Vegas!

[Invert 13]

*The multitudes of new, smaller companies that should be selling direct instead of to dealers

Demolition seemed to be a perfect example of this. It seemed to be a very good stick, if the $99 price point is where it stays, then it is a very good value. It looked and felt very similar to the Revision Viceroy stick and is selling $50 cheaper.

[Chadd 916]

What'd everyone think of that Salming Stick? I think it was the NXT...the one with the offset type taper. Very strange to me.

It's interesting, Hespeler did it with a wood stick more than a decade ago and it failed at that time. I thought the stick with the thinner taper was more interesting.

Also second Chad on the BattleAxe "coming soon" stuff...they have some great stuff coming. The BX-10 Glove was one of the most impressive gloves i've ever seen for $119.99. It was basically a semi-traditional 4 roll with a cuff like Eagle gloves. Very impressive for the price.

I thought the gloves were really, really bad at any price. Probably the worst gloves at the show. The palm on the carbon model was nice, but the fingers were so blocky and chunky that you couldn't close your hand without the fingers interfering with each other.

[Lufria 1]

What'd everyone think of that Salming Stick? I think it was the NXT...the one with the offset type taper. Very strange to me.

It's interesting, Hespeler did it with a wood stick more than a decade ago and it failed at that time. I thought the stick with the thinner taper was more interesting.

Also second Chad on the BattleAxe "coming soon" stuff...they have some great stuff coming. The BX-10 Glove was one of the most impressive gloves i've ever seen for $119.99. It was basically a semi-traditional 4 roll with a cuff like Eagle gloves. Very impressive for the price.

I thought the gloves were really, really bad at any price. Probably the worst gloves at the show. The palm on the carbon model was nice, but the fingers were so blocky and chunky that you couldn't close your hand without the fingers interfering with each other.

Perhaps just choice then on the glove. I mean, it's by no means a Eagle x-70 or Warrior Franchise, but that also being said, their glove was $120. I personally didn't think it was entirely that bad.

Sublitwill - yay for John...he's done the same thing to me numerous times. Really a shame.

Here's a question for everyone at the show...best stick at the show?

[Chadd 916]

What'd everyone think of that Salming Stick? I think it was the NXT...the one with the offset type taper. Very strange to me.

It's interesting, Hespeler did it with a wood stick more than a decade ago and it failed at that time. I thought the stick with the thinner taper was more interesting.

Also second Chad on the BattleAxe "coming soon" stuff...they have some great stuff coming. The BX-10 Glove was one of the most impressive gloves i've ever seen for $119.99. It was basically a semi-traditional 4 roll with a cuff like Eagle gloves. Very impressive for the price.

I thought the gloves were really, really bad at any price. Probably the worst gloves at the show. The palm on the carbon model was nice, but the fingers were so blocky and chunky that you couldn't close your hand without the fingers interfering with each other.

Perhaps just choice then on the glove. I mean, it's by no means a Eagle x-70 or Warrior Franchise, but that also being said, their glove was $120. I personally didn't think it was entirely that bad.

Sublitwill - yay for John...he's done the same thing to me numerous times. Really a shame.

Here's a question for everyone at the show...best stick at the show?

I wouldn't pay $50 for those gloves and everyone I talked to said the same thing. I'm honestly surprised that anyone liked them. As for the best stick, how can you judge that without using them? Judging all the sticks at the show is nothing more than a beauty contest unless you've taken shots with them all.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

What'd everyone think of that Salming Stick? I think it was the NXT...the one with the offset type taper. Very strange to me.

It's interesting, Hespeler did it with a wood stick more than a decade ago and it failed at that time. I thought the stick with the thinner taper was more interesting.

Also second Chad on the BattleAxe "coming soon" stuff...they have some great stuff coming. The BX-10 Glove was one of the most impressive gloves i've ever seen for $119.99. It was basically a semi-traditional 4 roll with a cuff like Eagle gloves. Very impressive for the price.

I thought the gloves were really, really bad at any price. Probably the worst gloves at the show. The palm on the carbon model was nice, but the fingers were so blocky and chunky that you couldn't close your hand without the fingers interfering with each other.

Perhaps just choice then on the glove. I mean, it's by no means a Eagle x-70 or Warrior Franchise, but that also being said, their glove was $120. I personally didn't think it was entirely that bad.

Sublitwill - yay for John...he's done the same thing to me numerous times. Really a shame.

Here's a question for everyone at the show...best stick at the show?

Match that glove vs a Bauer 4-Roll or a CCM 4R or a TPS R8...which are cheaper, but I could keep on going.

Those things were hideous.

[Lufria 1]

Fair enough on the gloves - hard to argue with Chadd and JR, lol.

For sticks, the Brooklynite high end ops was pretty nice to shoot with. They had that blow up thing where you could shoot their equipment.

For feel just based on holding them, as usual the Combat 52 cal probably still is my favorite, but that's just my bias getting into it.

[Doozy8 6]

What'd everyone think of that Salming Stick? I think it was the NXT...the one with the offset type taper. Very strange to me.

It's interesting, Hespeler did it with a wood stick more than a decade ago and it failed at that time. I thought the stick with the thinner taper was more interesting.

Also second Chad on the BattleAxe "coming soon" stuff...they have some great stuff coming. The BX-10 Glove was one of the most impressive gloves i've ever seen for $119.99. It was basically a semi-traditional 4 roll with a cuff like Eagle gloves. Very impressive for the price.

I thought the gloves were really, really bad at any price. Probably the worst gloves at the show. The palm on the carbon model was nice, but the fingers were so blocky and chunky that you couldn't close your hand without the fingers interfering with each other.

Perhaps just choice then on the glove. I mean, it's by no means a Eagle x-70 or Warrior Franchise, but that also being said, their glove was $120. I personally didn't think it was entirely that bad.

Sublitwill - yay for John...he's done the same thing to me numerous times. Really a shame.

Here's a question for everyone at the show...best stick at the show?

As for the best stick, how can you judge that without using them? Judging all the sticks at the show is nothing more than a beauty contest unless you've taken shots with them all.

How many booths let you take shots with their stick? Maybe 1? ;-)

[Chadd 916]

How many booths let you take shots with their stick? Maybe 1? ;-)

I would like to see more people doing that.

[Lufria 1]

considering the only shows i've been to are the onegoal in cobo and this one, do they typically have somethign like that setup or available? At the one goal they had that shooting machine that had lots of gloves and sticks to try. Plus it was a pretty neat thing to see - measured accuracy, speed, reaction time, etc

[Doozy8 6]

How many booths let you take shots with their stick? Maybe 1? ;-)

I would like to see more people doing that.

I was just being sarcastic, but hey we have good insight and we want people to be able to try our product :D

[Chadd 916]

How many booths let you take shots with their stick? Maybe 1? ;-)

I would like to see more people doing that.

I was just being sarcastic, but hey we have good insight and we want people to be able to try our product :D

There have been others in the past, though not usually with the blow up funhouse. :)

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

Not to mention the high targets. It wasn't regulation!

[Doozy8 6]

How many booths let you take shots with their stick? Maybe 1? ;-)

I would like to see more people doing that.

I was just being sarcastic, but hey we have good insight and we want people to be able to try our product :D

There have been others in the past, though not usually with the blow up funhouse. :)

I am sure it wasn't the first time, but we did what we could and we tried to make it fun. I think it got a good response though.

Not to mention the high targets. It wasn't regulation!

Man we're getting picky now....LOL :P

[Chadd 916]

Those top shelf targets were over Joe's head, that's at least four inches too high.

[Doozy8 6]

Those top shelf targets were over Joe's head, that's at least four inches too high.

At least!!! :lol:

[Invert 13]

The models at the Brooklynite booth were telling me that I had the highest goal total at 4. I felt good for that. I'd probably give their high-end OPS best of show, I think a lot of people would be pretty happy with that stick if they'd give it a shot.

[Miseaujeu 291]

More models being used in booths than ever before. Looks like Warrior is having some effect on the industry! LOL Speaking of Warrior, got a chance to talk a few minutes with Keith from Warrior; always a great guy!

Nice to see you too Marz...and to think, we DIDN'T have any models. We're all growns up.

[Doozy8 6]

The models at the Brooklynite booth were telling me that I had the highest goal total at 4. I felt good for that. I'd probably give their high-end OPS best of show, I think a lot of people would be pretty happy with that stick if they'd give it a shot.

Thanks Invert, we appreciate ur honest opinion about our Flow stick. I am sure we must have met at the booth. What we should have done was have a contest where the highest % shooter wins a OPS. Maybe next year.

[DarkStar50 679]

I did not go to Vegas but based on what I have read here about the lack of innovation or a "Wow" product to be found this year, perhaps the economy is a factor in this, too. In this market with numbers down or flat lining, the vendors that are on the edge will also be taking less risk in what they bring to market. Certainly,as mentioned, without Bauer and Easton there to show off new skate, protective, and helmet product, there is a large hole in the show when it comes to seeing some exciting new product from the major players.

[UMWhockey 0]

yeah, but in the last couple years, we wern't looking to a bauer or easton for a "wow" product as dealers had seen that product before we had gotten to the show. I think back to a KOR skate or something of that nature that just really steals the show and I just didn't see anything like that this year. Blackstone had a very busy booth, but it wasn't anything new, just people finding out about it late

[DarkStar50 679]

Weak economy>less capital for risk takers=no new innovations. Make a mistake>get burned=out of business. The only guys out there with something new I can think of are MLX. However, how long before they come to the marketplace with product and at what price to consumers?

[Chadd 916]

Weak economy>less capital for risk takers=no new innovations. Make a mistake>get burned=out of business. The only guys out there with something new I can think of are MLX. However, how long before they come to the marketplace with product and at what price to consumers?

At the same time we're seeing a lot more people entering the market because it is so easy to put your name on a generic stick from China.

[DarkStar50 679]

That's good to know. Do you feel that NHL exposure is the key for these start-ups to survive and grow their business or can they make it in the marketplace without that ingredient?

[Chadd 916]

That's good to know. Do you feel that NHL exposure is the key for these start-ups to survive and grow their business or can they make it in the marketplace without that ingredient?

Depends on the company. NHL exposure is only needed to compete at the volume of Easton, Bauer and RBK. I think the biggest mistake smaller companies make is chasing NHL players too fast. Unless you're coming in with Warrior type money and product, slow growth is probably the best bet.

[DarkStar50 679]

Is slow growth sustainable? Perhaps this should be moved to another area. Not exactly Vegas related.