GUELPH, Ont. — Here we go again: Broomgate is back at the WFG Masters with curlers calling to action over the latest sweeping technology.
On the eve of the Grand Slam of Curling tournament, 30 of the top men’s and women’s teams signed off on a document sent to World Curling detailing their concerns for the recently released BalancePlus RS 2.0 Firm and Goldline Pursuer. Although both products met World Curling’s specifications and were approved for use in competitive play, the teams believe the firmness of the foam allows sweepers to have too much control over the rock and runs counter to the spirit of the rules previously established.
The proposal aims to unite all stakeholders — curlers, equipment manufacturers and governing bodies — to “create a new, universally accepted foam.” Equipment manufacturers Goldline Curling, Hardline Curling and Asham Curling supplies also joined the proposal.
Goldline-sponsored teams have agreed not to use the Pursuer foam during the WFG Masters while Team John Epping, the only one in the event sponsored by BalancePlus, was asked not to use the 2.0 Firm.
Skip Brad Jacobs, who uses Hardline equipment and had already called for change on social media last month, began play at the WFG Masters on Tuesday with a tense matchup against Epping, whose team did not sign off on the document but has complied with the players’ request.
“I think all of us players just want to be on a level, fair playing field when it comes to equipment,” Jacobs said after defeating Epping 5-3. “Unfortunately, as we all know, there’s been some foams approved that can do some really surprising things to a stone that none of us want to see out here. We all came together, we united as one to have a little bit more say and a little bit more transparency in the equipment that we use at the highest level. It’s very important.
“We obviously played a team that had to make some alterations to their broom in the first game. I would just like to applaud Team Epping for doing that as well as all of the teams here that had to do that. It was really courageous of them. I’m personally proud of everyone for coming together and doing what’s right.”
What should be a special week for Epping has instead become a challenge.
Epping is playing in his first Grand Slam event with the team he established at the start of the season featuring third Jacob Horgan, second Tanner Horgan and lead Ian McMillan.
After starting out ranked 33rd in the world, Epping has soared to 12th thanks to five tour wins, including the Ed Werenich Golden Wrench Classic that took place this past weekend in Tempe, Arizona.
Epping, who has switched to using a Hardline foam with BalancePlus accessories this week, explained that everything had come at him within the past couple of days and was even on the phone with World Curling, sorting everything out 10 minutes before stepping onto the ice for practice.
“It’s been tough just trying to navigate this as best as I can and stay always true to the spirit of curling that I believe is the spirit of curling,” said Epping, who has won three Grand Slam titles as a skip. “It’s been trying. I give kudos to my guys, especially playing an event the last few days, hanging in there and hanging by me and trusting me and the process because I already went through this once a while ago the first time around.”
It was roughly a decade ago when Broomgate was born as players were concerned about brush-head material they felt gave sweepers too much control over the direction of a rock. This led to World Curling, then known as the World Curling Federation, to hold a sweeping summit in May 2016 and, as referenced in the players’ proposal, “eliminate or significantly reduce the ability for a curling broom to have directional influence on a swept curling stone.”
World Curling revised its specifications for the foam used last summer with a deadline of Jan. 1 for any new submissions to be used during the remainder of the Olympic cycle.
Skip Matt Dunstone, who is part of the Grand Slam of Curling’s players’ council, said a group of teams tested out the 2.0 Firm over the holiday break and noticed some differences that raised questions.
“It needs to be a thrower’s game, at some capacity,” Dunstone said. “Obviously, sweeping is a huge part of it, and you want sweeping to be a huge part of it with the great athletes that we have, but just how much is too much was the question that was brought up.
“It’s a really unfortunate situation as a whole and I think what you saw yesterday was just everyone not wanting to let this go down the route of 2016. I think anybody who was involved with that has a lot of PTSD from it, and rightfully so. … It got really tense. It was a little gross at times between teams and players in 2016. I think that’s the last thing all of us players want moving forward for sure.”
Jacobs added that enough athletes from the Broomgate era can share their experience with the newer curlers and help encourage them.
“To see everybody come together, I’m not surprised,” Jacobs said. “Everybody out here, all of these athletes, are great people. Regardless of how the fans might think we are, I believe that everyone out here is just a great person and especially us athletes, we want to see the sport continue to grow probably more than anybody.”
The response from curlers has been really good, according to Dunstone, who said it’s tough for players with sponsor obligations and commitments as manufacturers are trying to get the leg-up on each other.
“It puts us in a difficult position,” Dunstone said. “All the players have ever wanted was to be playing on an equal playing field. Let the game be won or lost on the ice based on shot-making, communication, all of that sort of stuff. That’s all I can say. All of us players, all we want to do is just be able to play the game on a completely equal playing field and let chips fall where they may.”
Epping doesn’t feel that unity, though. He said there haven’t been any phone calls made to him leading up to the event and he’s not sure what other players saw when he played against them during a tour event last month in Swift Current, Sask.
“I know a lot of it started there. I asked them after and some guys said they didn’t see anything,” Epping said. “Why wouldn’t you call me after if you changed your mind? I’ve been around a long time and I don’t think I deserve this because of the way I behaved the first time around.
“I want the same thing too. I think all the foams are too firm, but then I throw it back to them. Is it unity when it’s 14 Hardline teams that are on that and then it’s us? Unity’s got to be everybody and involve me and talk to me as just a human. They know me. They know what I’m about.”
Epping explained how another company has been putting out a firmer foam every year and wondered if it got to a spot where it’s too much because it’s his side.
“I think at the end of this day, and I hope fans know this, we’re not doing anything wrong,” he said. “Everything was approved for us to play … but we opted not to (use the black foam) because I don’t want the extra distraction this week. I guess I’m going to comply with everybody and I still want to compete this week and play our best. This is an important event for us. I didn’t need it all in my ear this week.”
Dunstone hasn’t spoken to Epping personally, but he welcomes that conversation.
“I think everything happened really quickly over the last few days,” Dunstone said. “Hindsight is 20/20 on what could have been done, what was done correct, what wasn’t done correct. Obviously, we would have loved to cover our bases but, again, this was something that everybody felt that we had to push out as quick as possible with the Slam, with the quick turnaround, with playdown season, with worlds. We’re talking some huge things. Everything moved really quickly. Everybody tried to do everything the best way that they knew how.
“This is not about John Epping’s team or John or any of them. It is the furthest thing from personal. I know exactly what himself and all of those guys are all about. This has to do with the overall integrity of the game, getting all the manufacturers on the same page. I think that is the frustrating part: getting all of the manufacturers, having a level playing field for all and not get into some pissing contest. That’s the frustrating part for me, is it’s just a big pissing contest trying to push the limits over the limits, to be honest with you. I’m being a little candid because it fires me up. It just seems very unnecessary and it puts the players in a terrible position.”
World Curling responded to the proposal on Monday saying it strives “to ensure that our equipment regulations ensure a fair and clear approval process for our athletes and suppliers.” The statement added that while the equipment in question meets their requirements, they acknowledged “the need for a full review” of those specifications.
Jacobs had a clear message to World Curling: Talk to the athletes.
“Start talking to us. Start asking us questions,” he said. “I think it’s really important to understand where we’re coming from and at the same time, we need to do the exact same thing to World Curling from the athletes’ standpoint, and also figure out a way to collaborate a little bit more and continue to move the sport in the right direction for the future but also do what’s right, right now.”
