GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT // BROOMSTACKING IN THE USA The man on Sheet Five A reminder to stay safe By Bobbie R. Todd, U.S. Curling News Columnist
Five to see what was happening, others shooed them away and a club mem- ber who happened to be a retired nurse came over to examine him. Para- medics arrived moments later, wrapping his head in what appeared to be gauze and talked with him as he regained consciousness. They proceeded through their concussion protocols and eventually the man was able to stand up and leave in an ambulance. As The Man on Sheet Five walked out with the paramedics, all that remained of the accident was a head-shaped dent in the ice that was encapsulated by a ring of blood. From what I had observed during play, The Man on Sheet Five hadn’t
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been doing anything unsafe or out of the ordinary. He had been wearing a gripper and hadn’t been running on the ice. He hadn’t been acting fool- ish or otherwise putting himself in harm’s way. While this incident was a bizarre accident as far as one could tell, it reminded me of the protective headgear I had purchased after a friend suffered a concussion from falling on the ice. Though I had become complacent and stopped wearing it, this incident prompted me to retrieve it and wear it once again. The Man on Sheet Five’s fall had provided an unfortunate reminder that sometimes we can get too comfortable and not take all the precautions we can, or should, while curling. Whether or not head protection should be required or even used for
curling is a debate for another day. However, it is important to note that if curlers wish to protect themselves beyond following standard on-ice safety guidelines, there are several protective headgear options available from multiple curling vendors. Additionally, I have heard of curlers wearing hockey helmets or bicycle helmets for some sort of head protection. There is not much, if any, research available concerning the effect of headgear on on-ice falls, so it is up to individual curlers to decide what level of protec- tion is best for them. Another element that should be noted is the proper care of one’s grippers.
As noted above, The Man on Sheet Five was wearing a gripper, but it may or may not have been in good condition. Just as I had become lax with not wearing my headgear, some curlers may become lax about checking on and maintaining their gear. Additionally, a gripper that is worn out may end up OHDYLQJ GHEULV RQ WKH LFH WKDW FDQ FRQWULEXWH WR IDOOV RU RWKHU GLI¿ FXOWLHV USA Curling’s “Safety Tips for Curlers” provides other ways to prevent
falls and on-ice injuries. T ese include, but are not limited to, paying at- tention to ice conditions, surroundings, and using common sense. For in- stance, curlers should always step onto the ice with their gripper shoe fi rst and step off the ice sliderfoot fi rst. And, when stepping onto the ice for the fi rst time, curlers should make sure to note the ice conditions. If the ice feels more slippery than usual, more caution should be used.
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loud thud caught me off guard. As soon as I heard it, I looked toward Sheet Five and saw a guy laying on the ice with his eyes closed. He appeared lifeless. As people began crowding Sheet
If you have been curling for any length of time, you’ve likely seen some-
one fall on the ice – or have fallen yourself. While people who fall are often okay, aside from a bruised ego, there have been a number of times when others have suffered long-term, permanent, or even fatal damage from fall- ing on the ice. On the chance that a reminder will prevent even one more on-ice injury, I encourage everyone to check out and follow the safety pre- cautions discussed in this article, and those provided by their clubs’ leader- ship and/or ice makers. Until next time, I wish you all good curling – and SAFE curling.
Bobbie R. Todd is an amateur curler located in the Greater Sacramento,
Calif., area. She began curling in 2015 and curls out of Wine Country Curling Club in Roseville, Calif.
rocket exhaust A column by Richard Maskel
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