Elwood

Well, that and there was a small scratch in the paint on the passenger side, most likely from a shopping cart. Actually what you don't see is the brick wall the driver side went through. Side curtain airbags are worth it. -E

I used to drive this: Now I drive a newer 2005 Audi A4 - for obvious reasons :D -E

I'll throw in Kamelot and Gamma Ray also -E

One of my favorite Petrucci showcases is Bombay Vindaloo (Back when Kevin Moore was still in DT) -Elwood

Lordi reminds me of GWAR ;) I have heard Tarja's new music and its great also. I tend to prefer the more symphonic/"progressive" stuff. -Elwood

Gonna hafta add another. Not a new band but new to me. http://www.nightwish.com/ -Elwood

I just saw Symphony X play at the House of Blues in Hollywood. Amazing show, and the new CD rocks. Symphony X Sample tune - The Serpents Kiss -Elwood

Profile: Black/Grey 14" One90s Beer Leaguer defenseman, 14 games played and ~10 sticktimes/practice sessions Previous gloves: CCM 852s ('03 model) ***updated on 1/23/08*** Fit: These things are like second skin. They have a close fit on your hand. I liken them to wearing Mechanixwear/Setwear type work gloves vs those trucker type leather gloves. (These are the first hockey gloves I've worn in 12+ years that actually let me give 'the bird' to opposing players and they can actually tell what it was :D Yes they are that flexible.) If you like a more 'sloppy' fit, then these are not for you. If you like wearing gear that you soon forget you have on, these are perfect for you. 9.9/10 Protection: Ive had some guys get some good chops in and I didn't feel a thing. These have proven to be just as protective as the CCM 852's I used to have. Also, there are tons of little extra padding rolls between every joint that seem to help. 9.9/10 Weight: I have gloves on? Really? 10/10 Durability: Thus far these have held up very well. The exterior looks like I just bought them, with not a mark to be seen. The palm on my upper hand shows some wear near the wrist. I reduced the size of the butt end knob and the wear has lessened/stopped. I also went to white tape instead of black to see if that helped. Short Term - 9/10 Long Term - 9.5/10 - I've been playing with these 2-3 times a week since they were purchased. They still look like new and feel great. The palms have worn a bit as indicated before, but the wear has not gotten worse. Intangibles: I'm a stickler for perfection on top of the line gear. Things I would easily overlook on lower to mid-tier gear are magnified against the 'creme de la creme'. The only defect I have seen is on the inside 'floating' hand pad (don't know what its called) has a few seams that had extra threads dangling. This was probably pure laziness on the part of the manufacturing shop. All they had to do was snip the extra thread off and its a perfect 10. Also, these don't smell nearly as bad after a game, so I guess the dri-fit concept works in keeping them dry. 9/10 Conclusion: Yes, they are pricey. Yes, they look non-traditional and more robocop like. With long-term durability to still be decided, I can honestly say these are the best gloves I have ever had.

Which Play it again is the Kings sale at?

***Updated 12/24/2006*** Mission Hex-1 102 Flex Elias Curve Player-6'1", 180 pounds. Adult Beer League Use before review- 7 games, 3 clinics, a few practices. Blade The bade is thin and light feeling. Once you adjust, the puck feels nice on it. I play D and hammer it from the point, and the bade is showing no signs of sponge. The glass around the top and bottom edges and the toe is chipping like crazy, however that didn't affect the feel, and its just the glass, not the fiber weave thats exposed (so far) 9/10 (for the Ponch and Jon action on the blade see Durability below) ***updated score: 6/10 *** - more CHiPs, although I have not seen any flex issues (yet) Shaft/Flex Also light weight, feels great. Not using the Grip model so I can't comment on how that works and feels. The 102 flex is really stiff, but it still retains a very good feel. Unfortunately, the shaft broke in half around 12" from the butt on another players shoulder pad (!)... Looks like I'm gonna warranty this one... 8/10 - (might go up if the replacement fares better) Shooting It took a few sessions to transition from an older Easton shaft to this one, however after that the difference was night and day. Point shots were, in my opinion, a bit harder and I felt it had a quicker wind-up and release. Might be from the light weight or in my head. But it shoots nice. 9/10 Durability The blade edges chipped within 2 games, and kept chipping. There are 5 separate small chips and one big one where the blade and the shaft meet. Didn't impact the performance though. The shaft broke (see above) in a bizarre place. We'll see how the replacement fares. Noticed on both mine and my teammates sticks that the joint where the shaft and blade meet has cracked all around the shaft in a straight line. Looks like a crack in the glass where the union might be flexing a bit, however this happening with 2 of 2 new sticks is not a positive sign. Mission decals come off pretty easy also, however thats cosmetic only. 5/10 - (Blade chips, Busted shaft, crack at the blade/shaft joint) ***updated sore 4/10*** - now a teammate's blade is starting to chip. Ugh. Intangibles Even with the chipping and cracks in the glass, the stick still shot and played great. Until it broke that is. 8/10 (maybe more or less depending on stick #2) Conclusion Mission has a great stick with the HEX-1. If they can iron out the glass chipping and cracking I think they have a real winner. I'll treat the broken shaft as a defect and see how the replacement holds up. All in all a real nice stick. Interesting note on the shaft, there appear to be two different layers of composite material used to make the shaft. The inner layer of carbon fiber reminds me of oriented strand board (plywood) and does not appear to be a woven fabric (like that of the blade). The outer layer is a very pale green/white color that appears to be a fiberglass weave. 6/10