This weekend’s annual World Curling Congress is officially underway in beautiful Gold Coast, Australia with the Annual General Assembly scheduled for Monday.
Last year’s affair in Montreal was notable for a record number of board positions up for election and advancement, and the eventual rookie electees were Czechia’s David Sik and Canada’s Jill Officer.
This year’s slate of discussion topics shows just how serious a WC board member’s volunteer job is these days.
The hogline, for one example, has become a scene from the wild west. By the end of last season, many athletes were openly aghast at just how far some competitors were releasing the curling stone past the line.
(The Eye on the Hog sensor handle technology has been on the fritz since roughly 2021 and its usage ceased entirely by 2024).
Team Edin third Oskar Eriksson was commentating during the world men’s final on Swedish television back in April, and he reportedly had lots to say.
I was in Toronto for the Players’ Championship for a brief time – no more than four hours over two days – and I left with an earful of comments from athletes and fans.
Where’s Bernie when you need him?
The debate didn’t slow down during the summer. Just a few hours ago, as World Curling delegates were getting down (under) to business, Denmark’s Team Dupont posted a video reel that draws attention to the issue.
There are other big issues – oh, really? – that curling brass must also deal with, such as the challenge of empowering on-ice officials that will require major acceptance by the players. A new rulebook for 2025-26 is hoped to at least partially meet that challenge head on.
The hogline issue could also be seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.
After at least a year of effort, World Curling is deep into “phase 2” of a plan to unveil new sensor handles this season.
The goal is to test them in competition for the first time at the Pan Continental Championships at Virgina, MN USA in October.
More testing will take place at the European Championships at Lohja, Finland in November and the Olympic Qualification Event at Kelowna, B.C. in December.
That means rock lights could be flashing once again in time for the Winter Olympics in Cortina, plus the Brier and world championships.
At which point those hogline cowboys will need to rein themselves in.