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Curling 101: Equipment

Stones, each made of granite, affixed with a handle, and weighing about 42 pounds, during league play with Circle City Curling Club, at Fuel Tank at Fishers, Friday, Jan. 24, 2020. The stones, made of granite, hundreds of dollars apiece, or more for high end ones. (Robert Scheer/Indystar, Indianapolis Star Via Imagn Content Services, Llc)

Stones: Also known as rocks, curling stones are made of a rare, dense granite that is quarried on Scotland’s Ailsa Craig. The stones must weigh between 38 and 44 pounds. On average, stones weight about 42 pounds (19.1 kg). In Olympic competition, one set of stones has red handles and the other has yellow handles. The stones themselves are gray and are polished.

Shoes: Special curling shoes are common; shoes should grip the ice well. While shooting, extremely slippery surfaces such as Teflon are used on the sliding foot. Some are built into the shoes, while other are strapped on over the shoes.

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Broom: Most brooms have synthetic bristles. Straw brooms were used in the past, but leave remnants of straw on the ice and thus are not commonly used in Olympic-level competition.


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