LkptTiger

Ugh. What the Hell would you do if you didn't have the build of a Kenyan?

Psh. You think you're bad? My sticks are identical - same sticks, same flex, same pattern (name blacked-out), cut to the same length, taped and waxed the same way (to the point where I actually mark reference points on the shafts while doing the candy-cane grip-job)...and when I buy new ones (usually in twos or threes), I make sure that the graphics line-up as closely as possible - and usually bring one of my other, older twigs with me as a reference just to make sure that the new ones will fit in with my existing arsenal. God help me if/when I decide that the sticks I'm using need to be sprayed black at the bottoms (Mac Daddies). THAT can be an ordeal. ...it gets really fun when I switch sticks (say, from Dolomites back to XN10s - in my dreams). The sad thing is that any of the left-over older sticks - whether they're barely used or brand new - will likely never see the inside of a rink ever again (unless I decide I don't like the new ones - in which case they're doomed). Sticks I won't use anymore are usually either given away to friends or damned to use on the street and/or pond.

I, for one, appreciate consistency more than I do variety.

You do realize that the only models in the Supreme line that currently carry "ONE" label would be the 90s, right?

Pants.

...and I thought my brother has a warped way of trying to rationalize his gaffes. *edit* - that just sounds awkward, but after a night of cramming and 45 solid minutes of sleep followed by a day filled with two exams at approximately 12 hours at the rink (only 2.5 of which I was on the ice for), I'm too damn tired to sit here trying to find a way to make it smoother - mostly because my brain can be compared to a scrambled egg at this point, which means I likely wouldn't be able to make it any better, even if I sat here and tried.

The mitts look great. The rest of the protective stuff looks kinda bulky.

...Oooh. I <3ed my TFGs.

WNY Federation ("Fed" = school funded - on-ice everyday, some/the majority of equipment and travel costs covered, etc...practically free for the players) High School hockey. I only played that one year as a freshman. Western New York's travel organizations (as well as those in quite a few other regions across the country) have a "split-season" so that players can represent their high schools during the winter...which almost caused me some problems: My school didn't have a team, so I had/got to enter an appeal to the state (if I didn't play HS hockey, I wouldn't have been playing during the split). From there, I was entered in a sort of lottery - the "winner" of which then held my "rights." If that team (and all of the lower-level teams from the same school) were to have cut me after try-outs, I would have been up for grabs for any other school team in the area. I think the process has since been revised somewhat - though I'm not entire sure what changes were made. The competition was great for me as a freshman (and probably would have been okay for the next three years), but I felt like I was eventually going to be held-back (there obviously aren't entire schools of AAA hockey players, so the rosters were made-up of a lot of AA and A guys, too). The next season I said "fuck this" and went to play for an organization across the border where I wouldn't have to worry about any sort of split. The great thing about Fed hockey was the amount of support we got from the other students and people in the community - the place was packed for every game. The intensity and energy that went through the building before and during the "rivalry" games was unreal - and I was always a little amazed at how seamlessly I was sucked into the emotion, even as an outsider from another school entirely. The "student sections" were absolutely crazy, and usually spent most of the night chanting back-and-forth to each other (we could hear them from the dressing rooms before the game - and you had to scream to talk to someone right next to you once we were on the ice). That place was fucking loud. Given my experience with high school hockey, I can't even imagine what the atmosphere at a place like Yost must be like during a Michigan/Michigan St. game, or Lynah during a Cornell/Harvard match-up. It's gotta be absolutely unbelievable. Hell, I'm pretty sure the high school games around here leave a whole lot to be desired when compared to the ones in Minnesota. (P.S. - yes, to those of you who've played at Nationals in Amherst (Buffalo), NY: that is the Feature Rink at the Pepsi Center.)

Old-ish pic...in the middle - #17.

He might be: Patty Kane told me that Chicago is making the rookies responsible for one dinner each. He got hit HARD on his night.

#44: I have to laugh at the similarities between the "I'm only wearing this because I have to" visor and the "I'm not going to fight you" visor.

Of course you hold out on us - I get the impression that's how you get your rocks off ;) Is that cuff as long as it looks, Chadd?

Yeah, dude - you'll be waiting awhile.

I didn't use the M-1s, but I had a few Pulses which felt a hair soft, and the Fuels that I've tooled-around with have typically felt pretty whippy for whatever they'd been stamped at.

True, but the Ti-Pros I was fooling around with in the shop today felt a touch stiffer than marked.

Has switched to the AK27.

Just taaaaaaap it in.

Look at the sig, mack - fucking Chuck Norris bullshit. That should act as some sort of indication of what we're working with, here.

The shop I work at used to sell them. I see the same four or five pair of carbon t'Blades come into the store on a fairly regular basis. Given my impression of those four of five pair, I'm of the opinion that they're essentially the same thing as the "traditional" white and black t'Blade holders.

All the ones I've seen can best be compared to gold-plated jewelry.

The carbon t'Blades are pretty much the same thing as the "originals," only they have a sort of weave wrapping. Nothing drastic or worth the extra money, as far as I am concerned. As for t'Blades in general - I switched to 'em awhile back for the sake of consistency. Playing AAA hockey means that, more often than not, you're playing in a different city every weekend. Unfortunately, this means that, even if you get you skates done by someone you trust before you leave home, you're eventually going to have to end-up in a situation in which you're forced to hand your skates over to someone you don't know in a town you're not too familiar with. My skates were way wrecked too many times - and eventually I had enough and decided I wasn't going to be passing my skates around (with or without the "5/8, please" post-its). I got the t'Blades put on so I could keep a few extra pair in my bag in the event that I lose an edge during a tournament or something. No matter what, I always knew EXACTLY what I was going to get. Convenient and worry-free. I've since switched back to conventional steel (PITCH 3s). It was a difficult transition (as far as skating mechanics are concerned), but I didn't notice any real change in performance. I've also taken to keeping a spare set of sharpened, profiled steel in my bag in case I blow a tire while on the road.

...the carbon finish is going to chip and flake.

Is it just me, or is there a Hell of a LOT of net showing behind your tendie(s)?

I'd take some of the "older" skates over a lot of the higher end stuff available today. Hell, I just switched back to Vapor 10s (remember those?) after a few years in Graf G35s and G35 Ultras.