Sweeping the ice quickly can warm up the ice and create a thin film of water, which helps the rock to go farther and into the house (a.k.a. target). Sweeping also makes the rock curl less as it travels down the ice, allowing you to help a rock travel straighter if it looks like it will curl too much for the result you wanted.
The purpose of the broom in Curling is to warm up the ice so that is creates a friction so that it is easier for the rocks to glide across!!! It can also be used to alter the path of the rock (make it curl less).
They still use brooms, they just don't look like the standard straw brooms you'd find in a house.
Straw brooms used to be standard for curlers, but they were fairly inefficient for sweeping and would shed bits of straw onto the ice that could affect the rock's trajectory.
Modern brooms have handles made of wood, plastic, aluminum or even carbon fiber, and the straw portion has been replaces by a flat, synthetic pad. The constant contact with the ice and the amount of pressure sweepers can push onto the broom with a pad broom means it's much easier to sweep.
Some old-timers still use straw brooms and you still occasionally see them at clubs, but in competitive play they've been phased out for a couple decades now.
The sweeping melts the ice a little creating a thin layer of water. The stone will go farther and straighter on the thin layer of water. By varying the location of sweeps, sweepers can influence the speed and direction of the stone, which will turn (curl) more when in direct contact with ice.
Although the thrower usually does not sweep, they carry a broom just in case, and use it for balance when throwing.
The brooms are used to "sweep" the ice in front of a sliding rock. The friction created from sweeping melts the ice just a tiny bit, enough to decrease the friction between the rock and the ice, making the rock both slide farther and slide straighter (curl less).
The broom is also used by most players for balance during their delivery (the process of "throwing" or sliding the rock down the ice).
Sweeping in front of a rock as it travels down the ice causes friction, and creates a thin film of water in the path of the rock. This can help the rock travel farther down the ice if it's not going fast enough (maybe an extra 8 feet or so if you have 2 sweepers sweeping hard the whole way down the ice). Sweeping also causes a rock to curl less (it goes straighter down the ice), so it can be used to correct a shot that looks like it's going to curl too much. Usually, the two players doing the sweeping take on the responsibility of deciding if they need to "sweep for weight" (they need to sweep to make the rock go far enough), while the skip (the team captain) is in charge of watching the path of the rock and deciding if the sweepers need to "sweep for line" to help the patch of the rock.
Brooms are also used by players for balance when shooting. Some players hold the broom upright with the handle across their shoulder or back, others lay it flat on the ground.
Curling
The brooms are different now.
You use brooms which you brush in front of the rock to direct it.
Curling, which is very popular in Scotland and Canada. The object is to slide a large circular stone on the ice towards a target. Nearest wins.
Curling is a Winter sport played on ice. The rock or Stone is hurled or bowled as players use a broom to sweep the ice in front of the stone as it slide across the ice.
"Curling shoes," one with a slippery Teflon slider built into the sole and the other with just grippy rubber on the bottom, are used to allow players to slide smoothly down the ice during their delivery (sliding) of the curling rock. "Curling brooms" or "curling brushes" are used to "sweep" the ice in front of the rock, decreasing the friction between the rock and the ice and making the rock go both farther, and curl (curve) less if so desired. Brooms are also used by most players during their delivery for balance. Many teams will use stop watches to time a rock between certain points on the ice, to get an idea of how fast the rock is moving.
Curling. a traditional American sport that is popular and was played in the Olympics
curling - its a game like shuffleboard played on ice with brooms and a big round disk.
In Canada, even small cities are known to have indoor ice rinks devoted solely to curling. These arenas are fully equipped with all the equipment one would need to simply set up and play a round. But in most other countries, unfortunately, one would be lucky to find a curling venue even in a large city. As such, those who would like to try out this interesting game may need to assemble their own set of equipment from scratch. The most import parts of any curling set are the curling stones or rocks. These are stones of polished granite in the shape of a disc with a plastic handle on top to allow the stone to be thrown down the "sheet" of ice on which the game is played. A regulation curling stone weighs between 38 and 44 pounds, has a maximum circumference of 36 inches, and a minimum height of four and a half inches, as established by the rules of the World Curling Federation. Each team has eight such stones, meaning 16 stones in total are required for a set. Curling stones are perhaps the most expensive part of any curling set, with even the most inexpensive stones being 300 dollars. As such, it is most likely that anyone attempting to assemble such a set will want to share their cost with others in their area who have a similar interest in curling, as by forming a curling club. There are, however, some organizations like the East Coast's Grand National Curling Club that offer stone rental. After the stone, the next most important piece of curling equipment, and the one many people in countries unfamiliar with the sport most associate with the game, is the curling broom. The broom is used by the two "sweepers" to affect the movement of the stone down the sheet. While in the past, household brooms were often used, today professional curlers used specially made brooms composed of carbon fiber or fiberglass. Curling brooms run anywhere from 50 to 200 dollars depending on their quality. As there are two sweepers, a minimum of two brooms is needed to play if both teams exchange brooms during turns. While not absolutely necessary for casual play, professional curlers also use specially made shoes. The both the thrower and slider wear Teflon-soled shoes that help them glide down the ice more easily, and the thrower actually wears a "hack foot shoe" on one foot to help him maintain balance and grip while sliding. The price of both is comparable to that of brooms, and is likewise related to quality.
Winkler Manitoba Canada I believe it was 168 ends using corn brooms in 1968. If this is serious I can get exact info from my dad as it was his team.
ITs called windows. Who ever breaks the most, and doesn't get caught wins.
Brooms cannot actually fly. The concept of brooms flying comes from folklore and fiction, such as in stories about witches riding broomsticks. In reality, brooms are used for sweeping and cleaning.