IPv6Freely

Pitch is an easy fix though, so don't worry about that too much. Lifts, profiling, or even just replacing the holders are all pretty easy ways to fix the pitch, if you don't like it.

VH is another company who makes "similar" skates to Makos (as in, based on speed-skating technology) who makes custom skates. Just another brand. There's a thread about VH on this forum. They only sell direct though, you won't see them in stores. BTW there's a decent hockey store in Oakland, which is only 74 miles from Stockton. Just as a FYI - a bit better than the 100 miles you mentioned earlier.

Your width should be fine. The only regret I have is that I didn't wait to buy VH, especially since I have two different sized feet, which causes heel lock issues with everything I've tried so far, except for the Mako. But a full custom for the same price would have been nice.

They are less protective, but I've never really considered being protective as a primary function of my skates. I've considered skate fenders even before I got my Makos, just because I have a habit of taking shots right off the top of the foot when I cover the point men. Anyway, I found the Mako and the Vapor fit about the same on my foot, lengthwise. Different fits for sure, though. Not even remotely close. My closest store is also about 100 miles away. Well worth the drive when you're talking about $800 skates. The other option is to order them online from somewhere with a decent return policy and try them at home. The downside here is that the Makos fit COMPLETELY different before and after baking. I literally couldn't even get the skates on my feet until I baked them. So you really can't get a good idea of how they will fit without trying them in a store (where they SHOULD bake them for you, even if you don't end up buying them). But, if protection is the reason you don't like the X60s (and it's not because you don't like the fit), then I'm not sure the Mako is what you're looking for.

^ My wife would kill me if I had that much stuff I'll never use...

I originally bought size 8, which ended up being too small. Now in an 8.5 and pretty happy, as long as I get the lacing just right.

College is extremely important for many professions. Certainly any that require an advanced degree (doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc) but for the IT world it is generally worthless. You'd be WAY better off putting your money into, say, CCNA books and classes (in the case of networking). IT people are MUCH better off having a degree in general business administration than in actual IT, since that's hugely applicable to the real world once you get into it. For IT, there is nothing college can teach you that you can't teach yourself with the internet and some books, unless you're the kind of person who NEEDS personal guidance from a professor (in which case, I don't see you as the type who will do well in IT anyway). That's just my opinion based on my experience, though. Take it with a grain of salt.

I did a slight negative to reduce it.

Everything I do for a living now was learned outside of college. I used to come home from school, throw my textbooks on the table, and go grab my CCNA book and read that instead. If I hadn't already been in my final (second) year, I'd have just quit school completely. I'm still paying off that colossal waste of money.

You added MORE forward pitch??

Stock holders/runners here too, though I've had them profiled to 10' with a slight negative pitch. Like night and day. Now I have a rotation going between two sets of runners that I'm having sharpened by mail. It's nice having fresh steel every other game.

When I describe my Makos, I usually tell people "like a sturdy hiking boot, soft and comfortable but a nice even pressure all over the foot". I'm sure the VH feels similar. If I start seeing any signs at all of any of the issues I've seen in the Mako thread, I'll be ordering some custom VH. I just need to be able to show my wife physical proof of why I need to buy another pair of skates ;)

Awesome! but why Graf holders? Just curious.

As the risk of sounding like an un-approving father at the christmas dinner table... what do you do with a psychology degree? Is there generally a direct path to a job, or do you need to specialize in something first? I can't imagine you'd be able to go straight from college to having your own practice or something, right?

Ah, can't help you much there. Sorry!

He does do in-person 3D moulding for his speed skates. I wonder if he would do moulds for ice skates too, if you're local (or willing to travel). Has anyone asked? As somebody mentioned before (in this, or another thread) the possibilities now with 3D printing to generate 100% custom lasts for "cheap" are going to make custom fitting skates a really interesting market in the near future, i would think.

What did you study?

Doctor Who!! Goodbye Matt Smith :( But hello Peter Capaldi!!

Is football more exciting in person? I imagine it would be, but I've never been to a game just because of how slow it is on TV

Jeebus! That just looks flat out unsafe!

Won the club championship in my first season curling :) Obviously it was all my teammates, but it was nice to at least not be a liability :) Edit: Received this bad boy. My first trophy since I was 17! haha

Indeed!

WTF housekeeping apparently took the minibar key when they cleaned my hotel room today, for some reason? GFY!

I have Noicing put "the sauce" on my blades. I honestly have no idea what it actually is (so not 100% sure it's relevant to this thread), but either it works or I have one hell of a placebo effect going on. I'm not a fast guy by ANY stretch of the imagination, but the first game after putting fresh runners on I feel like I'm flying. Maybe a case of post hoc ergo propter hoc going on here for me, but for the dollar or whatever it is, I'll keep doing it.

When are the new gloves expected to hit the shelves?