Indelible Paint on Pads: Headstrong Grafx & Warrior

[Law Goalie 147]

A few days ago, at the Professional Trainers' conference in Florida, well-known mask artist Headstrong Grafx showed off a pair of Warrior Ritual pads with a paint job that apparently won't rub off:

To address the obvious question:

I cant really post how I do it on here cause thats what will set us apart from the rest. I do know that these will hold up because of the paint process I use. Feel free to email me I'd be glad to ta ya how.

This also came up in an InGoal magazine feature:

We would expect more than a few questions about wear and tear on the artwork – so we asked for you. Headstrong’s Jason Livery told InGoal, “I use a specific sealer, exclusive to Headstrong Grafx, that will protect the artwork and will last longer than the pads do. You will see some wear as your pads break in and get used but the artwork will hold up very well.”

Now, this has been tried a few times before. RBK tried it with their short-lived 'Graffiti' series in the 6K line, and Prism did some work with graphical appliqués before that; neither were especially successful, in part because of artistic limitations imposed by their processes, but mainly because the stuff would smudge and rub off entirely. Headstrong claims to have licked that problem.

Leaving aside, for the moment, whether you like the particular image above -- remember, it was designed to catch the eye of professional trainers, and my guess is that it worked -- this has essentially blown the doors off pad design. All the limitations are gone: you have an evenly split, independently mobile 22"x38" (approx.) canvas, and the sky's the limit. The only limitations would be those of any airbrush artist.

At this point, there's nothing definite on Warrior's connection to this, but this is exactly the kind of high-end aesthetic touch they've brought to hockey all along -- again, whether or not you like the particular images they've chosen, they have raised the focus on it.

Personally, I'm less interested in the possibilities of 'mask-style' painting than in fine detail: you could do some incredible geometric patterns.

[Axxion89 32]

I don't like it, it looks cheesey and it probably would cost as much as the pads to get the paint job (speculation). If its something somebody would want to try out then go for it but I'd rather put the money into a custom set of gear and have all the colors I want selected and choose a brand with a nice pattern.

[Law Goalie 147]

Oh, yeah, it's absolutely a frill -- and while I'd agree with your priorities, were money no object, I think there'd be at least as much interest in this as in mask painting. I think your estimate of what a design of that relative complexity would cost is basically on the money, considering what a mask painting costs. I think in this case the subject is catching a lot of people the wrong way; the potential is there.

[hunt3rsean 44]

I'm no goalie, so my thought process is coming from me being a forward. But, what advantage can this have if design is done as a "camo" type image. Have the artist do a net type design across the pads against a white background to try and confuse/fool a shooter? Maybe try to mirror the blue paint to throw a shooter off by trying to confuse his depth perception?? Basically, like shooter sticks have gone to a white color to try and hide it form the goalie....let the goalie pads work the same way.

I think the "idea" is cool in theory as far as having an image on the goalie's pads...I think it offers some interesting aspects as far as geometric designs, but I'm not sure we see pro goalies coming into a new season with some personalized graphics on his pads. I just don't see pro hockey being that flashy yet. Now, for the well-to-do adult rec league player? Maybe. Or as a collectors item most definitely.

[Law Goalie 147]

That's a good idea, but no paint will come close to Stomp MFG's 'Goalieflage' with actual netting on the face of the gear :

I wouldn't be surpised to see a few pros start painting their pads; they're pretty used to the idea of mask painting, and as long as it holds up as described, I think there should be a good level of interest.

[hunt3rsean 44]

That's a good idea, but no paint will come close to Stomp MFG's 'Goalieflage' with actual netting on the face of the gear :

I wouldn't be surpised to see a few pros start painting their pads; they're pretty used to the idea of mask painting, and as long as it holds up as described, I think there should be a good level of interest.

haha Yes! This is actually what made me think of the camo paint job idea. I just couldn't remember where I had seen that picture before. Thanks for finding that.

[RussianDangler15 0]

Ok I want to see brick wall pads.