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Article #4: Curling equipment

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






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