How much does a curling stone weigh?
A curling stone should weigh between 38 and 44 pounds. Most weigh 42. They are made from granite from a particular Scottish quarry, and carefully polished into the round shape.
What does sweeping do?
The friction created by sweeping with a curling broom reduces the traction that the stone has on the ice. This will help the stone to maintain its momentum, allowing it to travel several feet farther than it would without sweeping. Additionally, the faster the stone is traveling, the less it will curl, so sweeping is also used to control the line of the shot. Advanced sweeping techniques can also scratch the ice and allow for even more directional control of the stone.
Are you a sweeper or a thrower?
Both! Each player on a curling team delivers two stones, and most of the players sweep for the stones that their teammates deliver. The exception is the skip, or the team captain, who devises the strategy and shows their teammates where to aim.
The positions on a curling team are:
- The Lead, who delivers their team’s first two rocks and sweeps for the rest
- The Second, who sweeps for the lead’s stones, delivers their team’s next two rocks (rocks 3 and 4) and sweeps for the rest
- The Vice-Skip or Third, who sweeps for lead’s and second’s stones, delivers stones 5 and 6, and then assists with strategy for the Skip.
- The Skip, who stands at the opposite end of the sheet deciding where the stones should go and holding their broom to assist the thrower’s aim. The skip usually delivers their team’s final two stones of each end.
Why is everyone yelling?
When curlers yell, they are telling the sweepers whether or not they should be sweeping. A curling sheet is 150 feet long, and the players need to communicate clearly! You’ll frequently hear the words “sweep,” “hurry hard,” “yeah,” to tell players to sweep, and “off,” or “whoa,” to tell them to stop.
