mnitishin

Size: 9 EE Height: 6' Weight: 180 Used: 9 Months, 6 days a week Introduction: I had only used CCM's up until the Vapor XXX's came out. I did extensive research on them on both the internet and at my LHS. I did not find one bad thing that would cause me not to switch to these skates. I tried them on once and knew these skates were for me. I have no plans of ever buying another skate other than the XXX. Fit: The skates broke in almost immediately, definitely the shortest break in time I've ever experienced. I bought them 2 hours before a game without baking them and my playing actually improved. I find them to be just as comfortable as normal shoes. (8/10) Blades and Holder: The Tuuk LS2 holder and blade are the finest I've ever skated on. The stiffness and overall appeal of the holder has caused many of my teammates to replace their current holders with them. Though I had a minor issue with the holders coming unaligned with the boot, I have already ordered another pair. For the blade the LS2 steel had only lasted 8 months. The perforated blade may not be neccessary to maintain the weight of the boot, and it may present a problem with the constant snapping of blades. (9/10) Weight: This is without doubt the lightest skate on the market. Normally when a product is at a very light weight, something in the product is sacrificed, however in this skate nothing is. It's as if Bauer has found the perfect combination of weight, stiffness, protection and durability. (10/10) Protection: I play defense and have no problem blocking a shot. The only time I have ever felt pain wearing these skates was when I took a shot right on the tongue. At this weight it is unbelievable the amount of protection the XXX offers. (10/10) Durability: The Durability of these skates may be one of the only faults I have found in the Vapor XXX. Considering I have skate six days a week this is not bad for the XXX's. However, two weeks ago i noticed that the rivvets(or however you spell it) had busted through the side of my holder and my holder was at an odd angle. This is a minor problem considering the holders were pretty torn up anyways. Other things I noticed was the toe was tearnig and sweat stains and rust on the bottom of my boot, but overall the durability is great. (9/10) Conlusion: Before the XXX's I had only used CCM's and now I have no intentions of leaving Bauer. I firmly believe that at this moment the Vapor XXX's are the best skate on the market. These skates have minor flaws and are the perfect skate for any avid hockey player. Overall: (9/10)

Helmet-Bauer 5000 Shoulder-Bauer 8000 Elbow-Nike V14 Gloves-Easton Team Customs Pants-Easton Pro Stocks Shins-RBK 6k Skates-Vapor XXX Stick-Synergy ST

Easton Stealth-100 flex Sakic RH Background-6' 180lbs defense Blade-The blade was solid and had great response, however after about 3-4 weeks of playing both forward and defense I noticed severe deterioration of the toe. 9/10 Flex- The flex definitely wasn't 100. I noticed a positive difference in my snap shot, but my slap shot wasn't as consistent as when I used a normal Synergy. 8/10 Shooting- The response of the blade made up for the lack of flex I felt in the stick. I one- timers were better when I used this stick, but my slap shot itslef wasn't as consistent. However, my snap shot was the best its ever been and my passing improved as well. 9/10 Durability- As I said earlier I noticed deterioration on the toe after a few weeks which isn't to bad for me. But on the shaft i noticed a myriad of chips and scratches after two practices. This stick lasted only 1 1/2 months before I needed a new one. 7/10 Weight-This stick is absolutely the lightest stick out there, almost to a fault. I believe its weight contributes to most of the flaws in the stick (ex. lack of flex in the stick). This stick is probably one of the best sticks a forward can buy, but for a defenseman, not as much. 8/10 Overall-This stick is probably much better for a forward than a defenseman. I believe that $200 is probably too much for this stick, but I believe being the lightest stick on the market justifies the price to a degree. 8/10