Registered: Jan 2015
Location: Toronto, On
Posts: 20

I was also surprised to see a couple BP teams using icepads - allow me to advance a theory:

Team Howard used Norway pads on their BP brooms at their Tankard regionals (source: my own eyes!). This suggests that they found the Norway pads to be more useful for holding the line/carving than a fresh EQ pad.

A previous poster noted that he found the new, legal icepad material to be similar to that of the Norway pad (it may, in fact, be the same fabric with the same coating). This was the same guy comparing a 12-pack of icepads to 12 EQs...

So, maybe even without the insert, the icepad is more effective at holding the line/carving than both EQ and Norway pad. Or maybe it's just less treasonous to use a Hardline product than a Goldline one.

So, in a twist of irony, the winner in this season's broom wars is Hardline.

Barring new technology/rules this summer, I know that my next brush will be a new Hardline/Icepad combo, with those sweet, sweet $7 covers.

Either way, happy to see Team Howard/Ontario making some noise early on at the Brier.

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Registered: Nov 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 621

I have no first hand knowledge so I am of course merely speculating. But.....I'm willing to put money up. So.....I bet 20 bucks that no BP sponsored team is using Icepad products.

I will accept only the first bet. And if I am wrong I will mail a crisp new 20 to the first person to prove me wrong:-)

P.S. Was on a team that won the 'Real Deal' cashspiel at High Park this weekend which has put me in a betting mood. It's always better when there is a little skin in the game. It was a Continental Cup format and I recommend that to every club out there. We played an 8 end game, two Scotch Doubles 6 end games, and finished with a Skins game. We won all of our games and.....almost....got our entry fee back. Aka. Not a serious event. The food was great, that it was going on at the same time as the opening weekend of the Brier was great, and I gotta say that drinking while curling is not a bad way to go:-) In my younger days I was that guy not drinking between games. What can I tell you, I'm a slow learner.

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: vernon bc
Posts: 2340

LMFAO! so after doing everything to make hardline look bad so their sponsor could profit, Team Howard is now using the enemies products?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

New name for Team Ontario: team turncoat.

Somewhere in Switzerland Sepp Blatter is impressed.

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Registered: Sep 2002
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 4002

quote:

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Originally posted by JB42
I have no first hand knowledge so I am of course merely speculating. But.....I'm willing to put money up. So.....I bet 20 bucks that no BP sponsored team is using Icepad products.

I will accept only the first bet. And if I am wrong I will mail a crisp new 20 to the first person to prove me wrong:-)

P.S. Was on a team that won the 'Real Deal' cashspiel at High Park this weekend which has put me in a betting mood. It's always better when there is a little skin in the game. It was a Continental Cup format and I recommend that to every club out there. We played an 8 end game, two Scotch Doubles 6 end games, and finished with a Skins game. We won all of our games and.....almost....got our entry fee back. Aka. Not a serious event. The food was great, that it was going on at the same time as the opening weekend of the Brier was great, and I gotta say that drinking while curling is not a bad way to go:-) In my younger days I was that guy not drinking between games. What can I tell you, I'm a slow learner.

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Registered: May 2014
Location: Peg
Posts: 8

Alberta also has Lightspeed Handle with Icepads Head. It's official, HD Tour Elite pad must be more directional and needs to be investigated and banned! Smelling another scam from BP teams. Or has HL & BP made up and merged? Lol

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Registered: Apr 2014
Location: In the House
Posts: 608

quote:

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Originally posted by Gerry


Howard's sweepers are using IcePad brush pads on the BalancePlus handle.

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"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own... but the great man is he who, in the midst of the crowd, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Registered: Nov 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 621

quote:

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Originally posted by Gerry


Howard's sweepers are using IcePad brush pads on the BalancePlus handle.

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 324

How about this theory for why Team Howard is using HL broom heads: of all the top skips in Canada only his team had the nerve last fall to stand up to the secret squirrels of CCA and WCF to try to force them to publish the Top Secret Own the Podium science he was likely not privy to having missed the Brier last year and/or not been Team Canada recently with its State Secrets? The rule now is "off the shelf" from a list of approved heads. What fun for the players to mix and match broomsticks and heads.

The top players had been trying to work within the system for at least 2 years to have CCA or WCF publish fabric studies with no luck. Worlds is approaching and we are still in a tar pit with just "trust us" from a WCF with no published science! Unreal. But then, maybe the University of Uppsala has some surprises for Worlds?!

Last edited by Alice on 03-07-16 at 01:23PM

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Registered: Mar 2016
Location:
Posts: 2

I don`t know if this helps, Alice, but Google `Tom Jenkyn curling`and scroll down to a lfp article (London Free Press).

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Registered: May 2014
Location: Peg
Posts: 8

Here's my theory, but just a theory.

Howard, Hart (Ont) and Laing (AB) have always been pretty tight with BalancePlus. It appears these Brier teams are now using BalancePlus Litespeed Handles with Hardline IcePad Heads with the Tour Elite Pads. Just seen a tweet from a Canadian Press Reporter that shows a picture of Laing and his brush, showing the IcePad Head. https://twitter.com/GregoryStrongCP

These players supported the original controversy against the Hardline Icepad. They stated at that time that the Icepad had directional fabric and was giving the Hardline teams an "unfair" advantage. Why else would they be using a competitors product if they didn't feel it was giving them the best advantage?

I wouldn't be at all surprised if these players/teams cry foul again either after or during the Brier, saying that the Tour Elite pad also gives teams an unfair advantage. I'm thinking this might be another attack in the making.

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Registered: Dec 2003
Location:
Posts: 56

Is there 2 different materials being used, 1 for carving and 1 for carrying? Because they are still switching brooms depending on turns, and last night PEI kept wanting to save the pad on 1 particular broom and not waste it for cleaning.

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Registered: Feb 2012
Location:
Posts: 324

Thanks, strawberry morn! Now I know the Top Secret program costs from 2007-10.

Funny thing about trade secrets... other than the recipe for Coca-Cola they do tend to get out eventually, One of these days the UWO, U Uppsala, or a truly independent scientist will publish a study on the effects of our current sweeping rules and the equipment from the open market. Until then, every player is their own scientist.

I'll keep my eye on Chinese labs. Their teams did not make worlds this year. If anyone has an ax to grind to find an equipment or technique edge it's them given the 2022 Olys.

Last edited by Alice on 03-07-16 at 05:33PM

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Registered: Jan 2005
Location: the Banana Belt
Posts: 990

I'm sitting behind sheet d and can clearly see the balance plus boys using hardline heads. Archie should be proud his product fits the balance plus brooms and performs so much better. To the point that it is the choice of the competitors.

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Registered: Apr 2014
Location: In the House
Posts: 608

quote:

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Originally posted by Tosser
Here's my theory, but just a theory.

Howard, Hart (Ont) and Laing (AB) have always been pretty tight with BalancePlus. It appears these Brier teams are now using BalancePlus Litespeed Handles with Hardline IcePad Heads with the Tour Elite Pads. Just seen a tweet from a Canadian Press Reporter that shows a picture of Laing and his brush, showing the IcePad Head. https://twitter.com/GregoryStrongCP

These players supported the original controversy against the Hardline Icepad. They stated at that time that the Icepad had directional fabric and was giving the Hardline teams an "unfair" advantage. Why else would they be using a competitors product if they didn't feel it was giving them the best advantage?

I wouldn't be at all surprised if these players/teams cry foul again either after or during the Brier, saying that the Tour Elite pad also gives teams an unfair advantage. I'm thinking this might be another attack in the making.

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"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own... but the great man is he who, in the midst of the crowd, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Registered: Apr 2014
Location: In the House
Posts: 608

Northern Ontario STILL undefeated (6-0) without using Hardline IcePads...
Speaks for itself...

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"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own... but the great man is he who, in the midst of the crowd, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Dartmouth, NS
Posts: 207

Rather than a witch hunt on hair brushes, what the CCA should ban are the two pieces of equipment most detrimental to curling, the main cause of picks, and the main cause of damage to the ice.

The main cause of picks is the little rubber bits that come of all removable grippers.

The main cause of damage ro the ice is synthetic brushes. Stones never slowed down in the 4 foot path so dramatically in later ends as it has since most people have used synthetic brushes, so synthetic brushes damage the pebble most.

If the CCA wants to ban equipment detrimental to the quality of curling, then it would be banning removable grippers and synthetic brushes instead of hair brushes.

Last edited by murphyj87 on 03-10-16 at 11:20AM

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Registered: Apr 2008
Location:
Posts: 261

quote:

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Originally posted by murphyj87
Rather than a witch hunt on hair brushes, what the CCA should ban are the two pieces of equipment most detrimental to curling, the main cause of picks, and the main cause of damage to the ice.

The main cause of picks is the little rubber bits that come of all removable grippers.

The main cause of damage ro the ice is synthetic brushes. Stones never slowed down in the 4 foot path so dramatically in later ends as it has since most people have used synthetic brushes, so synthetic brushes damage the pebble most.

If the CCA wants to ban equipment detrimental to the quality of curling, then it would be banning removable grippers and synthetic brushes instead of hair brushes.

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Registered: Jan 2014
Location:
Posts: 88

In today's MB v. NO game, Vic Rauter mentioned that the Brier winner would have to move away from one-side directional/angled sweeping and have to stick with "east/west" sweeping at Worlds. Russ and Cheryl added nothing to the conversation. Is there some WCF sweeping rule that I'm unaware of or is this just a case of Vic being Vic?

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Registered: Feb 2016
Location:
Posts: 3

quote:

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Originally posted by draway8
Is there some WCF sweeping rule that I'm unaware of or is this just a case of Vic being Vic?

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Registered: Jan 2014
Location:
Posts: 88

quote:

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Originally posted by daiglem


It depends on the interpretation of "side-to-side" in the WCF sweeping rule R7.(a):

"The sweeping motion is in a side-to-side direction (it need not cover
the entire width of the stone), deposits no debris in front of a moving
stone, and finishes to either side of the stone."

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Dartmouth, NS
Posts: 207

quote:

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Originally posted by Squiggsy


There's no way this post can be serious. There's no way a curler could seriously suggest that banning grippers is a good idea. About 90% of people are right handed. Do you want them all to sweep on the same side of the rock?

Now that hair has been banned, if you ban synthetic brushes, you have banned everything but corn. If corn or hair brushes are used, there will be corn or hair on the ice.

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Registered: Jan 2014
Location:
Posts: 88

quote:

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Originally posted by murphyj87



Yes, exactly. So long as little bits of rubber coming from grippers is the leading cause of picks, then ban them.

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Registered: Apr 2008
Location:
Posts: 261

quote:

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Originally posted by draway8


But isn't that the same rule applied by Curling Canada? I've watched several of the World Junior games from Denmark and have seen plenty of this same directional sweeping with no rocks pulled or intervention so I have no idea what he's talking about.

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