Curlers brush the ice to reduce friction, control the stone's speed and path, and fine-tune its curl during a game. This energetic sweeping creates heat through friction, temporarily melting tiny ice pebbles into a lubricating water layer.

Physics Basics

Sweeping generates localized heat on pebbled ice, smoothing the stone's path ahead. This lets the 42-pound granite stone travel farther and straighter, countering its natural curl from rotation and ice bumps. Teams shout "Hurry hard!" to ramp up speed when needed.

Key Effects

  • Cleans debris : Removes dust, fibers, or pebbles that could snag the stone and cause erratic "picks."
  • Reduces friction : Stone glides longer on swept paths; unswept areas slow it more.
  • Adjusts curl : Varying brush pressure influences the stone's turn toward the house center.

Imagine sliding a hockey puck on sandpaper—sweeping polishes it like fine grit, easing the glide.

Strategic Role

Sweepers react to the skip's calls, balancing offense (longer shots) and defense (nudging rivals). In mixed doubles or team play, this precision wins ends by millimeters. Recent Milano Cortina 2026 prep highlights broom tech advances for better control.

Forum Insights

Reddit curlers note: "Sweeping creates smoother ice beneath, reducing drag and turn." Another adds pebbling mimics shuffleboard sand for slide control. Debates rage on brush types—synthetic pads outperform older corn brooms.

"If a rock runs over debris, it picks wildly. 'Clean!' means brush lightly."

TL;DR : Brushing heats, lubricates, and directs the stone for strategic mastery—science meets sweat in curling's ballet.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.