hehatemefrisbee

Product: 2004 Rink Rat Hot Shot wheels. Intro: I go to buy the Hot Shot before many other people. It is only hitting most stores now. I have had mine for roughly 2 months, of 2-3 times a week skating. It should be noted that this years Hot Shot is almost half the price of last years. Grip: The grip on this wheel has stayed strong throught the first few months of use. Initially it was quite difficult to skate on because it was so grippy. The Hot Shot is a dual pour wheel, that does things backwards in comparison to most other companies, with the harder stuff on the outside, softer stuff in the middle. 10/10 - Still as grippy as day one, playing on dirty floors 2-3 times a week over two months. Speed: My biggest issue with last years wheel was that it didnt seem to be too fast, almost as though the wheel gave way too much. Well, it seems as the problem has been fixed, as I feel much faster on this wheel than I ever have. The core of the wheel seems much stiffer than ever before. 10/10 Durability: Again, another issue with last year's wheel was durability. I had my wheels warrantied twice last year, in a matter of 3 months. Thus far I havent noticed even the slightest "crack" in the wheel at all. Last year they seemed to have a problem with the urethane coming lose from the hub, again, so far I have seen nothing on my, or anyone elses wheels to suggest this is a problem again. 10/10 Looks: Probably the least important aspect to me, but some people take notice of how the wheel looks. The graphics closely resemble the Labeda Dynasty, and the Hyper Trinity. Simple, yet eye catching. I have seen better graphics on other brands however. 8/10 Intangibles: The price of this wheel influences my review. Last year's Hot Shot would set you back around $100. This year the highest I have seen for them is $65, and that is a very high price compared to Epuck's price of $54 for 8 (tax/shipping not included). I dont understand how they did it, but Rink Rat greatly improved on a pretty solid design, at almost half the cost. Whatever they are doing, I hope they keep it up. 10/10 Overall rating: 10/10. The only rating i gave them less than a 10 was an 8 for looks, which arent very important to me. I havent had the chance to try the Hornets, but to me, this is by far the best wheel I have ever tried. Labeda and Hyper dont come close to this.

Product: Sande MAX 720 Palm: The palm is a double reinforced nash palm, which comes standard on all Sande gloves. The palm is decent, but doesnt provide much grip, although it is quite durable. However, the MAX 720 has the added feature of the "Trigger Finger". This feature benefits your shooting and passing accuracy greatly. The trigger finger works by allowing your index finger to freely move, as though it is almost seperated by the glove. You can then fully wrap your finger around the shaft, increasing feel, and in my opinion allowing for better accuracy. 8/10 - -2 points due to lack of grip on palm Flexibility/Break in period: All Sande gloves seem to come broken in, and are capable of being "heat molded" in a skate bake oven. Im not sure that baking the gloves achieves much, but it seemed to make them a little bit more comfortable. Any durability issues due to the baking are yet to be seen. the MAX 720 has a tapered index finger, and all split fingers, making the glove very flexible right our of the box. That coupled with the high quality materials used creates a glove that forms with your hand, and flexes with it. 10/10 Fit: The MAX 720 seems to fit alot looser than my previous 720's. I havent yet figured out if I like this more or not. If you like a loose fitting glove the Sande is undoubtedly the way to go. If you are more used to the Nike type fit, where the glove is very tight against the had, I dont think the Sande is for you. 8/10 - Feels nice, just not sure if too loose. Weight: The MAX 720 is practiacally weightless. I really feel like I am not wearing gloves, a previous problem when I had my Mission Warp Zero's. Compared to my Sande's they feel like tanks. FYI Sande advertises the glove at 8oz. I have not weighed to compare. 10/10 Duarbility: So far, I have used the glove for a month, so durability shouldnt be a factor yet. However, I have felt some small threads coming loose inside the glove. My previous Sande's lasted me roughly a year before hte palms got stiff. I will update this section later. INC. Intangibles: I have to say, I had a negative experience in dealing with Sande. I manage a proshop as some might know, and managed to order the MAX 720's before they were publically available. However, I had to wait 6 months for my gloves, when I was told I would have to wait 4-6 weeks. Mr. Sande did make up for this excessive delay, but it still put a negative light on my experience. However, the gloves are fantastic, and met my every need. 5/10 - Delivery problems cost this glove 5 points. Overall: The MAX 720 is a very solid glove. For roller hockey I couldnt ask for anything better. If we are judging the glove alone I give it a 9/10 overall. However, I have to take the shipping delays into account, and because of that I give the glove 7/10 overall.