Cosmic

CCM CL shoulder pads with TotalOne bellyguard. Special thanks to IW Team-Chase for sending me the belly guard:

When I was determining my equipment, the one aspect of the CCM CL Shoulder Pad that I did not like was that it does not come down very far. Everything else (protection, lightness, lack of moisture absorption), I liked, so I am now using these pads. I asked the good people at IceWarehouse, if they could find me a spare bellyguard, and throw it in (thank you IW Team-Chase!!). To attach the bellyguard, I just put 2 pieces of velcro on top of the U Foam at the bottom of the chest plate, and here we are. Let's see if it holds. I skate Sunday/Tuesday (but not tonite), so we will know in a month or so if it is holding up:

No jerseys yet, will be getting fitted for the team I play for and ought to have them in the next couple of months. We are red and black, and thus the gear will all match (since I am an MSH'er, I must match, right? HAHA) Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I was always wondering why there is no video highlight reel thread for MSH'ers. I do not have any clips yet (every time my wife films, she catches me exhausted or just plan blundering), but I will within a few months.

Helmet: Bauer Re-AKT w/ Titanium Cage Shoulder: CCM Crazy Light Elbow: CCM Crazy Light Gloves: Bauer Vapor APX Pants: CCM Crazy Light Shin: Bauer Supreme NXG Skates: Bauer Supreme One.9 LE Stick: Bauer TotalOne Tapered Shaft (102 Flex), Warrior Dynasty AX1 Blade Patterns (Kopitar for Offense, Zetterberg for Defense) Bag: Bauer Wheelie Jersey: Awaiting my old school jerseys (Rangers Messier and Graves); and new jerseys pending for the teams I will be playing on; borrowing jerseys in the meantime

Taxes ... mortgages ... banksters ... politrixians ... "Give me liberty, or give me death." - Patrick Henry

Interesting. I tried on a pair of 8.5 Reebok 20Ks today and they were TIGHT. I am guessing I would be 9.5 in Reebok 20K, as I did actually fit my foot into the skate (with a HARD press of my toe against the toe wall), but nothing in this region, in my size. So, according to these estimations, I think I would be 9.0D. Just out of curiosity, why are you looking at the 2nd tier RBZ? Is it strictly a cost/ benefit thing, or do you think that the 2nd tier has some features that are advantageous to your style?

I just called CCM-RBK (good thing Skype calls are inexpensive). The woman that I spoke with tells me that people are generally fitting 0.5 sizes smaller in RBZ, than they fit in Bauer Vapor. She said that she was a size 6.0 Vapor and 5.5 in RBZ. I am a 10.0 EE in Vapor. So, according to her results, then I would seem to be a 9.5 in RBZ, or even a 9.0. She also said that RBZ will only have 2 widths: D and EE (no DD), and that people who fit EE in Vapor can fit D in RBZ. Of course, she recommended trying them on at the LHS (always sound advice); I wish that I had an LHS.

So I have been gathering equipment via online shopping, and accumulating it at a friend's house in the area that I used to live (Los Angeles Beach community). I met my wife in that area, and her step son lives there. My wife and I now live in SE Asia. My wife's kid was scheduled to come out and visit us this summer (for what it's worth, he is a nice kid and we get along well, as he is also interested cosmic matters (the ET coverup, spaceships, time travel, metaphysics, electromagnetic fields, etc.). He had happily agreed to haul my gear with him on the plane, about 6 weeks or so when I asked him. For the past 6 weeks or so, I went ahead and had delivered to my friend's house, everything that I will need, except skates (need to figure a way to get fitted still). I had everything shipped to my friend's house for her to pack, and just hand off to him the day before he was scheduled to step on the plane. So earlier this week, I wake up to my wife yelling at her ex- through Skype. She was in the living room, I was sleeping in the bedroom behind a closed door, so I awoke to the sound of unintelligible fury. When she walked into our bedroom, she sadly said, "(My son)'s Dad won't let my son come out here, he says he has to take a college prep math class during summer school so he can get into college." The kid is in 7th grade, and in the top 5% of his class. We will see, it will all work itself out, just less than ideal, moreso for my wife than me (I will get my stuff out here come hell or high water).

I did not ask. The guy was really nice on the phone, and happy to answer all questions and expand upon all types of things; he would have talked all day if I did not thank him and end the call.

Just got off the phone a couple hours ago with CCM. Here is the 411: * July 19 2013: CCM RBZ Ice Hockey Skates launch * Spring 2014: CCM RBZ Inline Hockey Skates launch - no plans for CCM RBZ Shafts nor replacement blades; just the RBZ 2 OPS --- --- --- EDIT/ UPDATE: just called CCM again last night to inquire about CCM CL shaft/blade 2 piece combo: Cosmic: "Will CCM be releasing the CL shaft/ balde 2 piece option?" CCM guy: "No, CCM is moving forward with just the RBZ." Cosmic: "So, will there be RBZ shafts and blades then?" (to which the previous response was "No," by a different guy, one week ago). CCM guy: "The RBZ shaft/ blade combo is not presently available." So I responded, "I know, but what about in the future, will you be making the RBZ blade/ shaft combo?" CCM guy: "It is not available now, I cannot comment on whether it will be out in the future." The way it sounded, there may be a lid on the future release of the RBZ 2 piece. I realize this is pure speculation, after having lived a life full of my asking questions to "people in the know" who were made uncomfortable by my questions (because they were hiding something, or advised not to release intel on future plans). So, it just sounds like there is at least a chance for the RBZ 2 piece.

Will the RBZ skate be made in Canada, or in China? I heard that the CCM CL skates were being made in Canada, while the rest of the skates were being made on the other side.