AIREAYE

Update: Helmet: RBK 4K w/ RBE III cage Shoulders: Hespeler GX700 Elbows: Easton Synergy 300's Pants: Bauer Supreme One35's, Bauer 100's Shins: CCM Tacks 652 Skates: Easton Stealth S15, Mission AmpFlys Gloves: Easton Stealth S17's, S5's Sticks: TPS R6 Armor, NBH One55 OPS

Easton Synergy 100's are pro-level? I have a pair of 300s and I always thought they were very protective...

what's the difference between those and the EQ5's? I haven't seen the EQ50's in retail anywhere here in the GTA

agreed ^, the yellow laces look really sharp against the black

he means that the family fit their son themselves, without his help

Stick: TPS R6 Armor Flex: 70 (WHIP) Curve: Perry (similar to the (Bauer P106, Easton Drury, RBK Spezza) Player: 5'10" 130 lbs Left Winger House League player Mixed level summer hockey (House league to AAA) Shaft/Flex: Love the concave walls on all four sides of the shaft, as it fits nicely in my hands. The Armor series features the middle section of the shaft having a 'Grip Zone', while the rest is clear. This grip is a combination of a toned down Stick'um and Warrior's Nipple Grip, which I thought was a good combination. Not as tacky as the Stick'Um, but offers the texture so you are more aware of your hand placement. Would've preferred that this grip covered the entire upper portion of the shaft however. Although flex is personal preference, I can say that the Whip flex is perfect for me, as I'm not a strong guy and take mostly wristers and the occasional snapper. 9.5/10 Blade/Puck Feel: One thing that I really noticed on this stick is the short blade height, especially at the heel. While the toe is normally heighted, the heel shortness worries me as it might either be a weak point in the blade or may not cushion the puck well. The puck feel on this guy is much better than my previous X:40. And not having other top of the line sticks to compare it to, I can only say that its livelier than the X:40/Vapor series, but not the wood-like feel of the Supreme series. One of the biggest drawbacks to the blade is definitely its ability to cushion a pass. I've noticed that reasonably powerful passes just deflect completely off this blade. 7.5/10 Weight/Balance: Being a price point stick at only $130, I was very surprised by the weight and balance of this stick. It seems much lighter than the X:40 and definitely lighter and better balanced than other sticks at that price. It is blade-heavy in the very slightest, being a price point, but that could help with puck and stick control. 10/10 Shooting: Simply a great stick for my wrister-only tendencies. I again got this in my correct flex and curve. Combined with improved shooting skills, shots mostly went where I aimed them, going top shelf or 5-hole was easier and more controlled than when i used the P92 before. 9/10 Update: After getting a new One95 with the same specs, I've found that the R6 just cant compare in terms of shooting and blade quality. The R6 blade torques too much when played against the One95 blade. I'd now say that if you were to move from an entry level OPS or another mid-level OPS to the R6, then you'd be impressed. Moving down however, is another story. 7.5/10 Durability: So far with this stick, the hosel has sustained a nasty cut, although it seems cosmetic, it's amusing that a stick called the Armor isn't renown for its durability. Like previously mentioned, the short blade height near the heel, definitely concerns me although nothing bad has come of it durability-wise yet. 7.5/10 Overall: Being an old model price point stick, I was lucky to find it at a local National Sports store here in the GTA. Paint job-wise, it seems quite old school and doesnt have that subtle flare I've come to like from the today's newest lines (save the Warrior sticks obviously). If you can find this stick (also available in the other TPS patterns) and want good performance without the price, this is worth a try. 9.0/10

whao it might be the angle of the pic, but the steel on those look very...worn down? Or are they just 9' radius?

Stick: Bauer Vapor X:40 Flex: 77 Curve: P106 'Gagne' Player: 5'10" 130 lbs Left Winger House League player Mixed level summer hockey (House league to AAA) used stick for 1 house league season Shaft/Flex: Love the Micro Feel II dimensions and the rounded concave walls of the shaft, it just felt natural in my hands. The 77 flex feels exactly that, neither too stiff nor too whippy for me at least. Stick'Um grip was also 'just right', and its tackiness was particularly enhanced by the synthetic leather palms on my gloves. 10/10 Blade/Puck Feel: The puck feel is where this stick falters, the Vapor's infamous 'dead' feel is here as well. It just wasn't responsive enough for me and being an inexperienced player, learning to feel the puck while keeping my head up is quite important. Catching passes seemed to be quite easy however, as pucks didn't bounce off the blade and were more cushioned. 7/10 Weight/Balance: Being a price point stick at only $100, I was very surprised by the weight and balance of this stick. Although slightly blade-heavy, this stick still feels well balanced at around 513g. Since I'm a rather weaker player without as much upper body strength, having a light stick when working on drills definitely reduces the muscle soreness. 9/10 Shooting: Simply a great shooting stick. The stars seemed to align for me when I got this in the correct flex and curve. Combined with improved shooting skills, shots mostly went where I aimed them, going top shelf or 5-hole was easier and more controlled than when i used the P92 previously. 9/10 Durability: Unfortunately, this stick snapped when I was hit into the boards, nearly impaling me, but I'm lucky it broke or else it would've been my ribs instead. This experience cannot fairly judge the X:40 on durability as any stick would've broke like that.However, when it was whole, the stick merely suffered a few paint chips. 7.5/10 Overall: One, if not the, best valued price point stick. Graphics package looks very clean, especially the black version I used. Available in a variety of curves and flexes. 8.5/10

Easton Stealth S17 Gloves, 2008 Model Size : 13" Time Used: 1 year (1 season of house league, various pickup, 1 season of Summer league) Fit: It seems that Easton's stealth line has diverted from being a wider/traditional fit in 2007 to a more anatomical/tapered fit after, a combo of Bauer's Supreme and Vapour series. This top-of-the-line glove from Easton offers this new fit; tight in the fingers and gradually flaring out from the knuckles. The flared cuff with segmented sections brings a good range of motion, nothing too excessive or restrictive. When I first tried these gloves on at the store, I fell in love with the fit :) 9/10 Weight & Mobility: Despite the leather palms and outer construction, these gloves are very light. Flared cuff again, offers a good range of motion. The key feature on this glove is the flex thumb, allowing one to bend their thumb slightly while not sacrificing protection. After using this glove, I don't think I'll be comfortable in a fixed thumb again. It offers better control and grip over the stick. The only problem I have about the flex thumb is that it takes some effort to bend it. 9/10 Protection: Being an anatomical glove, I didn't expect high-end protection similar to a Bauer 4-Roll or a Franchise. Despite not taking too many impacts to the glove, I can feel that the upper cuff and the pinkie area down to the palm are the most poorly protected areas. Be wary if you play higher level hockey. 6/10 Durability: For the most part, these gloves are still looking like they are newly purchased. The synthetic leather palms show no sign of damage or heavy wear. The embroidery and chrome 'S17' decals are still shining and despite tiny loose stitching problems, these gloves are quite durable. 10/10 Palm: I found that the palms are the worst feature on the S17. The synthetic leather Atacama Pittards palm is rather thick and offers poor feel for the stick. Being synth leather, they have also started to get crusty after games when they get wet, further spoiling the feel and it has even started to absorb odour. The stretch gussets were quite comfortable however. 4/10 Overall: A great glove for those seeking a tighter fit and are playing anywhere from rec to lower-level contact hockey, as there are better options for protection on the market. 7.5/10

yeah I mean, lookin at Stryker's collection I see: -One95 2pce setup One85,One55,X:50,XXXlite,Z-Bubble,S11 gloves,One95/75 gloves (cant tell) its different, and its good lol I wanna see wacky SMU gear, modern gear from defunct companies like Hespeler, LOW-END gear...just anything different :P

You know, I appreciate it when people show off their older gear or low-end gear. Im quite sick of seeing the same One95's, X:60's, Franchises, 4Rolls etc. Having low-end gear and being proud of it to show it off, shows us that you're comfortable and confident in what you've got and not just following a trend

what gloves are those in the bottom pic? I dunno, but the oval reminds me of Oakley...

on the topic of TPS sticks, I bought an R6 Armor whip flex in Perry curve...I don't know much about it, can anyone fill me in please? :)

Whao the lie on the One95 looks pretty crazy

yup those gloves are Shaone's

First day at my first ever job at a supermarket. I was supposed to get there at 6 PM, I get there at 5:45 PM, quite early and I look for my manager. He sees me and asks "Why are you late?" , I get caught off-guard and reply with apologies and a promise of never again. I was thinking 'no way, are you kidding?" and I ask him for the time, his watch reads 6:45 PM and the wall clock in the store reads the same. I told him all of my clocks at home said 5:45, an hour early. More apologies and he sends me home. I get home and double check every clock, even the news, all my clocks were right... This manager is the no nonsense type, I dunno what I should do now, he says come back Tuesday, last chance. But if all of my times are correct... ?

love that guy's white cage behind you :P and yeah maroon, that's what I meant, forgot the word is all :P

I guess purple over there either doesn't own socks, or he forgot them :P and all this old equipment lol ... vintage if you consider what the kids have nowadays

I meant like, what's the difference in perfrmance/feel between the two? I used a 100/50 (1/2" hollow) on the FBV and switched to the X6. I understand there's no clearcut 1/2" equivalent and its a split b/w the X6 and X7?

What's the difference b/w FBV and Blackstone's X6,X7 etc sharpenings?

Best of luck to you, man :) You'll pull through

I actually think its somewhat selfish in a way, true you have the money to buy all that stuff and that gives you every right to buy whatever the hell you want, but consider the other people in line too :)

My MW2 experience: -spawn- -get warmed up- -get sniped by a quick scope, single shot- -spawn- -run into building, do tactical stuff- -get sprint knifed- -spawn- -airstrike by predator missile- -spawn- -mowed down by one of 5 choppers/harriers- -leave- -play Halo/NHL10/Bioshock 2-

Yes, I am VERY interested, for my essay of course :P I noticed they don't have a name for the PM9 pattern, looks like they ditched Malkin or vice versa huh? :P

holy moly, it has been 30 celsius here in the GTA for the past 4 days