We received a parcel from Estonia today; a neighbor to both Russia and Latvia. The contents are mummified in layers of cardboard and plastic but we’re looking forward to an unboxing video and reviews coming in the very near future. In the meantime it’s a total guess at this delivery weighing in at just under 4kg.
– M
With the Winnipeg Jets inaugural season done, the remaining equipment is now available for sale through Play It Again Sports Winnipeg.
The list below lists some of what they have available during their pro stock stick sale. If you’re not in the Winnipeg area you can contact them by phone (204 256 1115) or email (playitagainwinnipeg@gmail.com) with any questions you may have or to place an order.
STEALTH RS ANTROPOV, WHEELER, LADD:$149
S19 THORBURN, PETTERSON, BERGFORS: $99
EQ50 STUART: $99
AK27 MODIN, ODUYA: $99
DOLOMITE MODIN, MEYER IV: $99
WIDOW ENSTROM, STUART, ODUYA: $119
10K ANTROPOV, BLANK: $79
11K DESBIENS, SEABROOK, ROSA, MAXWELL, BLANK: $119
9K PARENT: $89
Ai9 ANTROPOV, BLANK : $149
X60 BOGOSIAN: $119
TOTAL ONE JONES, BODIE: $149
U+ CL ORESKOVICH, PARENT, BLANK: $99
DIABLO FEHR: $119
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Greg also sent us an inventory list of their most recent equipment drop of sticks, skates and a little bit of goal. Pants, gloves, helmets and other protective are expected to arrive after development camp in July.
(Click on the image below to enlarge)
Please note this is NOT a complete list of their inventory, just their pro stock sticks and their latest drop. If you are looking for anything else please contact Greg from PIAS Winnipeg directly. Be sure to share your pick ups with us!
– M
It’s hard to imagine a decade ago top end skates were made with nylon toe caps and synthetic leather materials. I remember trying to squeeze my foot into a Bauer Supreme 7000 but the fit of the skate just wasn’t for me.
Fast forward 10 years later I have decided to give the Supreme line another chance. Plastic anatomical toe caps and a composite quarter have replaced the outdated nylon and synthetic leather. In the previous pairs of skates I’ve owned I found the baking process helped reduce the break-in time of the boot but rarely did it change the fit significantly. My right foot felt fine right off the bat but my left didn’t. After baking the Total ONE I noticed a huge difference and the material conformed around my foot. I have a bone that protrudes slightly out on the left foot just above the arch and it was painful just putting the skates on fresh out of the box. After a quick punch of the trouble area the skates fit perfect. It wraps around my foot snugly and it is the best fitting boot I have ever worn.
My skates are built close to retail specifications except I do not have the hydrophobic liner and I have LS3 steel installed instead of the lighter LS Fusion. Don’t let that concern you because this skate is still very lightweight. I threw one of these 7.5D boots onto our scale and it weighed in at 727g. I have the hydrophobic liner in my ONE95 Goalie Skates and I don’t like the feel of it.
Composite materials can be found all over this skate. Also notice the white felt on the inside of the tongue! More on the tongue shortly.
Even the bottom of the footbeds have Bauer’s ALIVE Composite material which is very moldable and responsive.
Where the Total ONE really differentiates itself from the previous generation, the Supreme ONE95, is the Reflex Tongue. These skates meant to be worn tongues in to take full advantage of the interchangeable inserts which come in 3 different flexes, Mid, Stiff, and X-Stiff. I am currently skating in the Mid flex and it’s the one I prefer of the three.
Some may think this tongue looks very gimmicky but it’s really the exact opposite. Non-believers should try it out first before making a final judgement. I find where the composite inserts help me the most is in the initial couple of strides. I feel I get an extra bit of jump and it makes me a tad quicker compared to other skates. You can customize these to a stiffness of your liking and together with the tendon guard they work together to help your stride. Watch this clip on Bauer’s “Sling Shot Theory.”
The Total Edge Comfort is basically a piece of synthetic leather sewn right above the ankles to prevent the boot from digging into your leg especially during the break-in process. Many pros have had this option for years but now these will be standard on Bauer’s top end boots.
In the past year that I’ve worn this skate, it has been very responsive and durable. The thing about using a stiff boot compared to a softer, lower-end boot is the extra support you get. You’ll never be able to revert back to using a softer boot because it will feel like mush; much like those old plastic Microns you could rent at your local rink to go ice skating.
The only issues I’ve had with the skates so far include the stitching fraying and ripping in high-wear areas (such as near the toe cap, as pictured) and what looks to be the outsole separately from the boot. I’m told this is only cosmetic and not anything structural. I will check back at a later date to see how they hold up. I have also swapped out the stock Bauer laces for a pair of Elite Pro with the molded tip. These are by-far my favorite laces but I will talk about those another day.
If these skates fit your foot type and your pocketbook can afford it, I highly recommend considering the Total ONE your next pair of skates.
Pros:
Cons:
– M
Just picked up this beautiful Vancouver Canucks pant shell and I am very impressed with the quality and materials they used. I have never owned a pair of Easton pants but I can see why Easton was always among the top manufacturer of pants in the NHL.
I have used other shells in the past and they all fulfill their main purpose, to match your team’s colors and to look good doing it. All you got was a nylon shell and a belt to keep it up; but these Eastons are more sophisticated than that.
All the previous shells I’ve seen and owned have been 100% nylon. What makes this shell special is it’s composed mostly of nylon but the back side it’s made of a stretch mesh material (nylon and spandex) which is virtually identical to Reebok’s X-trafil fabric. I have been dubbing this the “Edge 2.0 of pant shells.”
Here’s a closer look at the stretch mesh material. It’s tighter fitting and it hugs your pants a lot more than full nylon shells so it’s not as baggy. This shell is a size 52 and I’ve wrapped them on top of a pair of size 48 Tackla 5000 Pro pants and there is very little excess fabric hanging out. Conventional shells tend to make my pants feel a bit baggy.
Another interesting feature are the inner pant leg zippers and velcro enclosures. While zippers aren’t anything new in this day and age, the velcro enclosure is. Many shells don’t have them and when they do it’s only a small flap towards the bottom of the shell covering the zipper head. This enclosure keeps it looking clean and will keep the shell closed should the zipper break or fail.
Like I mentioned earlier most shells will only include a basic strap and a buckle before calling it a day. This is the only shell I’ve ever seen use a two buckle system and not to mention these buckles are the same ones found on top end Tackla pants. I find with two buckles it tightens the shell much more evenly compared to a single buckle. With a single buckle it will get tight at the waist but the bottom will flare out, this is not the case with these Eastons.
All in all we normally don’t think too much of what features our pant shells come with because they are hard to come by to begin with and we are happy just to get our hands on one but the next time you have the choice between different brands I’d highly consider the Eastons. You won’t be disappointed. I’ll keep you guys updated on how the stretch mesh holds up with more game action.
– M
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
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
Professional Use Only, No Warranty. 