Easton Pro Pants: An Odyssey

[bUcKcH0y 0]

[being new to MSH I figured I'd offer a small glimpse into my gear obsession. Mods: If this should be in another form please move it.]

It all began so innocently at the end of December in the year 2004. I had never purchased any type of pro stock hockey gear and just stumbled upon a pair of Phoenix Coyotes Easton AIR pants on eBay. I really dug the whacky coyote head logo on the pants and the size 52 seemed right. I eagerly awaited their arrival after winning the auction and was immediately disappointed when they were delivered. I tried them on and as much as I wanted them to fit, they were simply too large. But now I was hooked, locked in on a pair of Easton AIR pro pants. No other pant was going to satisfy my hunger. Little did I know what I had gotten myself into.

I began obsessively searching eBay and hockey equipment sites for the elusive treasure. Easton pants came and went and always were in the wrong size and wrong color/team. It was during this search that I further refined my requirements: Easton, navy, no team logo, NHL shield, and size 50.

My next acquisition matched all my criteria until the pants arrived. They were another size 52 and not the advertised size 50. I tried to suck it up and wear them, even trying suspenders, but it was like I had a barrel around my waist. Out they went.

I carried on my search. Hopeful that one day I would find what I was looking for and that day finally came. It was a random Saturday evening and I was waiting for the wife to finish getting ready to go out for dinner. I hit the East/West Hockey website for the umpteenth thousandth time and there they were: Easton Pro Return Hockey Pants. Brand new. My color. My size. I couldn't get through the order process fast enough. This was it, I told myself, I had finally reached the end of my journey.

I had one of those brutal days at work and had forgotten that the pants were delivered to the house that afternoon. As I pulled into the driveway and saw the box on the porch, my day brightened. I got the box inside and carefully opened it. I pulled out the bag containing the pants and checked the label: NHL AIR Pant - Florida Panthers - Size 50. So far so good. I took the pants out and looked them over. Immediately a sense of dread filled me, they looked way too small to be a size 50. I checked the tag inside the pants, and my heart sank, the tag read size 48. I quickly dialed EWH but they had sold out of all size 50 navy pants. NEWMAN!

I squeezed into the size 48 pants and they worked ok. Still every time I put them on, I was reminded that they weren't exactly what I wanted. I pushed on with the search.

Before I discovered automated auction sniping programs I had a miss on a pair of navy size 50's. I'd set my alarm and gone to bed, planning to get up and win the auction. When the alarm rang, I turned it off, decided to sleep just a couple of more minutes, but I never woke up again that night. The next thing I knew the sun was up and I had lost out again.

I finally got my hands on a pair of Blues pro return Easton pants in size 50. I know they were from the Blues because I could see the stitching holes where the Blues logo had been. What I didn't know was that Easton had changed the sizing on their pro pants. The 50 was now a large and I again had a barrel around my waist. My search for the needle in the haystack continued.

Taking a break from doing yard work on a Saturday this past August I jumped on eBay to see if I could finally track down the pants. I did!!! There they were, new Easton pro return navy pants in size 48 (Yes I recognized the irony right away). This time it all worked out and life was good again. Although I did have to find other ways to kill time at work now that I wasn't searching high and low for the pants.

The joy was short lived. Under doctor's orders I have been getting healthier and losing weight. Since Easton pro pants are roomy to begin with, my beloved pants are beginning to get too big for me as I shed pounds. During the fall, under the wife's orders, I cleaned out my inventory in the basement, including the size 48 pants that would probably fit me now. Alas, I am on the prowl again.

My wife is convinced that I'm insane and will probably have me committed the next time a pair of hockey pants are delivered to the house. After proofreading this, I think I agree.

[TBLfan 25]

Do you have cliff notes for this novel? I'm not sure what you want us to talk about, I got bored around chapter 5.

[KABAROV 0]

LOL good story. I'm sure this describes at least half of this forum for at least one piece of equipment.

[chrisk 1]

I was just bidding on a pair of 8090's on ebay. I rearranged my whole day so I could be available for the final minutes of the auction. My wife asked me to go the store for baby food. When I protested, I got that look. I lost them and ever since I have been on the prowl.

On a side note, I do have a pair of navy nylon prostock eagle CP94's scheduled for delivery today that I have looking for for a couple of months.

Another interesting thing is I was reading the post on the pro defender shoulder pads, the ones with the removable caps. At the beginning of the thread, when no one was able to get them, I side to myself I want those shoulder pads. As I read on and discovered that you could buy them at hockeymonkey, I lost interest. It is the chase I'm after.

There should be a AA meeting for this.

[djosbun 0]

I liked reading your post, because you actually have good command of the English language.

[Kachun 1]

I've got a question for you, what did you do with all the pants that you bought that didn't work out? lol

[EKss 0]

LOL good story and good luck

[NuggyBuggy 0]

I'm not sure what you want us to talk about, I got bored around chapter 5.

I found this to be one of the more interesting posts I've read here in a while. The guy's obsessed with a pair of pants and goes to the four corners of the Earth to find them, and manages to detail the whole process in an articulate and - to me - entertaining fashion. I particularly liked the line "I did have to find other ways to kill time at work now that I wasn't searching high and low for the pants". I know that empty feeling, my friend, and my advice is - there is always porn.

Sure beat reading about some guy's Flyweight shafts for the umpteenth time.

[JR Boucicaut 3806]

I'm not sure what you want us to talk about, I got bored around chapter 5.

I found this to be one of the more interesting posts I've read here in a while. The guy's obsessed with a pair of pants and goes to the four corners of the Earth to find them, and manages to detail the whole process in an articulate and - to me - entertaining fashion. I particularly liked the line "I did have to find other ways to kill time at work now that I wasn't searching high and low for the pants". I know that empty feeling, my friend, and my advice is - there is always porn.

Sure beat reading about some guy's Flyweight shafts for the umpteenth time.

Oh, that hurt.

[beerleaguecaptain 1001]

I sooo know how you feel and I enjoyed reading your post. I have taken a few steps to help me with my own addiction.

1. I have a seperate "slush" fund bank account that I hide from the wife. I siphon off money every week or so into it.

2. I now ship to the office and not to home. I never leave plastic wrappers or boxers around the house.

It works for me.....

[lampliter87 8]

There are people on this site that borderline have a problem.

[B19Kress 0]

There are people on this site that borderline have a problem.

I think this line you speak of was passed long ago

[raygunpk 0]

I sooo know how you feel and I enjoyed reading your post. I have taken a few steps to help me with my own addiction.

1. I have a seperate "slush" fund bank account that I hide from the wife. I siphon off money every week or so into it.

2. I now ship to the office and not to home. I never leave plastic wrappers or boxers around the house.

It works for me.....

That's borderline financial infidelity, and that's a bit of a problem.. what if she found out?

[Fletch 219]

Buckchoy's a good guy.....take it easy on him ;)

Oh, and TBL - strangely enough, he is the original (non-pro) owner of the Blue Easton 4-rolls I sold ya last year....heh.

[TBLfan 25]

Those are up in NY nowadays. ;)

[JohnnyCanuck 0]

Great Post!

I feel like that with the Mission NME Nine-1 skates, except I haven't the foggiest idea what size I am. My buddiy's 10 DA feel too narrow, but I have nothing to compare them to, since my LHS's don't want to bring them in unless they can guarantee they will sell, which they cannot, so I am on the hook for them if they bring them in, in fact: they won't bring them in until I have paid for them, final sale.

I feel your pain. Because I know on the inside I want them because:

1) They are rare

2) The thrill of the chase

even though the Bauer's will probably feel and perform better over the long haul

:(

[pantherfan 0]

Awesome first topic, I'm always on the look out for a bunch of things but most recently it's not been any specific item but more so the unique items that popup on eBay every so often.

[beerleaguecaptain 1001]

I sooo know how you feel and I enjoyed reading your post. I have taken a few steps to help me with my own addiction.

1. I have a seperate "slush" fund bank account that I hide from the wife. I siphon off money every week or so into it.

2. I now ship to the office and not to home. I never leave plastic wrappers or boxers around the house.

It works for me.....

That's borderline financial infidelity, and that's a bit of a problem.. what if she found out?

Hmmmm.... could happen. I guess I'd have to lie to cover it up!! Choices... gear.. honety... gear... honesty.... Ah, heck. I'll just try not to get caught!!!

[tyson_two 0]

i have the same problem with Bauer/NikeBauer prostock pants. Currently have 2 pairs of Canucks pants, a Senators pant, and a Coyotes pant. Not nearly as bad as you I just get the large and as long as they fit the uppers i'm good to go.

[acthomas 0]

very entertaining story, i have to ask though, how much better are pro stock pants than retail? also, throughout your journey what would you say the average cost was for pro stock pants?

[bUcKcH0y 0]

I'm easily well over $500 invested in Easton Pants. Although I did get one pair for $60 shipped. This doesn't include money spent on trying out the other brands (CCM, Nike/Bauer, Franklin). I've had em all. Personally, it's both a protection and a look thing. I despise the look of most retail pants with piping/stripes and logos all over the place. Playing defense, between pucks and sticks, the pro stock pants are like body armor, I never feel anything. I can't say the same for when I had retail pants.

[acthomas 0]

sweeet, thanks for the tips man, glad to hear it all worked out in the end haha

[bUcKcH0y 0]

I've got a question for you, what did you do with all the pants that you bought that didn't work out? lol

eBay