BlueNux

I really like everything, including the skates. I only wish there was a tiny bit more red. The runners look interesting. I’m jealous the content creators got so many goodies. I’d love to test the skates out. Bauer show me love!

For those of us who only got the profiling from you this year and didn't really get to test them out due to COVID, can we still provide reviews later? I feel indebted to write something given how responsive and supportive you were. Right after you profiled my runners, the local rinks closed, and by the time I moved to the new city, I was only able to skate around 4 times before the rink re-closed (they won't reopen until 2021). It sucks that this project came to an end. With COVID though, I imagine it was bound to limit any real testing this year.

Follow-question: when rebaking my FT490, does this "reset" the memory foam inside? I'm worried that, since my complaint is that the skates feel too loose after the original baking, that a second bake would only make them feel looser. I would like to make sure how rebaking affects the skate construction before moving forward since this may ruin the fit entirely for me. I should have not tightened them so much in the original bake...

This is interesting. Can you elaborate a bit more on how heat moulding would impact the fit for the current Jetspeed skates (the one piece 490 and FT2)? I actually own the 490 and they fit super tight before baking. However, after heat moulding and skating in them for a bit, they loosened up more than I would have liked. Did I lace them too tight when baking? Is there a recommended CCM instruction for how to tie skates when baking the new one piece skates? FYI I cranked on my laces as tight as I could because LHS have always said that this the best way for the boot to mould to your feet, but now I think the internal cushioning may have flattened out in the process...

Wake me up when there’s Supreme 3S sighting.

Different price points often fit differently. For example, the S29 is noticeably more tighter around the arches compared to the 2S and 2S Pro. I was wondering how the 2X fit might differ from the Pro and 1X (mostly in terms of arches, heel lock, and volume).

Is the Vapor 2X (NOT the pro version) also asymmetrical in terms of its volume? From looking at the pictures, it looks like one side of the skate is longer than the other. If so, how does it compare in terms of fit to the 2X Pro and the previous gen 1X?

I watched the pure hockey review video of these skates, and the guy explicitly stated around 3:50-ish that the dyna flex is just a name assigned to this “system”, which includes the toe cap, injected lacing, carbon curv composite, new foam/liner, tongue, etc. It seems like wishy washy marketing nonsense to me. Probably could have just tacked on the new toe caps on the 1x and called that dyna flex.

Can anyone explain to me what the yellow Dynaflex lettering means on the 2X Pro? What exactly is this new feature? Gimmick or legit?

Thanks professor. "REGARDLESS". I'm not writing a graded essay here - I'm happy to use and accept nonstandard words. -.-

I have to say, irregardless of actual performance benefits, Bauer just feels like they're falling behind CCM from an average consumer's standpoint. With CCM removing unnecessary materials and improving their one-piece tech generation after generation, the new Vapors look so outdated. So much extra stitching, layered materials, etc. Even if the one-piece benefit is overstated at the moment, there's no denying that CCM is putting R&D money to improve their technology every year. Compared to Bauer pushing out the same CURV composite every year, I'm really happy with what CCM is doing. Bauer didn't even want to put any soft comfort edge padding on their 2S model last year. If you can fit equally well into Vapor and Jetspeed, why would you opt for Vapors at this point? Would you ever pick the 2X over the FT490?

That’s what I was talking about. My experience was the same. Again, I don’t buy their marketing claim. I think it’s just a more cavernous boot intended for foots that can’t fit in jetspeed and tacks. Did you get the old model or the new 80k?

I tried the last generation in stores. Weird fitting skate. Comfy but very roomy for me. I just don’t buy their “fit all foot shape” claim. To me, you either fit in a snug skate or you don’t. If a skate “flexes” to fit, I feel that just means the boot will get loose over time if you have skinny feet. A foot that can fit jetspeeds should be in jetspeeds. Maybe others with more experience with the flexible material claim can chime in.

My concern and hesitation with the sleeve design is that it will smell like crazy after 6 months or so of play. I air out my gear regularly and use one of those portable dryers, so my gear just has a slight odor, but the under layers really reek! Despite the anti-odor claims, they smell so bad that, at this point, laundry only makes them smell good for 1 wear. I can't imagine forcing something like that to be sawn onto my gear. Traditional elbow pads without sleeves seem so much easier to maintain.

I'm in the 2S right now and actually like it better than the 2S Pro when I tried them both on. I don't like the new lacing system on the 2S Pro and the 2S is just right in terms of stiffness for me (they're practically the same, but the 2S might be like half a point less stiff - you probably couldn't get me to pass a blind test though). The best part is the fit - these are REALLY snug skates. I went though insane number of pairs and these were the best. I had Bauer bumps before and had to wear sleeves around my ankle/heel, but no longer need them due to the ample cushioning in the heel area.

I just found out about your thread. This is amazing seeing your progress and your continued enthusiasm over 3 years! You probably already know this, but the YouTube channel iTrainHockey has a great skater whose skating you can practice replicating. Are you playing in a league now or just sticking to drop-in/open hockey?

What do you guys not like about the sleeve?

Really good to know. I, too, have humongous calves. I don't know why. Every other part of my body is cookie cutter standard, but my calves are huge and the calf raise machines were always easy. I wish instead of being naturally gifted with calves, I had huge glutes or hamstrings lol. Anyway, even my Tacks shin guards have trouble with the big strap wrapping around. I'm still wishing for minimalist shin guards I can wear underneath skating pants for pond hockey. I'm gonna wait for the shoulder pad review. I'm thinking about those and the elbows. My current elbows always slide down by the end of games and it's so annoying.

What tape are you using for that blue top knob? Is it some special grippy tape?

I wish STX had the weight of all of their gear on their website. At this point, all I really care about is light, mobile gear for everything but my shin guards since I sometimes have to block shots as a center. Being able to play with even 5% more gas during the 3rd period is worth it if the gear is light and can shed water weight.

It should be around $2500-3000 for Pavel Barber to do a dedicated video review of the new Surgeon stick. Negotiations can bring that up depending on how experienced he is. If should also include cross-channel content (IG stories, posts, etc.) in the package. For a niche channel like Pavel's who generates 40-50k views per video, that would be a competitive rate. The rates of Ninja and Pewdiepie would be on a totally different level.

That’s really not how retail works lol... Even if STX paid IW a million bucks for a video, it would only confuse IW customers who’ll ask them why they can’t find the reviewer products on their website. STX can and should get massive video reviews via influencer marketing on YouTube, IG and especially forums like this where there are high converting customers.

How is everyone getting their 20% off code? I signed up yesterday and didn’t even get a signup confirmation email. Is there some special page everyone signed up on?

Hello! Really excited as well. Not in the market immediately, but would love to get the below questions answered for research (and sharing with teammates if anyone needs them)! Do you have the weight of medium size senior for the shoulder pads? More specifically, how much lighter are they than the older Surgeons and Stallions and can you talk about how much sweat/water weight they keep off? The lower end shoulders look much more low profile - how much weight difference is there between those and the RX3, after accounting for typical sweat and water weight?