PACKING THE HOUSE: Curling strategy, technology continues evolving

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/02/2025 (270 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The centennial of curling in our province came and went, and the celebrations were eventful.

The 100th Manitoba men’s championship, now known as the Viterra Championship, brought plenty to celebrate, both in terms of the competition and the off-ice fellowship.

In fact, it goes back a lot further than that, as Manitoba’s first curling club was formed in 1879, but to compare where the game originated and where it is headed …

I had the pleasure of taking in the opening round of the Viterra Championship in Portage la Prairie, watching the best men’s players, in what I would say was one of the richest fields for a provincial championship in the country.

The first team to make even the smallest mistake usually wound up being the difference, but one of the most refreshing parts of the Viterra Championship however was the camaraderie amongst the players.

In a world where we’re bombarded with far from appealing international news, all is well within the curling world.

It really is a community, from the competitors and the officials to the volunteers working to make the event a success.

That and the spectators of all ages, soaking in the incredible play, but equally just pleased to be part of such an incredible community.

The juxtaposition of where the game has gone in 100 years was noteworthy, while photos of past championship teams adorned the walls of Stride Place the latest technology was implemented on the ice.

Corn brooms are used only for throwing, but are some players’ most valued, customized, and cherished tools.

Coaches are constantly inputting, monitoring and reviewing data on laptops and tablets, as ever-changing conditions are constantly and carefully monitored since any potential advantage or adaptation can result in real-time results on the scoreboard.

Playing with just three on a team may seem like a challenge but in all actuality is a competitive advantage, as was the case for Jacques Gauthier and his team out of the West St. Paul Curling Club.

His three-man team of Tanner Lott and Derek Samagalski was the only one in the field.

More rocks thrown means more of a feel for the ice, which for a past champion like Samagalski means more accuracy.

If you’re playing against them and you give someone like Samagalski more accuracy, and thus more confidence, buckle up, you’re in for a bumpy ride.

As such, don’t be surprised if more teams start doing this.

Another new trend is one legendary Alberta skip Randy Ferbey popularized by having David Nedohin throw fourth stones. He won four Briers and three world titles, so it clearly worked.

More skips are moving around in the throwing order, while others are having someone other than the third hold the broom for them.

They’re continuing to experiment and find their best possible lineup based on throwing ability and decision making.

“Ferbey started it. Now you see where it is,” Rob Van Kommer said following his team’s opening draw victory.

Van Kommer, a well-known curler and supporter, having served a term as president of Curling Manitoba, held the broom for Ed Barr, and was one of many teams that utilized the less common approach.

The two, along with Lucas Pedersen and Seth White, were the perfect encapsulation of what the sport represents: two experienced yet competitive players who appreciate every opportunity to compete at this level, combined with two wide-eyed rookies, soaking in every learning opportunity presented to them.

And boy is Van Kommer an ambassador of the sport. The man can tell a story and obviously loves just being there.

“Of all the ones you want to play in, this is it,” said Van Kommer. “(Greg) Ewasko is one of the top ice makers in the world, and it’s just a treat being here. The talent we have from here in Manitoba is unbelievable and it’s great all the way around.”

“Broomgate” from a few years ago seemingly isn’t over either. As high-end players learned the benefits of directional sweeping about a decade ago, which led to widespread change in how brushers approach bringing rocks into the house, the then-debate has seemingly been re-ignited.

The issue at hand is the density of the foam in the brush heads.

Ahead of last month’s Grand Slam of Curling event in Guelph, Ont., players submitted a document to the World Curling Federation outlining concerns over the fairness of the new brush heads.

Since then, Broomgate 2.0 has been circulating in the curling world, so much in fact that the WCF weighed in, conducting testing on the density of the foam in heads, with more studies in the works by the University of Saskatchewan to conduct more analysis to come as well as a “sweeping summit” to review the specification of sweeping equipment.

“We recognize that this is a larger discussion than which foam being used — the matter driving concerns at the moment — and will continue to engage with both the scientific, athlete communities, and other stakeholders as we progress,” the World Curling Federation said in a statement in January.

One of the most vocal critics was Brad Jacobs, a Manitoba champion with last year’s Reid Carruthers team.

Carruthers, a Hardline sponsored team, was using the Goldline heads this past week, as pointed out to me by other competitors in the field, before Carruthers ran to yet another Manitoba title.

How much of an advantage the heads could provide remains to be seen, but also leads to more questions.

Just imagine what kind of debates we’ll be having about the influence of technology in the game in another 100 years.

We’ll start with the 2026 Viterra Championship in Selkirk, as the host was announced on Sunday.

• • •

The two premier events in Manitoba have wrapped up, but championship season rolls along.

The Manitoba Credit Union masters women’s and men’s provincial championships are underway in Gimli today with the Dynasty mixed doubles provincial championship starting in Neepawa on Thursday.

Junior provincials hit the Brandon Curling Club Feb. 26 through March 2.

With plenty of other bonspiels taking place across the province in the coming weeks, it’s hard to believe we’re in the final few weeks of the curling season.

» mpackwood@brandonsun.com