start_today

They did. You’re looking for Step runners that fit the Epro holder. Might be harder to find since they haven’t made those holders in a bit, but also might be cheaper.

What’s your goal with putting the insole under your foot bed and possibly experimenting with pitch? Do you not like the current stance and think you’d feel better with some forward pitch, or do you just want to experiment and try something new to see what works? Before messing with pitch of the steel, you could find someone to put a shin under the back tower, which would change your pitch, that way you aren’t messing with your steel, and it’s easy to go right back to where you started. Or, a lot of people on here have had success with multiple radii profiles (double, triple, quad). Which depending on the profile, can feel like there’s more forward lean, because of the smaller radius towards the front, particularly with an quad radius.

@sticktime , what profile do you have on your blades now?

I know it’s still super new, but curious how shops feel about Pro Sharp launching this brand new product after they’ve already bought the quad and zuperior templates and still trying to get customers sold on those. Seems like they are making a jump from a technology with proven success that a lot of people can/have benefit from (current profiling options) to “this one goes to 11!” type marketing that we see on sticks where you’re not really getting anything new/better, just a bunch of jargon and price increase.

Every time I use my CCM mask, I have to “peak” the metal nose piece so it’s not sitting flat across my nose, but it’s fine once I’m playing.

@the_game have you used them before or know anyone who has? Tricon did a poor job on both my and my wife skates. Too much bite, inconsistent between edges, and she feels like they messed up her profile. (Maybe the guy had one bad day, I dunno. But it’s enough I wouldn’t go back.)

What’s nice about the CCM mask that attaches to your cage is that is create space by your cheeks, so it’s easier to breath but still creates that physical barrier. The fact that the visor one attaches to the helmet near your ears and to your chin strap, makes me assume that it will perform and function like a normal mask with ear loops. In the photos it’s just as close to the face as a normal mask. Plus, you’d have to undo both snaps on the helmet to drink. Those CCM masks are THICK material. I can’t imagine skating/playing with it directly against my mouth and nose. —- With the normal cage mask, I accidentally put in on backwards/inside out for two games, and I like it better because the internal seem and Velcro is now on the outside.

Any recommendations for a shop with FBV in the greater Boston area? Love Zwickers, but they don’t do FBV. Was making the drive to No Icing, but they moved and it’s too far. Anyone ever been to Tricon in Lexington?

@jrchecker8, did you ever get an answer/result about your skate sizing and the apparent mismatch between the production label and size listed on the tongue?

Where in the Midwest are you, do you have access to other stores? The fact that your Trues have come back with separate issues each time makes me wonder how good the fitting process is from the shop. Sounds like they are nice people and willing to work with you, but perhaps aren’t very skilled at custom fitting and measuring True skates. If they can’t measure you correctly for Trues, they probably aren’t going to do any better for Bauers. If the shop and True are willing to do full refund, might be better to back out and find a new place who is better at fitting.

I feel like any of the big modern toe curves would give you insane MLB pitcher type movement with a ball. How do you stop a slap shot with a four foot break?

The back of those Eastons looks so much like early Mission in-line skates.

This is what makes me unsure about skates you have to bake to try on at all. Everything close feels good when it’s warm and soft and molding to your foot. But, a half size up or down is more noticeable when the materials are cooled and hardened, and it goes back to feeling like a skate and not like a soft sneaker.

What’s going on with the blade on the Ballistik? Was that design on the blade, or something you added? that whole pic is such an awesome snapshot of sticks that were popular at a specific time. For a while everyone really fetishized the one95 and CNT, would be interesting if one could somehow compare them to modern offerings. But it’s all so subjective it would be a wash.

The CCM one breathes so well it makes me question its effectiveness, but I’m gonna just ignore that because PLAYING SPORTS. 😬 (I think it prevents droplets from leaving my mouth so I feel like a better person, and protects me from others to some degree, so I’ll take the compromise.)

I picked up a CCM mask on a whim. Looks like they are out of stock online in a few places, but Pure Hockey near me had a whole bunch. It took a little bit of playing with it on the couch while watching tv to figure out where to put the various straps. I have a Bauer Profile III cage. The mask has a moldable nose piece that I had to push into a “peak” so it wouldn’t press on my nose. ive only worn it once, in an admittedly slower skate, but I liked it. No vision problems at all. I honestly didn’t notice it at all while playing. Breathing was fine, but this wasn’t a game where I’m pushing myself hard most shifts. One thing I liked way better than a gaiter that I didn’t consider was not having something on the back of my neck. It felt much cooler to have my neck exposed and not covered. I have to undo cage to drink water, but thinking about it, that is probably better than pulling the mask up and down and putting my hands around my face. For fogging concerns, it might help limit that because this mask is more open by your mouth/cheeks, so air is going out there, which might keep breath away from the visor.

I was wondering if you could just put clear packing tape over the bottom vents if you are trying to reduce droplets. It’s not very sexy, but would give you more freedom for how much to cover.

Is the UA mask people mention the one I see when I google that looks like a typical mask with ear loops? Is it somehow more comfortable than a normal mask? @dkmiller3356 you mentioned lower periphery visibility. How obstructive is that for you? That was my biggest concern with that particular mask. I assume this changes person to person, based on face shape. I’ve been wearing a gaiter and one issue I’m having is that it will occasionally get loose and material will suck into my mouth. (A lifetime of allergies and deviated septum has made me a habitual mouth breather.)

In Pittsburgh, I used to occasionally play with a goalie who uses a lefty goalie stick to play righty, so that he could “handle the puck better.” As you might imagine, he was awful and handing the puck no matter what, but ever other game he’d have a slooooooooow puck slide through 5 hole because his stick didn’t sit flat.

Is the CCM one available? I keep seeing the shipping date get later and later. I feel like if I put in an hour or two of work I could make one, but....I....well, I’m just lazy.

I started thinking way more about the way my shoes fit once I learned to properly fit skates (which I learned entirely thanks to this site).

They do this for snowboarding boots and it theoretically makes life so much easier, but you still get a ton of people with oversized boots because they don’t know any better and just buy whatever is on sale online.

Ok, here is a fun game..... I have a Warrior QX3. Last night I noticed some of the graphics chipping off, and it looks like there is another design underneath. Given the limited view we have, try to guess what the stick is underneath. I don’t want to peel off more just yet, as I’m still using it, and the underneath doesn’t appear to have any grip. I had a few QX Team sticks I really liked. And it seems tech wise, those are the same as these. But, I never quite felt like I liked this stick as much as those. Maybe it was/is all mental, or maybe this is a different stick construction. Since the QX has a different kickpoint than any previous Warrior, simply putting new graphics over an older stick seems a little fishy. (I also might totally be jumping to conclusions.)

+3 on this concept. Where the weight is distributed and where it flexes might change how it feels for your whole body mechanics.

I had a Louisville shaft from the early-mid 90s I couldn’t even cut through with a hack saw. I tried cutting it to fit it in a trash can, and the saw wouldn’t bite at all.