I am so glad that I tried one of these brooms. I never liked the "regular" synthetic pushbrooms because they seemed to stick when I tried to sweep harder, so I had decided that I would never give up my hair.
The first time I tried the Hardline icePad I was hooked! I love how light it is, how close I can get to the rock (they fit right under the rock's curved side) & the fact that I can clean the fabric without any tools! Nail/utility brushes never get the buildup out of the fabric's weave no matter how hard often you scrub it (not to mention how it frays the fabric).
I have "sold" a number of people at our club on the icePad and I find it much safer for young curlers. Six of our juniors purchased them last year alone.
There has "suddenly" been an uproar about how the icePad's fabric manages a rock. Give it up already people. Ever since pushbrooms came on the scene, there are curlers who "snowplow" when they sweep. Others even sweep beside the rock instead of infront of it. Does this not affect the path as well?
Effective October 2015, the WCF has stated that "the motion must be side-to-side" (R7 of WCF). If the professionals are allowed to continue to sweep illegally then there is no reason that the average curler cannot use this top-quality broom. The icePad fabric doesn't even damage the pebble for heaven's sake!
When others start sweeping IN FRONT of the rock, then I will consider buying the tour elite cover for mine.