Gear Question!

[LongDrive 0]

Hi Everyone!

I don't know if this is the best place to be asking this question, but I am slightly desperate, and would appreciate any help possible. I just found this board after posting this question at another forum, and it seems like an invaluable resource!

I am an american Expat living in Australia and am going to start playing Ice Hockey again after a ten year hiatus, in hopes of a new rink being built here in Melbourne. It would be financially unfeasable for me to get new gear here, but in a few weeks I am going back to the states for a Visit (San Fran, Portland, Seattle, New York + Vancouver) And would like to pick up my gear there and mail it back to Aus.

My question is whether anyone could possibly recommend a good shop in any of the above listed cities where I can get some affordable gear (Everything, Skates + the lot...) I like the prices I see online, but I have no idea what my size would be, and I dont think I would be comfortable going into a pro shop to get fitted and then walk out and get everything online, even if I did order online, I'm not confident that I could get the right fit without being there.

If anyone has any suggestions in the metro areas of one of the cities listed above, I would be in your debt. Thank you very much!

Best,

Jeremy

[Krog7d7 0]

Hi Everyone!

I don't know if this is the best place to be asking this question, but I am slightly desperate, and would appreciate any help possible. I just found this board after posting this question at another forum, and it seems like an invaluable resource!

I am an american Expat living in Australia and am going to start playing Ice Hockey again after a ten year hiatus, in hopes of a new rink being built here in Melbourne. It would be financially unfeasable for me to get new gear here, but in a few weeks I am going back to the states for a Visit (San Fran, Portland, Seattle, New York + Vancouver) And would like to pick up my gear there and mail it back to Aus.

My question is whether anyone could possibly recommend a good shop in any of the above listed cities where I can get some affordable gear (Everything, Skates + the lot...) I like the prices I see online, but I have no idea what my size would be, and I dont think I would be comfortable going into a pro shop to get fitted and then walk out and get everything online, even if I did order online, I'm not confident that I could get the right fit without being there.

If anyone has any suggestions in the metro areas of one of the cities listed above, I would be in your debt. Thank you very much!

Best,

Jeremy

Where about in SF are you going to be? If you're coming down into the San Jose area I have a few places you can go.

[gymmonster 4]

if you come to Vancouver, check out the hockey shop. http://thehockeyshop.com

cyclone taylor (http://cyclonetaylor.com/index-us.html)

and West Coast Sports in Coquitlam (suburb of vancouver)

[SR27 0]

And if you´re planning to send it by a forwarder just give me a pm. We have a branch in Vancouver :P

[LongDrive 0]

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses! This is truly a huge help!

Krog: I will just be around the city in San Fran + Berkeley (sp). Only spending a few days in each place, so not sure if I can get to San Jose.

Gymmonster: Have had lots of people tell me about the hockeyshop. Is it easily accessible from the CBD?

In terms of gear, especially skates, I feel so out of the loop since I last went shopping over ten years ago for my Micron 90s! I can't beleive the choice that is out there. Since I am on a really tight budget, and have to spend a small packet to actually ship it out to Australia, are there any specific models of skate (manufacturers, across the board) that I should be looking at? I know this is a bit of a diversion from the main question at hand, but would be equally helpful

Thanks everyone again for your help!

Best,

Jeremy

[Krog7d7 0]

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses! This is truly a huge help!

Krog: I will just be around the city in San Fran + Berkeley (sp). Only spending a few days in each place, so not sure if I can get to San Jose.

Gymmonster: Have had lots of people tell me about the hockeyshop. Is it easily accessible from the CBD?

In terms of gear, especially skates, I feel so out of the loop since I last went shopping over ten years ago for my Micron 90s! I can't beleive the choice that is out there. Since I am on a really tight budget, and have to spend a small packet to actually ship it out to Australia, are there any specific models of skate (manufacturers, across the board) that I should be looking at? I know this is a bit of a diversion from the main question at hand, but would be equally helpful

Thanks everyone again for your help!

Best,

Jeremy

In Berkeley try here;

http://www.berkeleyiceland.com/index.cfm

The have a pro shop. This should be well within range of stopping in.

This one is in Oakland.

http://www.oaklandice.com/

It's a little farther than Berkeley but close enough.

Hope that helps.

[jbyun04 7]

if ur comin here come to surrey and goto:

The Hockey Shop

Docksteader Sports

in Vancouver theres

Cyclone Taylor

Larry's Sports

The Sports Exchange

Sports Junkies

Coquitlam:

Cyclone Taylor

West Coast Sports

Burnaby:

8-Rinks Pro Shop

Richmond:

Cyclone Taylor outlet

your top 2 choices would probably be Cyclone Taylors and The Hockey Shop though

[the iceman 132]

Richmond:

Ice Level Sports

[gymmonster 4]

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses! This is truly a huge help!

Krog: I will just be around the city in San Fran + Berkeley (sp). Only spending a few days in each place, so not sure if I can get to San Jose.

Gymmonster: Have had lots of people tell me about the hockeyshop. Is it easily accessible from the CBD?

In terms of gear, especially skates, I feel so out of the loop since I last went shopping over ten years ago for my Micron 90s! I can't beleive the choice that is out there. Since I am on a really tight budget, and have to spend a small packet to actually ship it out to Australia, are there any specific models of skate (manufacturers, across the board) that I should be looking at? I know this is a bit of a diversion from the main question at hand, but would be equally helpful

Thanks everyone again for your help!

Best,

Jeremy

By CBD I assume you mean the central business district of vancouver? If that is the case, you can take the skytrain http://translink.bc.ca from downtown vancouver to surrey where the hockey shop is. Takes about 30 minutes I believe. If you want I can help you around Vancouver when you come visit. Just shoot me a PM. If you come around Late november or mid december I will be working at the Canada Revenue Agency in downtown Vancouver for the beginning of tax season but I live in Coquitlam so I could always help you out with shops around the general area between the two cities.

If you're staying in downtown vancouver check out sport exchange on Burrard Street. It's very accessable by public transportation from the dowtown area.

In terms of equipment....are the prices really that drastically different from North America and Australia?

Perhaps you can compare prices. Off the top of my head......

At West coast sports in Coquitlam

Kor Skates are about $600 at Hockey Shop

Bauer 8090 Skates are going for $400 CDN

Bauer XX Skate for $399

Easton Stealth non grip is $299 I believe

Bauer XXX stick is $249

Easton SL is $199 I think

Easton ST is $179 I think

RBK 7k is almost $300

TPS is about $279

Bauer 8000 series Helemt is $139 at Source for Sports

Oakley Visors go for about $79-90

CCM 652 is going for $39.99 right now at Cyclones actually

I bought a pair of Supreme 3000 gloves for $99 at Cyclone

I believe they sell the XXX gloves for $149?

Eagle X70 at Source for Sports was going for $179

[thunderbirds_are_go 0]

Prices of hockey gear are hugely inflated in Australia compared to North America - they're even worse than New Zealand, where I am! As for Vancouver shops looks like all the ones I visited are covered. The Hockey Shop is very easy to find - it's right next to the skytrain station in Surrey. The Sports Exchange on Burrard (in the CBD) had a lot of closeout and pro stock gear when I was there, and Cyclone Taylor on Oak Street south of downtown is pretty easy to get to by bus too.

[jjtt99 0]

My two cents for equipment shopping in Vancouver:

PROTECTIVE

The Sports Exchange

http://www.the-sports-exchange.com/

What you see on their website is what they have in the store. From the heart of Vancouver's downtown core, it's an easy 15 minute bus ride, or a 5-10 minute taxi ride.

SKATES

Cyclone Taylor

http://www.cyclonetaylor.com/

Unlike The Sports Exchange, the products on Cyclone Taylor's website doesn't accurately reflect what they have in store. But Cyclone's in-store skate selection is excellent.

From the heart of Vancouver's downtown core, Cyclone Taylor would be a 20-30 minute bus ride because I think you'd have to transfer buses. If you took a taxi it would likely be a 20 minute ride because thier store is about half way between downtown and the airport.

Both shops sell everything so if you were going to choose one, I'd go with Cyclone due to the skate selection. Unfortunately, The Sports Exchange is not so great in the skate department.

As for some of the other suggestions, they're out in the suburbs so unless you have transportation it could be tough slogging.

Good luck!

[jbyun04 7]

Kor Skates are about $600 at Hockey Shop

Bauer 8090 Skates are going for $400 CDN

Bauer XX Skate for $399

Easton Stealth non grip is $299 I believe

Bauer XXX stick is $249

Easton SL is $199 I think

Easton ST is $179 I think

RBK 7k is almost $300

TPS is about $279

Bauer 8000 series Helemt is $139 at Source for Sports

Oakley Visors go for about $79-90

CCM 652 is going for $39.99 right now at Cyclones actually

I bought a pair of Supreme 3000 gloves for $99 at Cyclone

I believe they sell the XXX gloves for $149?

Eagle X70 at Source for Sports was going for $179

if your coming to surrey for The Hockey Shop by skytrain, find any skytrain, take it to Surrey Central, get off, go down the stairs and follow the Skytrain path that takes you down town and you should see it right there, it's beside a library.

prices @ the hockey shop

Kors are $600

Bauer 8090 $399

XX's are $399

Bauer 8000s $349

Stealth w/o Grips are $269 and with grip are $289

XXXs are $249

SL is $209

SL Grip is $219

ST is $199

8000 Helmets are $149

Oakleys are $79 (visors)

RBK 8k buckets are $199

XXX Gloves are $179

etc;

[Aggie 9]

In Oakland (south of Berkeley), the biggest shop is probably Hockey X-Sport, which is near the Oakland airport.