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That also suggests they have nothing to do with the new EQ broom/pads that are publicly available, which is good to know.

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quote:

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Originally posted by OrangeKing
That also suggests they have nothing to do with the new EQ broom/pads that are publicly available, which is good to know.

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Balance Plus fires back with a press release of their own:

http://www.balanceplus.com/press101615.htm

So, Balance Plus claims that they released the "blackhead" pads to stay competitive with other teams also using "directional" pads.

They don't say it outright, but clearly imply Hardline IcePads in their statement. They also clearly are referring to Brad Gushue in regards to the "one sweeper" remarks.

Hardline says their IcePads don't use this fabric and that they're being targeted.

Obviously both parties want to protect their business interests. Hardline also has more to lose here as their whole business is built around the IcePad.

I do know that one thing is for certain, both parties can't be 100% correct here. Their statements contradict one another. Someone, and again I'm not sure who, is either being less-than-truthful or outright lying.

This is getting uglier and uglier.

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Last edited by Phil_D on 10-16-15 at 04:37PM

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This is starting to stink....BP sponsored Howard uses new Blackhead at StuSells and does not like what he sees and is vocal how it's too dramatic which leads to HL BEING put in that category of "directional material". Examples people have seen involve same BP broom. Our ice maker who curls Ont tour, has said HL is easier on the ice and has not heard otherwise-he doesn't use HL. THEN BL claims it was never to be sold.....elite teams band together (admirable but...)...and suddenly HL teams have to reverse their head covers to comply??? Read HL press release. What is directional material? HL SAYS they do not use that. Nobody has been specific on what brands are being referenced in all these apparent horror stories. This is not passing the smell test to anyone being objective here. YES standards needed but something is missing to this story. I see HL getting hooped big time.

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shaqdaddy

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So what company was Gushue using when he started this controversy? I see he is sponsored by Goldline so was he using their new head or was it the icepad?

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To you folks at Hardline, this fiasco may just open up a new business opportunity for you...there may be a need for an honest dedicated company to provide quality curling footwear to curlers who can see through smoke and mirrors.

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Sponsored by GL and apparently uses no GL products. Started using Ice Pad this season. What he started doing is using one sweeper at a time, one for line, one for once curl started.

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quote:

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Originally posted by farmcurl
So what company was Gushue using when he started this controversy? I see he is sponsored by Goldline so was he using their new head or was it the icepad?

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That is shady use a non sponsor product. Make Hardline look bad all while getting a paycheck from Goldline.

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quote:

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Originally posted by farmcurl
That is shady use a non sponsor product. Make Hardline look bad all while getting a paycheck from Goldline.

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Ok, that is good to know. I was going by their website.

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My understanding is the HL TEAMS will use the Icepad with head cover reversed (????) so as to be "compliant" with the Elite teams agreement re directional material being used. No evidence that the HL head can mimic the BL Frankenbrush.

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Let me see if I've got the facts straight. Two Canadian companies produced a variety of broom fabrics deliberately designed to allow sweepers to make stones slow down, fall or curl more thanks to "directional" fabric and legal corner sweeping. These fabrics might or might not harm the ice. Some but not all elite curlers used these fabrics on the quiet for almost 1.5 years (!) until a Howard blew the whistle when he didn't have access to the best fabric. Canada's "Own the Podium" project and all the curling scientists and studies from that effort are dead silent. And the Euro university (Uppsala?) which weighed in on the wet/dry friction debate is also silent.

So.... are we now stuck doing our own grammar school science fair projects or getting just marketing hype to sort this out or will those university scientists get to work and publish their results?

Meanwhile, a pox on all fabric brooms for elite play to avoid the "black arts" fabrics until WCF can sort out rules for fair play. Make them curl with corn or hair. Maybe then broom manufacturers will solve the old hair and straw debris problems before the university scientists much less WCF figures this out.

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BTW check how many sponsor teams DON't wear the shoes. Logo on TV is the key. Gushue wore Ashams for years while Goldline poster boy and J Jones who is in the TV ad for Goldlines new Quantum shoe, continues to wear Asham. Jacobs are GL team, also in shoe ad and are now putting sliders on Nike training shoes.

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quote:

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Originally posted by shaqdaddy
My understanding is the HL TEAMS will use the Icepad with head cover reversed (????) so as to be "compliant" with the Elite teams agreement re directional material being used. No evidence that the HL head can mimic the BL Frankenbrush.

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HL PREZ Archie to be on National tonight. Redo BP Frankenbrush test w HL, no chance it is the same result. Witch hunt.

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shaqdaddy

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quote:

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Originally posted by Alice
Let me see if I've got the facts straight. Two Canadian companies produced a variety of broom fabrics deliberately designed to allow sweepers to make stones slow down, fall or curl more thanks to "directional" fabric and legal corner sweeping. These fabrics might or might not harm the ice. Some but not all elite curlers used these fabrics on the quiet for almost 1.5 years (!) until a Howard blew the whistle when he didn't have access to the best fabric.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Alice
Canada's "Own the Podium" project and all the curling scientists and studies from that effort are dead silent. And the Euro university (Uppsala?) which weighed in on the wet/dry friction debate is also silent.

So.... are we now stuck doing our own grammar school science fair projects or getting just marketing hype to sort this out or will those university scientists get to work and publish their results?

---

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You are assuming someone wakes up CCA & WCF.

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Phil_D, Thanks for sorting me out on the Howard facts. So, he did have access to a "best" fabric, did use it in competition, and did rat himself out. I'd like to award him The Golden Rink Rat Trophy.

shaqdaddy, Aren't all curlers eternal optomists? We do play a game on ice afterall.

I wonder how many broom suppliers will put on an email blast offering discounts on hair and corn brooms. Hmmmm... any carbon fiber handles for any hair brooms on the market yet?

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Alice how true!

Ice Pad sales will continue to grow as there is nothing shown to be wrong w them. Balance Plus Frankenbrush has never been on sale and never will. Use what YOU like and let others mess around. Using an Ice Pad will get in your opponents' head!

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quote:

---

Originally posted by Alice
Phil_D, Thanks for sorting me out on the Howard facts. So, he did have access to a "best" fabric, did use it in competition, and did rat himself out. I'd like to award him The Golden Rink Rat Trophy.

shaqdaddy, Aren't all curlers eternal optomists? We do play a game on ice afterall.

I wonder how many broom suppliers will put on an email blast offering discounts on hair and corn brooms. Hmmmm... any carbon fiber handles for any hair brooms on the market yet?

---

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Story on CBC's "The National" tonight. Forward to about 21:00:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2677212144/

Nothing really new was said by anybody. Just posting in case anyone wanted to see it.

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The dilemna of materials testing for fabric brushes for elite matches -- I don't see a quick way to resolve this unless all fabric brushes are banned until each model passes a neutral testing lab. Otherwise, it's too easy to slip in a banned fabric. We''ll have to have random spot checks like drug checks. Officials will need magnifying lenses to inspect brush fabric. Until then, imagine the competitors freaked out thinking "what if" their competitors are using a banned fabric.

Meanwhile, I checked out corn brooms and their history. (Lots of custom Harry Potter fan "broomstick" possibilities online as well as nonmagical makers who might be willing to use a carbon fiber stick.) 'Twould seem the "round broom" is the most common and ancient in our sport. Originally twigs, later corn. Flat brooms didn't come in until the 1800's and brushes even more recently. If a round corn or twig broom gets banned for damaging the ice surface more than the magic fabric, I'd say then its open season on any fabrics because the game has used those corn and twig brooms centuries longer than any fabric brushes.

Yes, I'm advocating one simple test: how much ice damage do 2 good sweepers do with old round corn or twig brooms v. the best of the fabrics? I will bet the corn or twig brooms do more damage than any of the current fabrics.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Phil_D


Gushue was not using a non-sponsor product, as Hardline started sponsoring them back in September. It was a big deal and a big announcement from Hardline. It was all over their Facebook and Twitter pages back then.

There is no mention of Hardline on Team Gushue's website, and Goldline is listed as a sponsor. That could mean that they hadn't updated their website after the switch though...some sections of the website haven't been updated in years so this is entirely possible.

Conversely, pictures/stories/etc of Team Gushue are still found all over Hardline's website and their Twitter/Facebook. I see no pictures or mention of Gushue on the Goldline website.

If Gushue is no longer sponsored by Hardline and is sponsored by Goldline again, it just happened this week. I honestly don't know though.

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quote:

---

Originally posted by Alice
The dilemna of materials testing for fabric brushes for elite matches -- I don't see a quick way to resolve this unless all fabric brushes are banned until each model passes a neutral testing lab. Otherwise, it's too easy to slip in a banned fabric. We''ll have to have random spot checks like drug checks. Officials will need magnifying lenses to inspect brush fabric. Until then, imagine the competitors freaked out thinking "what if" their competitors are using a banned fabric.

Meanwhile, I checked out corn brooms and their history. (Lots of custom Harry Potter fan "broomstick" possibilities online as well as nonmagical makers who might be willing to use a carbon fiber stick.) 'Twould seem the "round broom" is the most common and ancient in our sport. Originally twigs, later corn. Flat brooms didn't come in until the 1800's and brushes even more recently. If a round corn or twig broom gets banned for damaging the ice surface more than the magic fabric, I'd say then its open season on any fabrics because the game has used those corn and twig brooms centuries longer than any fabric brushes.

Yes, I'm advocating one simple test: how much ice damage do 2 good sweepers do with old round corn or twig brooms v. the best of the fabrics? I will bet the corn or twig brooms do more damage than any of the current fabrics.

---

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