21Forsberg

Hold out for the U+ I'm skating in the XXXX's right now and they are the best skates I've ever had. The stiffness and durability for me have been outstanding. Skating 3-4 times a week in mens league and drop ins they still feel as stiff as when I bought them. I had 2 pairs of S15's that fell apart in about a month each before I got the Vapors. The XXXX's were one of the best investments I've made in skates, I've been smoked a few times by slapshots and barely felt anything, I can't say the same for some other skates. As for the U+, make your decision when it comes out (if you can wait that long). Don't buy skates because your favortie player wears them, buy them becuase they are comfortable and they fit. If you were to ask me the question point blank of which skates to buy I would tell you Vapor XXXX's becuase my foot has always fit Bauers better. I've never had a comfortable fit with CCM until I tried the U+. I can't stress enough about these skates that they fit nothing like any previous CCM skate which has me excited to try them. After trying on a demo pair and seeing how they fit I can tell you I will be buying a pair of these for sure. Hope that helps!

There is absolutely no way for anyone to know. These are just a hair lighter than the S15's also. did u weigh it or are you saying it felt a little lighter My rep had one of those display scales with the U+ and the S15 so you could weigh the skates against each other. I don't remember the exact weight of the skate but it was just slightly lighter than the S15 in grams.

There is absolutely no way for anyone to know. I'm not trying to knock the skate already before it comes out because I think its actually a great product and I was very impressed when I saw it at my local trade in early January, but I'm sorry to say In my personal opinion I feel it will have some durability issues. I work at the Avs practice facility in the pro shop and I get to chat with equipment guys every once in awhile and I got to see Wolski's and Skrastins U+ skates and they feel kind of soft for a pro stock boot. Wolski had this pair for about a week and half(he's been through a couple pairs already) and the boot felt soft, when I squeezed it I could feel and hear what I can only describe as a crunching sound like the layered materials were delaminating apart from each other. Skrastins had his for about a month and they feel the same way. Take it for what its worth, we all know pro stock is a little different than retail, hopefully they will work out some of the kinks by the time its launched. I'm not totally knocking the boot it does have a big up side to it. When my rep had me try his sample I was very impressed with how much the boot moved to form to my foot when it was molded. I tried it on a couple different times once with no bake, just out of the box. Once after my boss had baked it to his foot. Then I baked it to my foot after his impression was taken. We both have a 7.5 size in length but he is a standard D and I need a E width and I kid you not that composite tech mesh they use really does form to almost everybody's foot. I had no pain whatsoever after baking where as before out of the box was really tight on my forefoot and near my pinkie toe. I promise you these do not fit like any other CCM saktes, throw the book out the window for everything you think you know about how CCM skates have fit in the past. These saktes really do accomadate D and most E widths. The biggest selling point for this skate is you have to put these on your feet and give the heat mold a try, nothing molds as quick as this skate does IMO. These are just a hair lighter than the S15's also.

For me its not really things customers do that bother my but more of observations I see daily. I try to make a game out of working everyday. See how many twisted thoughts I can have in a conversation, you know, spice it up make things fun. Enjoy... I think after about 7 years of working in pro shops my favorite reponse has to be when people come in for sharpenings (not just kids but adults too) and I ask them "What cut would you like for your skates?" Their answer to me is "Oh, just on the bottom of the skates where the steel is." :o Inside I'm laughing pretty hard, and everytime I think to myself maybe this is the time I might run the wheel through the toecap and shred it to pieces just for fun. I love people who like to tell me what size skate they are without even measuring their foot because apparentelly they're the expert now because they read it somewhere on the internet and their best friend told them how it should fit. Yeah those Brannock foot thingies are just here for decorations. I live for the moment they put the skate on and I can fit a fist behind their heal. Also, I love owning people with the edge leveler after I'm done sharpening their skates and they complain to me "How do you know its straight, you didn't even look at the edge." Let me show you how I can tell... (shows leveler), and my response is "Well I kinda know what I'm doing." I don't go to your job and question how you know the fries are done okay!?! I'm sure some of you can releate to this one, the know-it-all guy who plays rec hockey in the lower levels and he comes to your shop to get a sharpening and just by the conversation you can tell this guy doesn't trust your ability. You finally convince him your capable of doing his skates, hes watching your every pass of the wheel like a hawk asking you questions, feeling your answers out. Then he's eyeing the edges of the skates you just finished, balancing a coin on the edge looking at the light, checking your work...then about a week or two goes by and what do you know that guy comes back looking for you and hes all stoked about the cut you gave him last time, and now you've made a friend for life, he calls the shop to make sure your there so he can come by and get his skates done, if you're not there he leaves them for you with a note "I'll be in tomorrow to pick them up, k thx." Before you know it he knows your work schedule better than you do by the 3rd sharpening. Personally I don't care if people try out all the sticks, gloves etc... and don't put them back all nice and neat, nobody's perfect, and you can't tell me none of you have ever been shopping and put things back perfect or folded every shirt you've looked at. You have to touch the product to get a feel for it, besides it gives me something to do when we get slow. My feeling is you should set an example for other employees that you don't have to be told to clean up the shop, take initiative and in the end usually your bosses take note of things like that. I write these things down to share the experiences with you, I may come off as a jerk telling the stories like I'm talking down to people, I'm really not. Honestly these are the messed up thoughts I have running through my head as I'm helping some these people out. :)