Fracas unlikely, but issues still simmer

A player truce seems to be in place as the Brier gets underway in Kelowna, B.C. on Friday night.

Broomgate 2.0, as we called it back in January, continues to be a thing ... and a new World Curling announcement proves it. 

Pre-Scotties efforts to get Canada’s women’s teams on board in a joint signed document failed. However, all the competing teams still came together to use an allegedly neutral “white foam” on their brushes for the duration of the championship at Thunder Bay, which marked the second trophy in a row for the Rachel Homan crew.

A similar, unwritten agreement is in place for the Brier competitors—and one of those competitors made his latest thoughts perfectly clear during the Scotties final weekend.

Alberta skip Brad Jacobs, who kicks off his Brier run with a game against the Yukon’s Thomas Scoffin on Saturday afternoon, let fly on X/Twitter as Homan homed in on her latest title.

“Happy #CurlingDayInCanada everyone!” Jacobs posted on his social media account. “Later today I will be back on here with some positive news as it relates to the @MontanasBBQ Brier so stay tuned! However, I’m extremely pissed off with the WCF @worldcurling.

“We find ourselves amidst another equipment controversy in the sport we love— it’s sad! However, Canadian athletes are prevailing in the Scotties and now the Brier.”

“The entire men’s field has collaborated to protect the event's integrity as best we can to prevent this equipment from entering the field of play—a win for all of us!

“However, the equipment issue persists, and it is NOT f**king acceptable WCF. Athletes at the highest level are deeply concerned—we need to solve this issue ASAP! #heretohelp @worldcurling

It was World Curling’s initial decision to address “foamgate” after the current season—and not immediately—that raised Jacobs’ ire.

After our Broomgate 2.0 story was published—and a few days after the Grand Slam tournament in Guelph, Ont.—World Curling (formerly the World Curling Federation) posted a statement announcing that “all approved equipment remains within scope and no products will be removed from use in the field of play.”

World Curling noted that players, under the eye of their Athlete Commission members, conducted brush foam testing on site in Guelph. A subsequent review “provided no conclusive observations that would warrant the removal of any currently approved equipment.”

World Curling then said the organization would share a series of protocols and video recording instructions with the athletes, allowing them to conduct similar evaluations at their home facilities, then share those observations with World Curling and the Athlete Commission.

Saskatchewan’s Team Kleiter recently conducted such testing, with two video results embedded below.

The first test video, below, shows a stone swept with a Goldline brush head with legal fabric—but “black foam,” which the Brier competitors have agreed not to use in Kelowna.

The stone, delivered with an in-turn and down takeout weight, clearly falls away from the target line with brushing.

The second test video, below, shows a stone swept down a similar path and with similar weight with a Balance Plus brush—and, again, the black foam.

Team Kleiter has submitted their videos to World Curling.

World Curling also announced it would host a brush testing forum sometime in 2025, which will include “our elite-level athletes and scientific testing processes.”

“This forum will give our athletes an opportunity to test the equipment in a scientific environment, use their experience to aid us in shaping the future testing protocols of that equipment and review any potential modifications to our equipment specifications before their implementation,” read the World Curling statement.

However, on Mar. 1, World Curling issued a surprise news release announcing that competitive use of Goldline’s “Pursuer” foam is now suspended.

The decision was made in conjunction with the manufacturer.

All results to date where Pursuer foam was used remain valid, and all other previously approved Goldline equipment remains within specification and available for competitive play.

“Following concerns raised with us and the provision by some athletes of video evidence we contacted Goldline,” said World Curling. “They were unequivocal in their response that the Pursuer foam should be withdrawn pending further investigation.

“We thank them for their collaboration in this process. We also thank those players who have committed time and effort into understanding what was going on. Agreeing to suspend equipment approval comes with a significant impact to a manufacturer and World Curling wishes to acknowledge Goldline’s collaboration in this matter and their commitment to providing quality equipment for the world’s best curling athletes.”

Quebec skip Felix Asselin chimed in online following Jacobs’ posts.

“I’m happy that for the betterment of the game, all 36 teams present at the STOH and Brier decided it was best to pause the use of over-effective technology and bring the game back to what it’s supposed to be,” Asselin wrote.

“I can’t wait to curl at the Brier! It’s the best event in the world!”