toward the end of its
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