Hair Brushes will be Next

Friday – UPDATE

Brad Gushue’s team is the latest to put hair brushes through the sweeping test, and while they weren’t able to back a stone up like Norway’s Team Hoiberg, they did manage to put the hair up against the original IcePad brush, with insert in it and it showed very similar results.

It seems the type of hair brush being used is really the crux of the issue. Here at the USA Nationals in Jacksonville, Florida, one of the top ranking teams has been using Performance brushes that seem to out-perform other hair brushes. Goldline’s hair brushes have also sold out, another brush you can bottom out when sweeping and putting a lot of pressure on it.

The thicker the hair is on the brush, the less effect the sweeping has as a thin/short brush allows the curler to press the hard base into the ice like it’s an insert. The World Curling Federation will be under intense pressure to ban hair from it’s upcoming championships as teams learn these new trick, but a source close to the situation said that they can’t do much until they’re able to put the brushes through proper testing.

Monday
Norway’s Team Hoiberg, the second ranked team behind Thomas Ulsrud and ranked #51 in the World Rankings (Order of Merit) videotaped some testing over the weekend using hair brushes to show what can be done to control the rock. Very reminiscent of the BalancePlus videos shot earlier this season with their BlackPad Directional Fabric, you see how using one sweeper they were able to make a rock fall, and make a rock overcurl the normal path of travel.

Interesting results and based on a lot of discussion around the game, we predict hair brushes will be the next to be banned in competitive play.

The commentary on this video has been taking off. One thing about the video, it does show releases that don’t seem to be perfect, but to suggest they are what causes the rock to fall 3 feet or curl 9 feet on ice that has a natural 3 foot curl is just deflecting the results of the hair brushes. Another comment suggested that the rock changes handle, but if you watch until the end of each shot you see the curl come to a stop finishing in the same rotation as being released. The tight video appears to be a bit of an optical illusion as the rock travels down the ice.

Ben Hebert responded to the video and fan comments about his sweeping prowess with these kind of brushes:

@scottygraham8 @CurlingZone I can with some fabric, and hair brooms pending on ice conditions and how fresh the hair is! #GetRidOfThem

— Ben Hebert (@BennyHeebz) February 8, 2016