EricG.

Got some new twigs today. My uncle ordered these a while ago with my curve (which we now both use) and he only got them recently. I usually take a couple for myself. The next batch will hopefully be SLs. Nice big toe curve, rockered toe, 6 lie. Not sure on the flex even, 100 or 110. None for sale right now.

whats with the stickers on the helmet? The 1052 is from HC Lugano of the Swiss league.

This is what I'm using now. I'll probably change everything but skates soon, and you know I will post pics :P Current Line-Up

Helmet/Visor - Bauer 8000 w/ Itech RBE III chrome (most comfortable helmet I've ever worn), Itech HC100/CCM 1052 w/ Itech straight cut. Shoulders - Bauer 8000 lightspeed (very light). Elbows - Jofa 9066 (I like the bulky fit). Gloves - Mission Helium H750 (silver/white), (they weight nothing, dry quickly, and fit me well). Pants - Franklin 9880 pro pants (I like the weight, I like the fit and they're very protective). Shins - Jofa 8090 (only shin pad I'll wear). Skates - Vector Pro (stiffness and weight are nice), Graf 735 (weight and comfort). Sticks - Malakhov Si-Core Grip, Corson XN10, Kovy Commander w/ montreal wood. Hopefully will have a stealth soon. Jock - Under Armour hockey jock. Under gear - Under Armour loose long sleeve shit, Under Armour turf long sleeve, Under Armour turf long pants. (All black).

I've seen a guy with t'blades and his stick sprayed pink. His excuse was something along the lines of he wants people to think he's a fruit, and then he'll show them up during the game. He was small and he was shit to. But the truth is girls like it.

Even when white gloves get scuffed, they still look nice from far away.

Itech HC100 Fit- I don't have a very wide head, and the HC100 was a perfect shape. The interior of the helmet was pretty comfortable, but a tad on the hard side. However, it wasn't a problem at all. Air circulation was also very good in this helmet. 9/10 Protection- Getting bumped by stick was fine while wearing the helmet. However, I did once lose an edge and hit my head into the boards, and it did not absorb the shock very well. I was pretty dizzy and a bit nauseous after. 8/10 Weight- This is one of the most lightweight helmets, so weight wasn't an issue. 8.5/10 Durability- The interior was in great shape after 4 months. The various nicks and scratches are inevitable. However after 4 months, the front screws which held my cage on ripped through the foam. I was forced to get a new helmet. I have been informed that Itech will be fixing this problem for their '04 helmets. 7/10 Intangibles- The thing that suited me the best with this helmet was how well it fit my head. It was to bad that it had that durability issue which forced me to switch. 9/10 Conclusion- I think I would still be using this helmet had there not been a durability issue. Fortunately the front screws aren't necessary, so I can use it with a visor. I give this helmet an overall 8/10.

CCM 1052 Fit- The foam lining is probably one of the most comfortable materials I've ever felt in a helmet, very soft. I hope that it's the same in the Jofa 690. I found that the 1052 sits lower on the head then last years HT500, which is a good thing. The shape of the helmet is probably best suited for a player with a wider head. The helmet does at times feel a bit bulky. 9/10 Protection- I've been hit in the head with sticks a number of times in this bucket and have to say it absorbed the shock pretty well. This helmet is CSA, HECC and CE approved. 9/10 Weight- I was surprised at how light this helmet was. It actually feels lighter then my HC100. This was just an added bonus. 9.5/10 Durability- After using the helmet for just over 3 months, the interior still looks great. Nothing is peeling, and everything is still in original order. The exterior has the usual scuffs and scratches you'd expect. Nothing major. 9/10 Intangibles- The reason I'm still using this helmet is because of how comfortable the foam liner is, as well as its light weight. I'm not the greatest fan of the look. 8.5/10 Conclusion- This is probably the most comfortable helmet I've ever worn. If the Jofa 690 has the same foam liner I will have to give it a try to. I just wish it was a bit more narrow. I give it an 8/10.

Mission M-1 Pro Fit- The M-1 Pro is a bit of tight fitting glove. However, I wouldn't go as far as to saying it's as tight fitting as a Nike glove. The inner lining is very comfortable and soft. The gloves took me litterally 2 skates to break in. I have been using them for at least 6 months and the palms and interior have yet to start crusting. The gloves also never feel wet. Standard split fingers also feel nice. 10/10 Protection- The glove comes with dual and single density foam and plastic inserts throughout the glove. Getting slashed gave minimal impact to my hand. 9.5/10 Weight- Weight isn't a very important quality in a glove for me. However, these gloves are pretty light. About the same weight as my pro-stock nylon franklin 9505s. 9.5/10 Durability- After using the gloves for at least 6 months, the palm and interior are not crusty at all. No plastic inserts have been broken. The leather is only minimally worn and scratched. Great condition for a glove that's been used this much. The only problem is the durability of the palms. I felt them wearing out very quickly. My palms currently have some small holes. Nothing major. 8.5/10 Intangibles- I can safely say this is the one best fitting gloves I've ever had. They're replaced my 9505s, and I think they equal them in fit. Best comfort of any glove I've had. 9.5/10 Conclusion- I can't say enough good things about this glove. With goatskin palms, I couldn't imagine them being better. 9.5/10

CCM VectorPros background - 5'9 170, flat arch, wide foot. Fit- The boot has a narrow heel, and wide forefoot. This was exactly was I was looking for in a skate. The boot is also very stiff compared to my 703s, which is also what I was looking for. Ankle support is great, which doesn't give me the pain in my arch which I got from every other skate. The inner liner is pretty soft, and the tongue is very nice to. I do not need to use the blue medical foam for my lace bite. The only problem I have with the skate, is the pain I get just below my ankle. It's on and off however. I think it's because the inside of the skate hardens when it's cold, and it presses against that area of my foot until it softens out again. 9.5/10 Blade/Holder- The stock holder is the new E-Blade, with perf. runners. I found that they were pretty stiff compared to tuuk. They didn't have the "give" I was looking for in a holder. They also gave an odd vibration. I ended up taking them off for tuuks and couldn't be happier. 7/10 Weight- This is the lightest skate I have ever worn. Weight however is not an issue for me. This was just an added bonus. 9.5/10 Protection- I have been hit in the foot by pucks a couple times, and by various other things like sticks, and the sticks of goalies. I hardly felt a thing when being hit. It all felt like a soft tap. 9.5/10 Durability- One of my main concerns was how these skates would hold up. I have to say they have exceeded my expectations. I have been using the skates for about 4 months, and they could pass for being less then a month old. Aside from some minor scratches the skate is perfect. The stitching has only been minorly coming off in one or two spots. They have barely lost stiffness as well. 9.5/10 Intangibles- The stiffness of the boot, and shape of the inside are what are keeping me in this skate. I get blisters from tying skates and the lace lock feature is a great bonus. 9/10 Conclusion- In conclusion I feel that this is a GREAT performing skate. Very durable, and light. Well worth the price. I give this skate a 9/10.

Innovative 1100 Tapered background - 5'9 170 Shaft/Flex- The flex I've been using was 260. I could compare it with a flex rating of around 90. I used the shaft at full lenght w/o the end plug. I've been using the version with polarfibre. Although most people seem to shy away from the polarfibre textured shafts, I have to say I really didn't notice it very much while playing. The texture isn't very "rough", and with the palm of your gloves, the effect is very mild. I would prefer a smooth shaft, but I prefer polarfibre over a tacky grip. 9/10 Stickhandling/Passing- I used only wooden R2 blades in the shaft. The shaft had a fantastic feel, and allowed for full use of the wooden blades. This gave the shaft a great stickhandling aspect. I felt very little vibration when using the shaft. This made receiving passes effortless. All they had to do was hit the blade. 9.5/10 Shooting- I used about 10 OPS before switching to this shaft. The first drastic change I felt was the stickhandling/passing, but shooting wasn't what I had hoped at first. Shots were mainly fluttering and I didn't feel a great kick. It took about 2 or 3 practices to get used to. After that, shots were fairly consistant. However I felt that I needed to put more effort into taking shots then I had to with previous sticks. 7/10 Weight and balance- The shaft really isn't the lightest, with an advertised weight of 315 grams. With a wooden blade, the stick felt blade heavy. At first it bothered me, but I stopped noticing after a couple practices. 7/10 Durability- I used the shaft for just over a month, and besides some scuffs, it is just as solid as the day I got it. It is my 4th 1100 shaft (5th including fused), and I have found that they are all the same in terms of durability. 9.5/10 Intangibles- Receiving passes and stickhandling effortlessly made me continue to use the shaft for so long. However, the reason I went back to a OPS was because it didn't give me a great kick on shots. 8.5/10 Conclusion- The shaft is great. Durable, and feels great. However weight, and shooting wasn't what I had hoped for. Overall I give the shaft an 8/10.