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helmet91

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Posts posted by helmet91

  3. Posted · Report reply

    My 2010s have been in a Matrix for just over a year now...  they've said this is their favorite skate ever.  They had the 2S Pro before, but it seems the Fit1 in 5.5 (intermediate) has been perfect for them.  We threw in some Curex soles because their arch is VERY high.  

     

     

  4. Posted · Edited by helmet91 · Report reply

    15 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

    If Graf started using more modern tech and materials, that would likely have to redesign their boots. You can't just replace the leather with carbon fiber and expect it to fit and feel the same but lighter and more durable. There's more too that than swapping materials. I don't see graf ever evolving to the level of technology as Bauer true and ccm. They have a market in Europe and it'll probably just stay that way.  I'm assuming they also don't have the size and money for the R/D as well. 

    I've been over here four years... granted I'm not in an ice hockey hotbed, but the only time I've seen Graf skates was the rental skate selection at an outdoor rink in the Duesseldorf Christmas Market.  The vast majority of skates/gear I see in this area (BeNeLux) would be Bauer with CCM bringing up the rear.  I see German kids with Warrior here and there (thanks Draisaitl?) but not very often.

    Even all the old beer league guys are wearing newer offerings from Bauer and a few CCM...  I never see Graf.  Pretty disappointing.  We were even down in Zuerich a few summers ago at a camp (Ivanov... LOL) and none of the kids were wearing Graf.

     

    /anecdotal evidence

    • Like 1

  5. Posted · Edited by helmet91 · Report reply

    I always wanted a pair of Grafs back in the 90s - Brian Leetch (my favorite player) wore them.  LOL

    I don't skate/play nearly as much these days (too busy running my kids around all over the place for their practices/games/tournaments/camps), but my CCM Ultra Tacks (2018?) are killing me whenever I'm out on the ice.  Maybe I need to take a road trip down to Switzerland...

  9. Posted · Report reply

    Neck guards are mandated here in the Netherlands and I'm pretty sure the league (CBHL in VA/MD/DC) my boys played in prior to our move required them as well.  They were wearing the Shock Doctor velcro thing.  A lot more comfortable than the padded Kevlar Itech thing I wore thirty years ago.

    After the incident in CT a year or so ago, I grabbed the Bauer undershirt/neck guard combo for my oldest boys (U13 at the time) and I picked up the Shock Doctor combo this past summer.  They rotate between the two as things get washed during the week.  They also wear Kevlar socks from Elite which they really like over the Bauer Kevlar socks.

    Reading all this, it sounds like overkill but they haven't complained about anything, so I guess it's not too bad.

    Risk management I guess...

  12. Posted · Report reply

    I can't help with your questions...

    That said, I'm rather jealous of you - and if my wife wins out I might follow your footsteps in a few years.  We're not exactly in an ice hockey hotbed over here and corona has wrecked the last two seasons (for my kids); and I haven't been able to play at all (after finally getting back into the game when we were in the DC area).  I think I've been on the ice (to include the fluke cold snap outdoor ice last winter) maybe eight or nine times over the last 24 months.  😞

    Things will definitely change if we go back to MN.  Speaking of, can anyone direct me to a forum dealing with youth/JV/high school hockey in MN?  My oldest boys will probably be in 10th or 11th grade by the time we get back and I'm worried about their hockey opportunities trying to get on a team with kids that have been together since they were 5.  What happens if you don't make your school team??

    /end thread highjack

  14. Posted · Report reply

    How about... where in the world do I find anything in stock?  Trying to track down Shock Doctor tops and bottoms for my two peewees is next to impossible.  I can't find Youth XL or Adult XS at the normal suspects - and we don't have any local shops with any sort of stock/selection even without supply shortages. 

    Pretty frustrating...

  15. Posted · Report reply

    On ‎12‎/‎31‎/‎2021 at 6:27 PM, stick9 said:

    It's not a bad idea. Especially if you have rings you don't use. I do the same with an Fire ring I don't like. For example. I recently got some new steel so instead of doing 10 passes with my 3/4 ring. I did 4-6 passed with that old Fire ring to flatten things out then finished with my desired 3/4 hollow. I'm still doing 10 total passes. I'm just not burning thru my good ring in the process.

    I wouldn't do this every time. It actually takes more passes to cut a new hollow than it does to maintain one. I find this method works well for new steel, really bad edges or a change in hollow. I find going flatter than your normal hollow works best. 

    What I am unsure of is how this affects runner life. Am I removing more steel than I need to by doing this.

     

    It definitely wouldn't be a regular thing.  I'd bet the 1-1/4 ring would last me a very, very long time.  I can't imagine I'd have to go this route more than once or twice a season, and that's across the board for all the skaters in the house.

     

  16. Posted · Report reply

    Dumb question...

    Do you think you could use a 1-1/4 radius wheel as a de facto cross grind wheel?  I have four skaters in the house, not including me... and they're regularly dinging up their blades (5/8 Fire, 1/2 and 5/8) at no fault of their own.  The rinks here aren't the best and there's plenty of blade unfriendly things in the locker room, the halls, the benches, etc.  Most times a regular four passes cleans everything up, but on occasion it looks they ran across the parking lot (slight exaggeration) and all the passes in the world won't "fix" the issue.

    Would the relative "flatness" of the 1-1/4 cleanup those stubborn dings?  Or is that going to waste passes with my other rings after using the 1-1/4?  Granted I wouldn't do it very often, just in dire circumstances.

    Thoughts?  I'm just spitballing here...  And please don't suggest taking the skates to a shop - hockey shops are few and far between here; with limited hours; and questionable sharpening results.  Throw in the new COVID lockdown and getting skates sharpened outside of our Sparx here at home is pretty much not going to happen.

    Thanks and Happy New Year!

  22. Posted · Report reply

    6 hours ago, start_today said:

    Imagine being the person who needs so much control and petty power in their life they are mandating what color of laces and helmets mite players must wear. 

    It was like that across the two leagues they played in.  l never really thought much of it.  I've got no problem with the kids looking uniform, especially as they move up the ranks. 

    The person you're referring to has been the director (and coach) of a pretty successful Tier 2 program, mite through midget major, for over twenty years at this point.  He must be doing something right.  I've never heard anyone complain about little Braden using a helmet that matches his jersey or not using neon green laces when the team colors are black and red.

    /shrug

    • Like 2

  23. Posted · Report reply

    My sons, now U13, did the colored laces thing starting in daddy&me learn to skate classes.  As part of getting them excited for learning to skate we let them choose lace and helmet color...  It also allowed us to quickly figure out who was who out on the ice as they are twins.  LOL

    Bright blue helmets and red, silver, yellow*, neon green, neon blue, etc. laces (not to mention fun stick tape colors) went by the wayside when they made the mite major travel team and only certain lace and tape colors were allowed, not to mention black helmets being required.  Three years later one has adopted black laces and the other white.

    *We were in NoVA… tons of kids trying to mimic Ovi.  LOL

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