Wouldn't this be Something

[Neo5370 132]

From previous threads most of us agree that the new technology only offers minimal if any advantages for the non-pro, "weekend warrior" etc. (OPS's, light wt. skates, bearings, etc.....) and subject to PP.

If anyone had the time/money/inclination I'd like to see someone spend a month wearing nothing but some of the cheapest gear and having them report on their performance.

I'm talking about skating on pantera's or 152's, playing w/ 5030's or Bauer 1000 woodies, blah blah blah......

Of course the stuff would have to fit and be the right curve, size, etc..........

We've all seen players wearing basically hand me down's or kmart stuff who could own at the rink (or at least I have).

This would do a lot to reverse the marketed mindset as well as save parents a lot of dough.

Just thinking out loud here. I don't actually expect anyone to try this, but is sure would be interesting. B)

[forsberg91 0]

Yeah I think that that would be very interesting. That would be cool if someone tried it.

[Grinder 2]

I think that the truly gifted players still shine no matter what they're wearing. We've all seen them playing pick up, I'm sure. I think the only effect the test might have on a talented player would be to give a few blisters from the cheap equipment, or maybe breaking a cheap chassis from working it too hard.

On the other side of the coin, I get a laugh out of the people who drop a ton of cash on top of the line equipment before they can even skate backwards. I was watching a friend's son play ice hockey a few months back (10 and 11 year olds) and was amazed to see some of the kids with composite one piece sticks. How does that make a difference for a kid that age as opposed to having a good old fashioned Sherwood made of white birch and pine? Not to say that people just learning shouldn't buy quality equipment, but there's a difference between quality and 'top of the line'.

It's like Grandma used to say: "That boy's got more dollars than sense."

[2-Keys 1]

isnt that the truth!!^^^ all teh kids on my brothers peewee team had better sticks than i did last year! technology will help to a point but you still have to be good to take advage of it. i think that if good players wore cheeper equipment they would still be good but the high end equipment jsut helps them preform even better.

[Project824 0]

I know plenty of guys who were studs in college who now used middle of the run equipment in men's league. Some do it because of weight, since they now no longer need a top of the line pad in non-check leagues. Some do it because it is hard to buy a pair of $150 pants or a $200 stick when you're trying to pay rent, car payments, insurance and student loans on an entry level salary.

Other than a few bruises in the odd spot that a pair of top of the line pants or shin guards would cover, I don't think you'd notice a huge difference EXCEPT for skates. Don't get me wrong, if they're good they'll still be good players, but putting a muscular 200 lbs. guy in a pair of Bauer Chargers is going to show. Those skates will break down in a matter ofa few skates and eventually become dangerous to use. In this case a pair of skates can really make you an ankle bender, since the ankle will literally bend.

Talent will still show though, it's the magician, not the wand.

[biff44 0]

The obvious 1st thing would be sticks. You can probably find 10 wood sticks on sale for the price of one new Easton!

[jjtt99 0]

This is a total guess, but I'd say equipment probably accounts for 5-10% of your performance.

JJ

[Tanner23 0]

Personally I Think the only equiment that really makes a differance in your preformance would be sticks and skates. the lighter the skates maybe a bit quicker stride but nothing to drastic and a lighter more expensive stick might help you get a shot off quicker. But thats about it IMO

[All Torhs Team 0]

I'm talking about skating on pantera's or 152's, playing w/ 5030's or Bauer 1000 woodies, blah blah blah......

Hey Hey i use a bauer 1000 and love it.....lets not be meanies.

any ways....my good friend does something similar to what your talking about...

instead of having the worst gear..he still wants to be safe so he gets the stupidest gear.

like green pants...orange gloves...one of those neon green helmets...purple soxs and he colors his sticks die dye.

and best of all...he is pretty good .

thought id share.

[Neo5370 132]

On that note, I used to play w/ a kid who played roller in pajama pants. Funky, bright colored, plaid pajama pants.

He was sick though, so he could get away w/ it.

[JR Boucicaut 3773]

I used to play against a guy who played ice in Spongebob Squarepants pajama pants.

[Thockey17 1]

On that note, I used to play w/ a kid who played roller in pajama pants.  Funky, bright colored, plaid pajama pants.

He was sick though, so he could get away w/ it.

We have a ton of those kids. The pants range from plaid to christmas trees to popcorn. Im going to wear my playboy PJ's one day....

[Jim A 4]

I think most would agree that there needs to be a certain baseline of equipment..I can remember trying to skate on a pair of Bauer Turbo's when visiting a friend and it was just awful...but I could go back to some old Bauer 2000's and be ok if need be...

most of the other stuff for the weekend warrior, beer league..no longer playing full check, etc type of players..can go with some more mid range gear and not suffer anything since the game has changed..

I'll still shell out some good $ for stuff..but it lasts..my shin pads are nearly 10 years old..my previous pair of hockey pants nearly as old..

that being said..unfortunately I think a lot of the lesser players out there..get a bigger pickup from the OPS's...

I go back and forth on my sticks, mostly a shaft/blade combo and I have a woodie to break out when my hands just feel like stone....but have seen kids with no wrist, snap or feel..all of a sudden have a somewhat decent slapper with an OPS...it sort of like the widebody change in tennis about 15 years ago..where all of a sudden my dad buys a Wilson Hammer and anything that he can get his racket on seems to find its way back over the net....

agree on the kids who use gear before they need it...the people who used to call and order top of the line carbon speed boots for their kids at my former shop....really how much carbon does a 6 year old need?? there are times i know i'm getting old when I think that players should at least go through a progression of wood, shaft/wood, shaft/carbon, XX type OPS..then XN10 etc...like a surfer moves up through the boards...

[blues_91 0]

When my 8090 blade broke during a game i had a Flite Elite Peak rental skate on my rigyht foot and a 8090 on my left foot, and I kinda had to drag my right foot, I suspect its more because of the horrible sharpening on the Elite Peak though.

[hunter4oz 0]

youd think that they would want their kids using a heavier skate instead of always using the lightest stuff to strengthen thier legs

[hockechamp14 0]

I think the better example than using low-end stuff, is to use old gear that is still reasonable usable. So basically like a 3030 bauer stick (it wouldn't make sense to use an OLD wood stick, because they kinda go bad), Tube runner CCM Tacks --maybe that's going a little too far... (my dad is seriously thinking about wearing his again), then whatever for gloves, the bauer SDP has been the same for about 10 years in the pros, old tackla 5000's (my dad knew the capitals equiment manager, and has an old blue pair with the red and white stars :D). Because these days, the lower end gloves, skates, and pants aren't designed to have some of the better players use them, so someone could end up getting hurt because of that.

[PJLime 0]

I sometimes play roller at a place that used to be a roller skating rink and converted to a roller hockey rink. There are bunch of old guys that play every week that just use the old quad skates that the place still has sitting around. They get the job done, I guess.