Equipment
Shoes
The most important thing about proper footwear is that they are clean. Shoes worn outside of the club should never make it to the ice. The sole of the sliding shoe has a piece of teflon, (or other "slippery") material. The thicker the teflon, the faster the slider. The other shoe has a rubber sole called an anti-slider(gripper) to provide traction on the ice. New curlers may use tape as a slider , but are encouraged to buy a pair of curling shoes when they start curling regularly. Help out the ice makers by keeping your shoes as clean as possible.
Grippers
Curlers are encouraged to buy a new good-quality gripper at the start of each year (and half way through the season if they curl a great deal). Worn grippers are the number one source of dirt on the ice as they lose little bits of rubber that lead to rocks going off-line or even stopping (called picks). Good grippers will also help dissipate heat if the soles of a player's shoes are thin. Heat transferred from the feet of players can leave marks on the ice that may cause the rocks to behave erratically. When sweeping many players wear two grippers, (a slip-on anti-slider (gripper) is put on over the slider). This is advisable for new curlers. Try the club shop if you need to buy a good gripper.
Brooms
Modern brooms have either hair or synthetic heads. The hair brooms are usually more effective if there is a great deal of frost on the ice. The main drawback is that these brooms lose tiny hairs that can cause picks (see grippers for explanation). The synthetic brooms do not lose any material to the ice. The two keys for both are: 1. keep the head of your broom clean , 2. change the head of your broom regularly to maintain its effectiveness and avoid debris (in the case of hair brooms) on the ice. New curlers can borrow clubs brooms, but should purchase their own when they start curling regularly. Brooms range in price so ask someone what broom might be right for you.
Clothing
Obviously, clothing should be warm, clean and comfortable. Try to avoid materials like knits and fleece that tend to lose fibres ("fluff") that add to dirt on the ice and, again, cause picks (again see grippers). If possible, carry your clothing to the club in a bag or store it in a locker to minimize contact that may cause dirt to become attached and transferred to the ice.
Following these recommendations will go a long way in reducing the amount of debris on our ice and maintaining the highest quality of ice surfaces.
