If you’ve spent any time around a curling club, you’ve probably heard someone say “broomstacking time” after a game. And if you’re new to the sport, you might be wondering what that means and whether you’re even invited.
You are. Everyone is. That’s kind of the whole point.
The tradition behind the name
Broomstacking goes back to when curlers played outdoors on frozen ponds. After a game, they’d throw all their brooms in a pile in front of a fire and enjoy a drink with their opponents. The brooms are mostly carbon fiber now and the pond is a climate-controlled sheet of ice, but the tradition stuck and so did the name.
What actually happens
Broomstacking is the social gathering that happens after a game or between games at a bonspiel, OR in the middle of your game, depending on how it’s going (4th end fireball shots at Seattle’s April Spiel are a fond memory of mine).
Both teams sit down together, grab a drink, and just hang out.
Traditionally, the winning team buys the first round for the losing team, with each winner buying their counterpart a drink. Nobody’s rubbing it in. That’s just not how curling works. Depending on who you ask the losing team traditionally buys the second round.
Why it matters
Curling has always been as much about who you play with as how you play. As one competitive curler put it, broomstacking is “part of the polite nature of curling, it’s good for kindness.” You spend a couple hours trying to knock each other’s rocks out of the house and then you sit down, cheers each other over a good curling game, and laugh about it as you warm up.
It’s a pretty good way to do sports.
Celebrating Life
Curling clubs breed friends for life, but sometimes, unfortunately, life has other plans. A fourth-end break broomstack can be a good way to honor and celebrate the memory and life of curlers who have crossed the rainbow back-line too early.
Broomstacking FAQ
Do you have to drink alcohol to broomstack?
Not At All! You can broomstack with anything, even just water! It’s more about the comrade after a match than getting drunk after a game.
Do I HAVE TO Broomstack?
No one is forcing you to stick around, but it’s the polite thing to do. At the very least if you have to jet make sure to say bye to both teams and wish your opponents good luck / good curling.
We Lost and One Is Offering Me A Drink. What’s Up?
Eh.. it happens? Sometimes it’s a communication error and you just got skipped, sometimes the opponents are rude and don’t like you and snub you intentionally, sometimes it’s just not as common of a practice.
Feel free to either say something to the winners, or just shut up and go buy your own drink.
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