tt350z

24 inches of snow in 24 hrs with 4 ft snowdrifts on my lawn/driveway

Product: CCM U+ Pro 2009 (Reloaded) size 7.5D Height: 5' 6" Weight: 135 Foot Size: US 8.5-9 depending on shoe Level and use: normally 10-12 hrs of pickup a week Current Skates: NBH ONe95 *Please note that this review is after I traded them in for ONE95's which I will be comparing it to. I'll have a ONE95 review up when I get more ice time on them* Background: I originally played roller hockey on and off for a few years while living in San Jose and Las Vegas. Since I moved to Minot, ND, roller hockey is basically non-existent, so this is my first fore ray into ice hockey, I've been on the ice for 2½ months now. My team won the NHL Breakout in SJ in 2000 when I was a HS freshman. I currently only play for rec purposes since I'm AD mil working night shift and getting into a league would be impossible. I'd sum up my level of play as a benchwarmer on a women's college team... if that :lol: (A female UND player played pickup with us, and for the most part I could keep up skating wise, except she wouldn't get winded. Her shooting accuracy blew mine away easily) Fit: IMO these gotta be baked to get the best fit. Very boxy out of the box but takes a shape very well when baked. I have normal ankle/heel, med arches, wide forefoot/toes. I had to get the outside forefoot by the toes punched out on both skates, along with the arches on my right foot. I wish that the toe box was wider like the NBH ergo toe caps. A area that I had problems with was the heel. I believe that the boxy boot construction may have attributed to this. The boot formed perfectly yo my ankles, but there really wasn't any foam to fill the gap between the heel and ankle. I would get a little bit of heel slip due to that. I don't have that such issue with the ONE95, the hourglass shape locks down both my heel and ankle by filling in the space. These also have a ton of volume, maybe a tad to much for my feet. When doing the pencil test, I can fit my pinky under the pencil with ease. I bought these online since my LHS didn't carry them. I could have gone down 1 size and still fit length wise, however i think that my toes would have been murdered due to the narrow toe cap. Yes, I took a gamble and lost. 7.5/10 Blade/holder: I came from mission's hi-lo and Vanguard roller frame which put you on your toes. The E-Pro gave me that feeling right off the bat vs the tuuk's which made me feel like I'm on my heels prior to adding a heel lift. I didn't notice any flexing or blades going dull quickly (probably due to my light weight). My only complaint would be that ice/water would get into the holder where the scallops are and start to rust if you didn't completely dry it, but that's just nitpicking there. 10/10 Weight/protection: Very lightweight, but a tad heavier than the 08 U+ due to more foam and no more rocket runner. I haven't taken a puck of the foot so I can't comment on protection, but the boot is not as stiff as the ONE95 which should be a very well protective boot. 9.5/10 Durability: My friend has the 08 U+ and his quarter panel is coming apart with about 25% of skating time that I have. My boot is in great condition, nothing coming apart or breaking down. Cut protection is great also, I have 2 small cuts on the quarter panel but the Surlyn quarters does a remarkable job of limiting damage. The Ultima liner showed no wear except for where the tongue touches on the inside of the boot.10/10 Intangibles: A very good combination of lightweight yet stiff boot, it's not the stiffest boot but it gets the job done. I also Like how low profile these skates are. I wear my shinguards over the tongue and the boots slim fit and thin tongue makes it feel like the shinguard is right against my leg. Very good features in my book. I'm not a fan of the looks, but thats just me and it doesn't affect the performance. 10/10 Conclusion: It's a very good skate performance wise. It was responsive and quick. However the boot wasn't just right for me so I had to try something new. With a wide toe cap and more anatomical heel/ankle or a bit more foam above the heel, these would have been even better. Overall: 8.5/10

Helmet: Mission Intake Fusion Visor: Bauer aviator pro cut half shield Shoulder Pads: none yet Elbow Pads: Mission Fuel 85 Gloves: Bauer Vapor XV Pants: Easton ST4 Shin Pads: Easton Stealth S7 Skates: CCM U+ Reloaded and Mission Wicked 3 for roller Sticks: Int Bauer One95 and One90 (Just broke :() P88 cut down to 74 flex