Vet88

Those 4 sentences are what every parent should be able to say at the end of the season. You nailed it, I'd say your son will be back next year and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out which coach he will want....

Don't trust the scan on it's own. Go back to the shop and try on each of the 3 lines in the size it recommends. Take the laces right out, this is important to stop the boot from binding on your foot. Put the boot on and check the length. Take a pencil with you, with your foot in the boot and your toes just / almost brushing the toe cap, bend forward and see if you can slide the pencil down the back of your heel. If you can the skate is too long. If not then it's now up to you as to what preference you like for length, toes a fraction of the toe box or you prefer a bit more room. Then check the volume with the pencil. Whilst it isn't a guaranteed outcome that you will get lacebite if you fail this test, its a pretty good indicator in the place of anything else. However lacebite can be addressed with eyelet extenders so I don't think it is the biggest issue, how the skate fits you everywhere else is the important thing. With the boot on, lift your foot in the air and wiggle it around, it should stay on without you having to crunch your toes up. Now put the laces back in and do them up, you are now checking for how it feels for width and overall snugness. Get this right with a retail boot and then you can go custom with the scan as the platform they build from referencing back to the retail skate that fits you the best.

Haha, I had to do a double take of that picture. At first glance I thought, jeez, someone left the nets out and it snowed really really hard overnight. And then I saw the bottom bar.... Jokes aside, that looks and sounds about as close to heaven one could get. And you can be legally happy whilst doing it, sigh. It sure as hell beats the 2 rinks we have atm, it's 35 degrees outside and the plant can't keep up, the zamboni cuts the ice and 20 minutes later there are still pools of water over half the rink. Puck work is just shite and you have to saucer every pass just to make sure it gets to the player!

I've used skateboard pads elbow before when I wanted a low profile pad for reffing. It's not the elbow protection that is the issue, it's whether or not you think you are lucky enough to not get slashed between the top of the glove and the bottom of the pad by some weekend warrior who has no control of their stick......

It's like a gimmee in golf, who cares when it's 2 feet from the hole or 10 seconds left on the clock. Getting thrashed is generally not fun so the quicker we get off the ice the better so we can sink a beer and chew the fat. Problem of leaving it is she may 1: not know about this as a general beer league rule and 2: be the type who stews on shit like this. Next time you see her I'd just say "hey, sorry about the misunderstanding last time but it's generally accepted that if we are getting thrashed...." and see what she says.

Lace bite isn't caused by the tongue, it's a volume issue. You can have the thickest tongue in the world and as long it plus your foot shape keeps you level with the laces then you will never, ever get lace bite. You need to work it out and the pencil test still remains one of the best, simplest tools to determine your volume in the boot.

+1 for Konixx. I can point you to 220lb player who I supplied a lot of wheels to over the years. Anything he used he destroyed really fast as he is an aggressive elite player who skates inside heavy. Then I convinced him to pony up the extra cash for Konixx, night and day diff to addictions etc. Yes they are expensive but you pay for what you get.

Yes, those sizes are for skates that were 2014 - 2015. CCM Holder/Runner Sizing Chart (2014-15) Senior CCM Skate Size 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 13 Blade Length 263 263 271 271 271 280 280 287 287 295 295 304 304 312 CCM Holder/Runner Sizing Chart (2014-15) Junior CCM Skate Size 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 --- --- --- --- Blade Length 215 221 221 230 230 238 238 247 255 255 --- --- --- --- CCM Holder/Runner Sizing Chart (2016-Current) Senior CCM Skate Size 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 12.5 Blade Length 255 255 263 263 271 271 280 280 287 287 295 295 304 304 CCM Holder/Runner Sizing Chart (2016-Current) Junior CCM Skate Size 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 --- --- --- --- Blade Length 215 215 221 221 230 230 238 238 247 247 --- --- --- ---

The nicks and any rust mainly cost you speed, I tested this last year when I put some runners (from an old pair of boots in storage) on just to see the impact. They sound like yours, nicks in the side and rust areas around the nicks and spots in the hollow. When I stepped on the ice it was like skating in mud, I almost tipped over. I then sharpened them and this took away the rust but still had nicks as these were deep (and I couldn't be bothered doing a cross grind). Most of the speed returned but they were still slower than my unnicked runners. If the boot and holder are still good then for $30 it's an easy fix. Or you can get step steel.

2.1's are around 5mm longer.

Unless the photos are deceiving, especially the top one, it looks like the boot has an indent in it both sides of the crack. I would say this is indicative of something hitting it there, causing the crack and then the crack spreading outside the indent as additional stress is placed on it. Puck, blade, stick, whatever and whenever, in the heat of a game he may not even realise it has happened and it may not have even been that hard, just the unfortunate circumstances of edge, velocity and angle or even unlucky multiple hits in the same spot until one caused the visible damage. I threw a light bag onto my stick in the car the other day, snapped the stick. Cracks in carbon fibre happen. However if the boots do fit him well and he likes them, hunt ebay etc for similar in the Vapour range, you will be surprised what you can find if you take your time.

Not doing the top eyelets up shouldn't make any difference. I don't do any eyelets up for training and only lace the 1st and 3rd at the bottom for playing. A heap of players I play with and coach skip 1, 2 or 3 eyelets at the top and none of them have ever cracked the boot. There are lots of NHL players who don't lace the the top eyelet. You don't say how they fit him so I don't think anyone can comment on that. But lets assume the store got it right and he fits a the vapour boot with good heel lock and the length is no more than a size out, this counters the theory of a bad fit causing the crack which means its either a manufacturing defect or something hitting the boot hard at that point. Proving or disproving either is going to be extremely difficult but what you may want to do is look at the fibers around the crack. If they open outwards its likely a manufacturing defect but if they fold inwards it is more likely a strike by something.

Based on where the crack is, the boot may flex there as he skates. As it is cracked right thru one of the concerns I would have is carbon fibre splinters coming thru the inner lining. The above poster has covered boot fit in general, another step I ask people to take is to pull the laces out and the tongue right out when trying the boot on (not just loosening them but pull them right out). After you have checked it for volume (pencil across the 3 and 4th eyelets) and length (can you fit a pencil down the back of the heel when his toes are brushing the toe cap and he is bent forward in the skate) get him to lift his foot up and wiggle the boot around in mid air. If the fit and heel lock are good enough the boot will remain on his foot without him having to clench his toes to hold it on ie his foot is relaxed. But he is 11 so you may not want a skate size that he will grow out of in 2 months time, it's then up to you how big a sizing you want to go up in, I'd recommend no more than 1 size if you are basing it from a really good fitting boot. Once you find a boot that fits well, I'd also be hunting ebay etc for near new boots the next size up that will fit him when he grows out of these. Now you have continuity in skate feel without the dreaded stress of what will work next time for him.

Add some padded compression shorts, you can find them on Amazon or ebay, they will give you additional hip and tailbone protection.

I am just amazed that Bauer and a LHS reckon that if you seal it it will be fine..... imho the boot is toast unless you do a carbon fibre repair on it.

sidelineswap, web site for selling things. I sympathise, I reckon I just looked at my 9ks and then 20ks and the eyelets started to fall out....

Cracked right through? Just a surface crack in the outer layer? If the former then the only fix is a new boot or a lot of carbon fibre repair work. And I'd be concerned about why the crack is there in the first place, either faulty manufacturing or something in his skating / fit is stressing the boot in the inner ankle area. If the latter then shoe goo is good, you want something that is flexible and will withstand the change in temperatures, all it is doing is acting as a sealant. I have tried epoxies but they crack over time, especially in the ankle area where there is a lot of flex and pressure put on the boot.

LS 2.1's are similar to the fusion in profile. Whilst they don't hold an edge as well as Step steel I think they are better than LS2 steel. Last year a pair of training boots I have had 2.1's and the blade cracked on me, I had some LS2 steel as spares, put them on and sharpened them and there was a noticeable difference in the time between sharpens for me.

I disagree. I have seen dozens of edge holders develop slop where the steel fits, it is the most obvious thing in the world when we put it in the jig to sharpen them and the boot flops. It may be a generation issue (around the MX3 release it is very common), a change in design / material / production plant or it could be that they just haven't had long enough yet but the problem does not seem so bad on the latest S / X / N Bauer skates (I have only seen 2 so far that went back for warranty repair). Now dozens of skates may seem insignificant until you consider we would be one of the smaller markets (around a 1k player base in the city) so the amount of failures is statistically significant and is backed up by employees in our LHS (we only have one). On the other side of the equation "one good experience <> everyone must have had a good experience". As to what causes the issue I have no idea, it seems to be a roll of the dice as I have also seen MX3's that are beaten to death and the steel still sits straight. But there is an issue there (I am not the only person who has sharpened skates who has made this observation on this forum) and you saying you haven't had one does not make it go away. Which leads to a side issue but one that players should be aware of. Sparx, Pro Sharp and other vertical sharpeners can make the problem worse. The issue isn't apparent when getting sharpened so it requires the player or sharpener to use other measures to check for the problem (and be extra vigilant with maintenance checks). Just trying to wiggle the blade in the holder is not enough.

If you want hassle free, low maintenance skating stick with ls2, you aren't playing nhl so you don't need the speed of change or the few extra mm of clearance. I've never had a ls2 holder flop on me when I put it in the jig to sharpen but I've seen plenty of edge holders do it and the only real fix is to replace them. For around $20 you can get a new holder (ebay, sideline etc) so get it changed if you think it is the problem.

The 9k is still one of the best girdles ever made to date, it compares as well against any top of the line model today, just a few grams heavier. If newish condition at that price that girdle is a steal, I'd be all over it if it was a medium or large! The only concern you may have is sizing, it fits on the smallish side so a medium 9k on me is snug whereas a medium CCM is what I would expect a medium to fit like. Note that overtime they do expand so my 9k has moved from a snug fit to a slipper like fit. Also the 9k doesn't have a cup pocket, for some people this is a deal breaker. But if you are still learning and occasionally falling then add some padded compression shorts with a cup holder, they add significant hip and tail bone protection making any hard falls a lot less damaging.

Whilst that may apply to a heavy person, that isn't the main concern. Skates, unless they are modified customs, are designed for a neutrally aligned ankle. Put a new skater in them or someone who pronates (an estimated 70% of the population pronate and it is more prominent in 1st world countries) and when they stand in a soft boot the general result is a wobble inwards. Now the boot has additional pressure on primarily the inner ankle and in its soft state it bends and opens up and now you have a looser fit. Sitting puts the ankle into a neutrally aligned position and as manufacturers know that most LHS employees have very little knowledge in the foot alignment field, sitting is the simplest and safest option to improve the chances of a good fit. For a boot that goes really soft like mako or true, any off center pressure is bad news.

Thanks but I'll trust my experience from years of fitting skaters (hockey and figure, ice and inline) into skates. But to the thread subject, it's reasonably self explanatory why True want you in a lunge position for the scan. Ironically it's at odds to the baking process, at the point where you really need to be weight bearing in a skating position you can't be because of the risks of distorting the boot and even True haven't solved this one yet.

Really? I have yet to have ANYONE fail this test when fitting for length (laces out, foot forward till toes "feathering" the toe cap, bend forward and fit the pencil down the back of your heel). "Most people can't tell if their toes are curled in the toe box or not"??? wtf. "nor can they properly tell if their feet are flat and bearing weight" - about the only time this sentence makes any sense is if they are lying on their back and waving their feet in the air....

JR said it but I also think it is a mix of economics and reality. Those of us that sweat enough to destroy the eyelets are in the minority, goodness knows what the figure is but I'd have a guess that of their overall sales we are in the sub 1% range. So from their point of view, why change when it works for 99%+ of their player base? They take a bit of stick in forums and warranties from those of us that do have issues but they will just ride it out and pocket the difference in cost. If anyone here from a LHS wants to offer some percentage figures of sales to eyelet warranties I'd be very interested to know. Personally I don't mind it, I know what will happen if I ever lace a pair of CCM's or Rbk's up again and I know how to deal with it (skate lace free!). What I do wish is that they would offer something to fix it. they know it happens and they know why and I wish there was a customisation option where I could choose T316 stainless steel eyelets or similar, I would very happily pay a premium for this (and it would give me another reason to go custom CCM). and whilst they may have some smart people working on their skates they still make really really dumb decisions, screwing up the sizing and releasing a skate that turns the laces pink (you would not believe how much this drives people nuts...)