Total ONE Stick To Match Our Total ONE Skates

We finally got our hands on a pro stock Bauer Total ONE stick via the Vancouver Canucks.  This is the real deal, not a ONE95 with a Total ONE paint job.  Stay tuned for more photos and a review.

 

 

– M

RapidShot Hockey Training System – Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, Canada

We had the privilege to use the RapidShot at Rogers Arena after hours.  The RapidShot system advertises themselves as “The Batting Cage of Hockey” and that is exactly what it is.

How does it work?  The shooter is fed a series of 16 pucks by the computer.  It’s important to keep your head up as you’re shooting because there are four amber colored lights that flash briefly at the corner you’re supposed to aim for.  If you’re not paying attention you can easily miss it.  The closer you are to the corner, the higher your score will be.  The computer measures the speed, accuracy and reaction time of your shot,  plugs all those numbers into an algorithm and dishes out a score based on those three factors.  Your final score is an average of all 16 shots.  You get no points for missing the net.  The speed of the passes and the interval between passes are adjustable to accommodate for different skill levels.

You begin by stepping into the cage and standing on a platform to emulate the height you would be at on skates.  As soon as you’re ready to start, white colored pucks start coming at you.  As the puck travels towards you, it passes by a laser and the clock starts ticking.  As you release the puck it runs by the laser again stopping the clock and that is how your reaction time is measured.    We didn’t notice any radar guns to measure the speed of the puck but we think the computer takes the distance between the shooter and the net and dividing it by the time it takes the puck to travel from the stick (when it travels across the laser the second time) to the moment of the puck hitting the net; your simple “Speed = Distance/Time” formula.

The Vancouver Canucks are using this as a valuable training tool but any fan attending home games at Rogers Arena will be able to use the RapidShot, $5 for 16 shots.

Here’s our PR Manager, Fanny, shooting in the RapidShot.

The top 10 scores are posted on the leaderboard.  Unfortunately we only had enough time to shoot 16 pucks each so our scores are relatively low compared to the more experienced shooters.  Harvey Jones, VP and GM of Building Operations for Rogers Arena, and Rod Brathwaite (yes, he is Fred’s brother) have been in there much more than us, hence the higher scores.  We’re told Ryan Kesler shoots at around 300.

Out of our own group I went first but got dethroned towards the end and finished at a respectable second place.  There were lots of bragging rights up for grabs.  At least I can say my reaction time was the fastest.

We can’t wait to go back and use the RapidShot again.  Currently, there are only three facilities in the Lower Mainland with this system installed and we’re hoping there will be more very soon.  If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re definitely missing out.  Until next time!

– M

Bauer Vapor APX Skates Announced!

According to The Hockey Shop’s Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/thehockeyshop) the Bauer Vapor APX (pronounced “APEX”) is due out April 2011.  It looks exactly the same as the pair that was posted up for sale on eBay a couple months back we posted about: https://prostocknation.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/bauer-apx-skates-on-ebay/ It seems like Bauer’s Supreme and Vapor platform will have more in common compared to previous generations.  The APX will have the highly moldable ALIVE Composite upper just like the TOTAL ONE skates.  It will also be lighter than the X:60 thanks in part to the aluminum Tuuk Fusion Steel.


Photo is property of The Hockey Shop. (click on the photo for full size.)

A couple NHL players have been spotted wearing the APX skates so far into this early NHL season; Tyler Seguin of the Boston Bruins being one of them.  The skates being worn right now aren’t the same color as the retail offerings and that’s not surprise since Bauer has a history of doing so (pro’s wearing X:60 skates dressed up to look like the Vapor XXXX prior to it’s retail release.)

Click here to see the photo of Tyler Seguin wearing the APX (Photo is property of Sky Sports.)

We haven’t seen any clear pictures of the tongue being used on the APX but we’re expecting a similar tongue from the previous two Vapor skates.  Wonder if these will be offered with the Reflex Tongue, as found on the Total ONE skates, as a custom option.

– M

RapidShot – Just 5 Days Away!

The RapidShot is advertised as “the batting cage of hockey.”   The Vancouver Canucks recently installed one of these units and players are incorporating this as a part of their training routine.  We are going to Rogers Arena and giving this a try Wednesday Night and comparing our scores with Canuck players.  Pictures and video are sure to come!

For those of you unfamiliar with the RapidShot, check out these videos:

– M

BASE Hockey – Part 3/3

We were greeted by Al Iafrate and Cliff Ronning of BASE Hockey when we went to pick up our stick a few weeks ago.   If you missed our last couple of posts, the white BASE Hockey hat (autographed by both players) Cliff is holding in the picture will be given away to one of our lucky readers or followers sometime before the end of the month.  Be sure to keep checking our blog and Twitter account (www.Twitter.com/ProStockNation)

So here is our finished product, the BASE Savoy Special.  A variety of custom options can be chosen when ordering your stick so we’ll run through what we chose for ours.  The first thing you’ll notice is the red graphics package.  These sticks come in a variety of colors or you can choose to go all black like Mike Green and Paul Gaustad’s sticks in the NHL this season.  If you don’t want to choose a custom color then you’ll get the standard Red/Orange package.

This is the bottom stripe of the stick, very ONE95-esque if you ask us.

So the blade is what really sold me on BASE sticks.  The blades feel softer and it really dampens the puck when giving and receiving passes.  You don’t get any of that ‘ping” feeling like other composites I have used.  On the other hand when you’re shooting the blade feels soft here as well, similar to a wood blade.  I don’t feel the same ‘pop’ I would with a ONE95 or a Dolomite but this is merely a personal preference sort of thing.  I’d like to compare it to a similar idea as the Easton Synergy Si-Core, but it actually works.

The sandpaper texture, BASE calls it “Sharkskin,” is the default finish for the blade; naked being the other choice.  I prefer the sandpaper finish because it gives your blade that extra little bit of protection, especially if you’re the type of player that doesn’t tape the entire blade.  It’s similar to the Z-Tac coating Easton has been using on their blades for the longest time as well as the coarse coating you’d find on many pro stock sticks.  I’ve heard of people spraying on some sort of a flooring texture (like the silica sand people sprinkle onto stairs for extra grip)  on their blades to try and emulate the same effect.  Most sticks you see in retail will have the much glossier “naked” finish.

Just like the Pros you can get your own name on these sticks.  I already have “M. NG 2” on my custom Eagle CP94 gloves so it’s only fitting that I get it on the BASE stick to match.  The “75” beside the name is the flex.  I believe the pattern number will be listed if you don’t want to pay the $8 for custom color and name.  Ours is a BM12 (Iginla Clone) in case you’re wondering.

Towards the bottom of the shaft there is an oval for your jersey number or team logo.  You can send them a .jpg and they can screen it onto the stick, very cool!

In case you haven’t already seen it, here is our video with Al Iafrate and he tells us a bit about BASE Hockey.  For more information please check out their website at www.MyBaseHockey.com

– M

Mike Green Using BASE Hockey Sticks

Mike Green, #52 of the Washington Capitals, was seen using a BASE Hockey Stick in preseason action against the Columbus Blue Jackets.  BASE Sticks will be in the NHL this year sporting a blacked out look.  Check out BASE at www.MyBaseHockey.com and keep your eyes and ears open to our blog as well as our Twitter page (www.Twitter.com/ProStockNation) as we will be giving away autographed BASE Hockey swag in the near future.

Screenshot from Washington Capitals website taken on October 1, 2010.  Photo remains property of it’s respective owner(s).

We’d also like to congratulate Bonnie S. (BCBerrie) on winning our final pair of Vancouver Canucks Open Practice Tickets through our Twitter page.  We hope that you and hockeyfan1992 will have a memorable experience.  For all the remaining Canuck fans out there who weren’t able to get a hold of tickets, the Open Practice will be streamed live on Canucks.com.

– M