Training
Below are links to recordings of many of the trainings offered by CIQIP since 2020.
Research in a Curling Ice Rink
This talk was in September 2025 with the presenters high performance curler and PhD candidate Megan Balsdon, and Mechanical Engineering Professor Dr. Jeff Wood, both from Western University. Megan and Jeff coauthored Comparing Broom Conditions in Curling, a published study describing the effects of sweeping on the topography of the curling ice surface.
Pebble the basics
This training was held in March 2021 for arena or dedicated ice techs new to pebbling. The talk covered equipment, water, pebble heads, distribution, technique, and recommended practice.
Curling Stones
Kim Tuck from Canada Curling Stone gave a talk on curling stones in January 2021.
Controlled Melt
During a curling season it is not unusual for a flat and level curling sheet to develop irregularities that cannot be addressed with daily or weekly ice maintenance. Being knowledgeable of how to perform controlled melt is one more tool for ice technicians to have to provide flat and level ice for their members. Bob Williams, from the Rochester Curling Club, and Ian MacAulay, from the RCMP Curling Club were the presenters.
Curling Ice Shed Parameters
One of the areas important for ice technicians are the various parameters (ice surface temperature, air temperature, relative humidity, & dew point) in the ice shed. This talk has Greg Eisenhauer, head ice technician for the GNCC, Ian MacAulay, head ice technician at the RCMP Curling Club, and Steve Kerr, former head ice technician at Kinross Curling Club, to share their thoughts and answer questions.
Ice Maintenance Conversation
This was a talk for dedicated curling clubs on daily and weekly ice maintenance. Greg Eisenhauer, GNCC Ice Technician, and Ian MacAulay, from the RCMP Curling Club in Ottawa, joined us for a conversation and answered questions on the various aspects of ice maintenance in dedicated ice clubs.
Maintaining Flat & Level Ice
This training was for dedicated curling club ice technicians. Topics included a review of typical problems encountered by ice technicians trying to maintain flat and level curling ice and focused on pebbling and scraping interventions to prevent or mitigate these problems.
Scraper Blade Talk with Hans Wuthrich
Hans Wuthrich, joined us on December 13th, 2021 for a talk on scraper blades. Hans is well known as the Head Ice Technician at the winter Olympics. Hans and Todd Shaffer, an experienced blade sharpener, talked about care and storage of blades, quality sharpening, how to hone and how frequently, use of weights and tensioner, testing newly sharpened blades, etc.
Arena Curling Trainings
Club Curling in an Arena Facility
This was a basic training for arena curling club directors, and key curling club members. This training provided an understanding of the facility business model, working with, and educating arena staff. Other topics included the differences between skating and curling ice, procedures for improving ice for curling in an arena, equipment storage, and setting up for play.
Arena Clubs Training Forum on Equipment
Arena clubs are known to be innovative in finding or creating equipment. This forum was focused on cooling stones, moving equipment and stones, heating pebble water, filtering pebble water, mops, heating hacks, and marking houses.
Transition to dedicated curling ice
This is a talk by Craig Fisher from Fort Wayne Curling Club sharing their clubs experience in transitioning from curling in a hockey rink to a dedicated curling ice facility.