Curling equipment comes in a range of complexity and cost. When you start curling, you don’t need to buy a lot of expensive equipment. You can probably get by with a clean pair of running shoes and a heavy sweater. But if you’re going to get serious, then you might want to invest in gear that is designed exclusively for curling. Even then, the only essential items are appropriate shoes and a broom.

Shoes: In curling, one shoe makes you go and the other makes you stop; so the sole of one shoe has a slippery surface and the other shoe has traction. You can either buy shoes that are designed specifically for curling, or you can use regular athletic shoes with something called a “slider.”

A slider is attached to the bottom on one shoe and provides the slippery surface that you need in order to “slide” on the ice. There are various kinds of sliders available, and the rink will have some sliders available for curlers to use.

Also, if you decide to use regular athletic shoes, look for a flat-soled shoe rather than one that is curvy or wavy. The soles of the shoes should be clean — so that you don’t take dirt or other foreign objects onto the ice with your shoes.

Brooms: The broom, or brush, is used to sweep the ice. There are several types of brooms available, but again, the rink will have brooms available to use until you decide what kind of broom you want.

Miscellaneous: While not really required, it is a good idea to bring other things to the curling ice. A good pair of gloves will keep your hands warm and protects them when you sweep. And don’t forget a sweatshirt or a sweater. Choose one that is loose enough to allow you some movement for sweeping and throwing stones, and warm enough to keep you comfortable. And finally, many folks prefer to wear a knee pad to protect their knee when kneeling on the ice. If you want to wear only one, we recommend wearing it on your dominant side.

The most expensive (and the most visible) equipment needed for curling is provided by the rink — and it is the rocks or stones. They are usually made of granite and are machined and balanced with handle added for ease of delivery. We need 16 stones to play a single sheet of curling.

The rink also has temporary hacks that we freeze in place. These are the rubber spots that stick up out of the ice and allow curlers to push off them when delivering stones.

Ice preparation also includes using a water sprayer to pebble the ice (putting small bumps on top of the smooth ice surface) and using a house drawing device to draw a temporary house (or target).

Other equipment that the rink might have includes delivery aids, measuring devices, and scoreboards.

More information about ice preparation is on our preparation of sheets page.