Leaderboard

Give me balance over minimum weight any day.

Helmets, whatever fits best, but I'd definitely try on the following: CCM Tacks 910 and 710 - I haven't used or tried on either, but I've heard plenty of positive comments from those who have used them Warrior Alpha One Pro - a one piece helmet with a convenient adjustment dial. Also, more affordable than some of the other options (still not super cheap, but less than half the price of some top end helmets). I owned one briefly, and it was comfortable, but I preferred my old Easton E700s and went back to those. The E700 is my favourite helmet, but it hasn't been produced in 5+ years, so I'll have to move on eventually (I do have a few of them). CCM Fitlite 3DS - on clearance now. I tried one once and it felt good on my head. It has a nice adjustment dial. True Dynamic 9 - it's a one piece helmet like my beloved E700, but not as light. I prefer the Gyro adjustments of the E700 to the padding with different thicknesses on the Dynamic 9 though. Plus, the super expensive, if money was no object helmets: CCM Super Tacks X - it looks very interesting and the feedback from those who have tried them is great, but $400US/$500CAD for a helmet is tough to stomach The upcoming Bauer Hyperlite (launching July 30) looks somewhat reminiscent to the E700, so I'd try that on. It's not as expensive as the Super Tacks X, but still isn't cheap at around $350 CAD (assuming $299US) For elbows, I love my 2012 Warrior Projekts and still have two pairs, but if I was looking for new ones, I like the mobility of 3 piece pads and would look at: Warrior Alpha DX on clearance or the new Alpha LX Pro - three piece pad with an elbow sleeve. STX Surgeon RX3 - a three piece pad with an elbow sleeve. You won't find them in stores, but they sell direct on the STX website for much less than the regular price of other top end pads. The Bauer Supreme Ultrasonic - they're pretty pricey at $180 CAD, but it is a 3 piece pad and the protection looks quite good. I'd try it on before making a decision. For shins, I like my CCM RBZ shins, but when it's time to replace them, I'd try on as many as I could. These are a few that have caught my eye: CCM FT4 Pro - the shell design looks somewhat similar to my RBZ's Warrior Alpha DX or the new LX Pro - anatomical and streamlined

Yeah, I recall weighing the A5.2 when I got it and also weighed it about 7 grams heavier than the stated weight. On the flip side, that stick is so perfectly balanced that it feels almost like a sub 400g stick.

Trust me, this would start a debate and nothing good will come from it. The best skate is the one that fits you personally best and will provide you the greatest performance for your skating style.