Neo5370

Are the Zero G's discontinued or just very very hard to find? As I understand it, they've been out for a while.............they were around at least when the v12 skates were introduced n'est pas?

yes there is.......some people backlace them.

Jebus............is it just me or are easton gloves getting more and more hideous. I think it was Geki who said it best.........the custom gloves should be their retail gloves. There's a reason why pros use them.

Just a heads up here. It's not OPC. It's OPS = One Piece Stick. holy crap, I'm an idiot......................

They would sell like hotcakes in the youth market. Woods that look like synergies? Are you kidding?? Parents and kids would be happy. ?? Fibre Lite woodies aren't painted like OPC's..........if anything they look sort of like 9950's, w/ the fibre laminate on the wood shaft.

Why on earth are the Int. OPC's 65 flex now? Years ago, the Ultra Lite Graphite junior was a 65 flex, are kids getting weaker or is the trend moving towards using flexier sticks? And boy do I wish the fibre lite wood stick was available in the US.

User Info: Neo5370 Ht. 5'7" Wt. approx. 150 lbs Foot Size: approx. mens 8 Nike (basketball/running shoe); mens 7.5 - 8 dress shoe, Graf 703 mens 6 Regular Width Foot Type: super narrow heel, very flat arches, thin/moderate instep, very wide forefoot. Notes: barefoot skater, snug skates (think Paul Coffey), deep hollow, 7ft. radius Level and Use: rec/drop in about 1-2 a week, owned this pair since Aug. '03 Fit: These seem to be a low cut boot, with very narrow heels, and what seem to be forgiving/malleable arches. The toe cap was too narrow for my paddle like feet. After three bakings, and almost a year of frustration, I finally got the forefoot area punched out on both skates (right under the green graf logo). After punching, they feel fantastic, like they were made for my feet. This is probably meaningless to those who have never tried 703's or seen my feet, so for more points of reference, I fit VERY nicely into a 5.5 D Vector, 5 D 5090 (same last as the 8090 I assume), 5.5D V12's, and 5.5 D 652's. For roller I've got 7D Wicked Lites, but 6.5 would be better. Before stretching, 6/10 (good heel and midfoot, TERRIBLE forefoot). After stretching, 10/10 AVG 8/10 Blade/Holder: I don't play too often. I just get my cobra's sharpened every 2-4 skates ('bout 2hrs per skate). I use a relatively deep hollow for riskier edge work and cuz I'm cheap (takes longer to wear down a deeper hollow, no?). I grew up on ProLite 3's, used Tuuk Custom +'s for about two years, tried Lightspeeds once (on a pair of V12's), and am now on the Cobra's. I've always been able to adapt to all of them. I don't like the foward pitch, and can barely tell which holder is how stiff if at all. Also, I noticed a smidgen of rust right under where the holder meets the blade. Could be a bit of carelessness on my part though. As soon as I get the money, Lightspeeds will be in my future because I fell in love with them. Too much forward pitch, easily chipped steel 7/10 Weight/Protection: These aren't heavy skates, but I compared one of my 703's to a size 7D 8090 in the store and the 8090 is a lot lighter than my 6R 703. I've taken a shot or two in the side of the foot w/ the 703's on and it hurt. A lot. Maybe I'm just a man-b*tch* or maybe it's cuz my skates are so snug. Very light for traditional style skate, not too much protection IMO 9/10 Durability: Consider the amount of time and the type of play I listed and that I've had them for a little over a year. They still look GREAT. Resale quality, except for the white felt backing on the tongue which ain't so white anymore. 10/10 Intangibles: When I first got them, something really dug into my right outside ankle. I don't know if it was the stitching or some piece of hard padding or what but it nearly maimed me. I had a nasty scab and couldn't skate for a few weeks. But after baking, this went away. I notice a bit of discomfort in the same area once in a great while, but it's very minor now. Also, the medium stiffness is nice and even tied snugly all the way up to the top eyelet, I can achieve technically sound/deep ankle and knee bend with no wobble or discomfort. I do not tape the tendon guard to my leg and I wear my tongues folded out. Big fan of not having to skip eyelets to gain proper ankle motion, but not big fan of scabs 7/10 Conclusion: I LOVE them now. Though due to the need for a stretching and new holders, these are some high class fixer-uppers. But other than that, the slogan "bedroom slippers of hockey" are pretty accurate. They are a clean, classic, sexy looking pair of traditional skates and very light for having no composite materials. More importantly though, I can maneuver very well in these. Very agile skates. But I may be looking into a pair of the new generation of "super light skates". My 703's would be like a luxury car and something like a Vapor XXX would be my sports car. OVERALL CONCLUSION: 8/10