DarkStar50

Personally the Krown was not comfortable on my head. But if I listen to VT and their STAR rating system I'm obligated to wear it regardless of fit or comfort. Ok that makes a lot of sense in any effort to reduce the risk of concussions. NOCSAE does not test hockey helmets in the US. HECC does. Different methods completely.

I give credit to Dr. Stuart at USA Hockey for clearly writing a review of a few of the inconsistencies in the STAR rating system. Unfortunately, ESPN has let the horse out of the barn with their article.

I'm not advocating EPP as the be-all end-all for interior foam lining but isn't a problem with VN foam that it truly has a limited shelf life? The softer VN foam will eventually harden over time and very few people pay attention to replacing their helmet as a foam hardens. Hell, very few people pay any attention at all to their helmet as we are constantly replacing screws, missing dome screws, etc., all the time in the Pro Shop. Also, with VN, what about the effects of temperature on the foam? Hockey is a cold weather sport and your gear is usually in the back of your car trunk getting cold on the ride to the rink. The VN needs to warm up to feel soft again. Finally, NHL teams replace their helmets often in season, especially their road helmets as I understand that air travel effects the life of the helmets from high altitude pressure and temperatures. We will have to see the results of the 4500 helmet to gauge the effectiveness of VN foam.

Every collision sport is a game of risk with your brain. The level of play, amateur, high school, collegiate, or professional does not make a difference in the opportunity to do damage to your brain. 8 year old Chris playing tackle football runs the same risk of concussion as 24 year old Chris in the NFL. The "other 99.999%" will always be at the same level of risk as Chris Borland was. The helmet improvements are just that, improvements. That is the purpose of all research design and development. However, these improvements have not and will not eliminate risk of concussions with helmets, football or hockey. The numbers of enrollment for youth football have already been in decline as parents are becoming more acutely aware of the risk of concussions. Obviously, parents are not impressed by the improvements to helmets. Football is a dangerous game for your entire body. I've been on the frontlines of these battles about helmets and safety as a sports retailer for over 35 years. Where once parents gave little or no thought to these sports and the risks, now they are looking at everything more clearly. Some, more than others, as I still hear the pushback on how expensive a helmet is. Seriously, how much is your head worth?

My money is on the guy inside the industry. OTG28. Now there are how many 5 star helmets in football? And how has that effected concussion risk reduction in football? Not enough for Chris Borland to think playing more than one year in the NFL was worth any amount of money for his future.

I hope those Krowns fit properly otherwise those 3 stars are worth nothing.

Her helmet is def a 7500. In the video, it is stated he bought the helmet two years ago. She suffered her concussion December 2014. That mask looks rusted as well. Who is to say if she was properly fit for the helmet? Was it sold as a combo and perhaps the mask did not fit properly to her chin? In any event, if your head hits the boards in a game and you are wearing a helmet, there is a 100% chance of a likely concussion. Also leaving the manufacturers out of the testing equation protocol has pros and cons. Initially, I think more cons than pros. A collaborative effort might have been more productive in the short term. Now there will be a quick reaction by the manufacturers in order to douse the flames, rather than to effectively evaluate the results gained together among them. I have already received two emails today from manufacturers explaining their position as a result of this article.

How does VT correlate a particular helmet to the number of concussions likely in a season for a player wearing that helmet? Not every player plays the same game with or without reckless abandon. I find that conclusion of helmet model to number of concussions per season a bit of a scare tactic that the public won't take the time to read and think about. "I read it on espn.com. It must be true." Also, after watching the video on the top of the article, the dad of the 8th grade daughter that allowed his daughter to play a varsity level high school game(against players possibly 3-4 years older than her) is the one responsible for putting his daughter at risk. "Risk reduction" was a key phrase of the VT researcher. This dad did nothing to evaluate that. And finally, the helmet his daughter wore is 7500 NIKEBAUER helmet!!!! Refresh my memory: when exactly did Bauer buy Nike? What year, best case scenario, could that helmet have been manufactured in? That helmet was probably old when he bought it new for $70!!??? Sorry, but his particular situation slants the video quite a bit.

For the record, the 2100 helmet is gone. New helmets at that price point(Learn to Play kids) won't be available until June 2015. What is the purpose of putting LS1 steel on a $400 skate and then it's not aftermarket? Not that shops need more steel to stock but why LS1? Especially at that price point.

I second the No Sweat liners. Incredibly thin yet works perfectly. I have one in my Re-Akt helmet and it doesn't effect the fit at all. They come in a 3-pack since you replace them after 3-4 games. I custom cut mine to keep the helmet vent holes open when I apply the No Sweat liner to the helmet.

I'm just curious: anyone that has replied to this post, have you had a concussion occur while playing hockey? I will easily admit I have and the longer I continue to play, the less it takes in terms of "getting hit" to sustain the effects of another one. The research and the results will be far apart long before they make a difference in the marketplace in my opinion.

With regard to current model helmets going on clearance, both shop guys and customers should look very closely at the 5 year helmet expiration sticker before purchasing. I received a helmet delivery to my shop from a major vendor that had shipped helmets with expiration dates that expired in 3 years. In other words, these helmets were sitting in their warehouse for 2 years already! I returned them for current stock. The variables between hockey and football are huge. I hope the research team gets a clear understanding that these two sports may both necessitate helmets but the impacts of helmets and hitting are entirely different.

If anybody can help out I would really appreciate it. To any sharpeners who have ever been at the mercy of someone else sharpening your skates, you can understand why he is looking for a reliable shop for this. Dan was one of my best sharpeners and could step in to do elite figure skate blades as well. There must be some place in suburban Chicago that players here have as their go to skate sharpening shop. At this point, tell us where not to go!!

^ ^ ^ Fitting fee, FITTING fee, FITTING FEE!!! I would be so *7%0#* off if that happened in my shop. Since I put up a sign for a fitting fee for a measly $20(how threatening, $20!!), it never happens anymore. Now they just buy online and ask me if they fit! I moved on from that guy yesterday and sold pants, suspenders, and gloves to the kid waiting to go out for Learn to Play. His mother was really happy with the service and attention to detail of making sure everything fit well.

A shop with good customer service and experienced staff has that as an intangible and very few people are willing to pay for an intangible. So the consumer shops on the lowest common denominator: price. I have fixed and adjusted helmets for hockey moms who then send their kid out to Learn to Play saying to him, "I'll order you a new one online while you are out on the ice."

"Could you tell me if these skates fit my son?" "Where did you buy them?" "I bought them from HockeyMonkey." "Well then why don't you ask HM if they fit?" "I bought them online." "Oh." I took the footbed out and the skates were 2 sizes too big. I wasn't surprised.

JR, makes sense and I liked the new fit better.

I skated in the Supreme MX3 at BauerWorld in October. There is a touch less volume in the skate I was using. I have been in the same size since forever and this was noticeable as I did not have on my usual skate sock. The skate felt awesome on ice.

"In fact, the most common feedback we hear is that the skate wraps like nothing else, which also means it is harder to get your foot into." In fact, if you have ever seen a true speed skate boot, the fact that getting your foot into the boot is hard would not surprise you.

Customer: Do you have Dirtbags? Oh, you mean Gritbags? True story,

As I said earlier, if you liked MLX, then you will love Mako. Think speedskate boot with a hockey application. The marriage has been consumated!

According to the catalog and the presentation of the skate I was at, size 4 and up is being offered.

No, this holder has been designed specifically for the Mako skate. The Razor Bladz will continue on all other models.

I saw the skate this week. If you are an MLX guy, you will not be disappointed, The skate is taken to the next level in every aspect. Baking a skate for 16 minutes is only the beginning of what speed skates are baked for. Therefore, the technology crossover is obvious regarding bake time. After a boot was heated for the presentation, it was as soft and pliable as a sneaker. The ability to shape the boot then is what makes the fit so customized like nothing else.

50 + pairs of old gloves from the 50s, 60s, 70s. I call it "collecting."