2013 Easton Hockey Catalogue

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php?/files/file/149-2013-easton-hockey-catalogue/

We covered the majority of this in the Vegas Show thread, so this is primarily a copy/paste job from that thread, however, added the R800 to the helmet section as we were told to hold off on details until Dec 1.

Sticks - The Mako 2 replaces the Mako; starting off with shaft; it's lighter than its predecessor, and it's slightly concaved with texture. Also, using uni-directional fibers which make it stronger and lighter, and smoother. Blade has been lightened as well, and the ribs are actually shifted a bit upward increasing the area where puck meets blade. As mentioned, the Scott Bjudstad/Kreps E28 is the new pattern for 2013 - 12mm 1/2" lie 5 open toe curve. Available in stores in February, but however, may be January.

The M5 is the latest revision of the ST concept; it is now the same weight as the 2011 Mako; also built to the CHL/European stronger-built spec.

Another story Easton is trying to tell, especially with the Hall and E28 patterns is lie - open curves and beveled toe rockers have a secondary lie on the toe which transitions into the main lie as the best way to shoot with those patterns is to pull the puck back by turning it downward then loading the shaft.

Skates - there has been some details of the Mako skate released so far; as previously stated, it's the ready-for-primetime version of the MLX concept. We sat down with Neil Wensley and Dave Cruikshank to discuss it. Fit profile is the same. The base of the skate is still one piece however the plastic is molded (together with the carbon in manufacturing) around the toebox and the toecap. You see two "windows" of the carbon on top of the toecap. The whole toecap is widened as well and much more ergonomic. The tongue is attached, and extends into the toecap to the point where it curves down, eliminating negative space in there and giving comfort. The asymmetrical pattern of the boot is still present, as well as rolled edges on top for comfort. The tongue is felt with a lace-bite guard. The tendon guard is flexible of course, and can be removed (however, it's got stronger loctite on it)

We both tried on the boot - I was in an 11D (I probably could drop down to 10.5 with baking), and Chadd was in a 9.5 (but needed an EE.) For me, the skate felt comfortable, however, the skate is built with a higher arch and so I had pressure there. It would most likely flatten out with a bake. The CXN holder is also new - the steel follows the radius the MLX skate had, which was smooth and a 9'. The rear tower is raised slightly and coupled with the boot pitch, allows for an extremely aggressive stance. Mako is a standalone skate for 2013.

RS skate remains unchanged, however, a running change for the material on the inside top eyelets for prevent abrasion. The RS family also gains 4 siblings in the 85S, 75S, 65S and 55S.

Helmets - The new helmet for 2013 is the R800, which is based on the Riddell 360 football helmet, which was designed with concussion reduction in mind. When we saw the helmet in October, it was still being tweaked. It shares the same hexagonal liner that is in the 360 for energy dispersal, along with an air pump to blow up the bladders for a better fit. The liner that covers that is removable, moisture-resistant and anti-microbial - just pull it off and throw it in the wash. The profile of the helmet is the same as the S9/S17, however, the shell material is different than a standard hockey helmet. The R800 has much more padding thickness than a standard helmet as well - the sample size was a M and I couldn't put it on, but then again, it was still being refined at the time and was told it would be a bit thinner (but still will be thicker than standard.) The adjustment mechanism will be on top of the helmet, but once again, the sample didn't have that at the time. There will be a call-out to Riddell on the back of the helmet, in form of a bumper, just like on its football counterpart. The helmet will retail for $299.99 and will be available in the summer.

The E700 and down stay unchanged.

Gloves - New Mako gloves - the glove picture that was floating out there is an early revision of the concept, and while the concept is the same, aesthetically it's a bit different. The concept is called Fast Fingers - instead of having the breaks in the fingers on top of the glove, the breaks are actually wider and UNDER the finger. What this does is eliminate gaps in protection and actually follows the natural motion of the finger. Best way to look at it is to stick your hand out and look at the palm lines on your index finger. When you bend your finger, it compresses. Same concept. So, there's no backrolls on the face of the glove; it has one backroll on top and the four "fingers" seem to slide in and out of it, like a pocket. Like the RS before, some colorways look weird and some don't.

Protective - Shoulder pads are extremely interesting - it is a vest-style shoulder pad with a front entry; as in the chest place (which is ergonomic covering sternum and heart) comes apart and you put the pads on like a jacket. Once that is secure, the two straps that would normally be the conventional strapping method on shoulder pads, are attached to the spine pad and pulls the entire bottom of the shoulder pad together. The concept carries throughout the line, however NHL-spec shoulder caps on the Mako.

Elbows are a three-piece pad, with the elbow being two pieces. The cap of the elbow is pushed slightly back as well. The shin pad has a newly-designed knee as well - the break is lower so when it bends, you don't get that feeling as if the pad is sliding off, as it feels more secure on top. Also, the shin face is floating which helps with dispersion. The pants are extremely mobile; it has a 2-way belt system which sits on the hips - instead of having a belt that comes across your stomach, it actually stops at the ends. You pull each strap like a parachute chute and it holds it in place. Fully vented and different grade nylons in certain areas. RS line has new shoulder caps on them.

I apologize for the scan; I upgraded my Mac and the software I used before doesn't really play all that well with it. Have to figure out the best settings for it.

[x-axis 44]

Wow. The whole Easton Mako line from sticks, skates, and gloves made my jaw drop.

[steelnation248 101]

Definitely excited to see the new products that Easton is putting out. Can't wait to try them on in stores!

[HattrickSwayze 3]

Agreed, I'm really impressed with some of their new products. The Mako protective looks pretty interesting. I'm a little disappointed the E28 pattern is only going to be available on the Mako stick though.

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

That reminds me -

The Iginla pattern is going to be tweaked at some point in 2013, as part of their renaming of the patterns. They will go with E instead of P, but it'll take some time to sort it out. Believe it's going to be much closer to a P88 after that.

[perh4ps 1]

So stoked for the new mako stick and E28 pattern!

JR, how's the balance on the Mako 2? Similar to before, like the SE16?

And I would like to know what's the texture like on the shaft? Anything similar to something we've seen before?

Edited December 1, 2012 by perh4ps

[icewalker_bg 126]

I guess ill have to try the mako skate.

thank you very much for the upload.

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

I'll let you know in a week.

So stoked for the new mako stick and E28 pattern!

JR, how's the balance on the Mako 2? Similar to before, like the SE16?

And I would like to know what's the texture like on the shaft? Anything similar to something we've seen before?

[adam14 182]

Are the "pro" elbow pads modeled after the syNergy 700's?

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Didn't see them there but they sure do look like them.

[hellaavangard 33]

Agreed, I'm really impressed with some of their new products. The Mako protective looks pretty interesting. I'm a little disappointed the E28 pattern is only going to be available on the Mako stick though.

Same here, hopefully it sells well enough to trickle down to the ~$100 sticks, I also hope to see 60 flex intermediates in that pricepoint in the near future.

[Xero117 7]

My wish has finally been granted, a 60 flex stealth!

[th6252 25]

interesting that the mako skate sizing starts at 4. didn't think i'd be able to try it out as the early reports seem to be that sizing(at least length wise) seems to be in line with supreme...in which i'm a 5.5.

[Kyle Friedman 9]

Aww no, i really hope they don't change too much if anything about the iginla pattern. its my favorite curve iv ever used.

I thought it was a pretty popular curve? why would they be changing it?

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

I thought it was a pretty popular curve? why would they be changing it?

Because it wasn't as popular as you thought. :) The Heatley as well, just didn't really gain traction.

[Kyle Friedman 9]

Because it wasn't as popular as you thought. :) The Heatley as well, just didn't really gain traction.

Will the heatley be changed along with the iginla then?

[Chadd 916]

Will the heatley be changed along with the iginla then?

Heatley is gone. It suffered from being too similar to the Iginla and not being very widely offered. I'm not really a fan of where they told us they are going with their curves, but I'm not in the target demographic.

I'm a big fan of the new protective, especially the shoulder pads. Very simple and clean design, reminded me a lot of some of the older Jofa pads with some upgrades. The new Mako gloves are comfortable, but still a little odd in appearance to me.

[GiancarloSFL 15]

Is the E28 comparable to the old Chara?

[Chadd 916]

Is the E28 comparable to the old Chara?

No, it's basically the Kreps curve. Similar to the Ovi, but toned down a little to make it a little more usable.

[althoma1 575]

I'd love to try a Kreps curve as I do like toe curves with a 5 lie, however; I hope it isn't too open as I generallly prefer more of a neutral curve. It looks like a pretty nice curve from the pictures I've seen, but you never know if you're going to like a curve until you try it. I have a decent sized stockpile of Warrior Smyth blades and sticks, but those won't last forever and it looks like the Gionta may be disappearing soon as well as a retail curve (and I didn't like it quite as much as the Smyth after using a tapered blade for a few games - it was missing the toe bevel and was more open) so it's always nice seeing new mid-toe or toe curves with a lower lie. From the catalogue pictures it looks like it may even have a slight lower toe bevel.

The new Mako gloves and protective look interesting and I'm definitely interested in trying on some Mako skates to see if they fit my feet well. Again, I have a stockpile of what I know fits me well (KORs) that should last me quite some time, but it's nice to have options if they're ever needed.

The R800 helmet is also interesting - previously I was pretty sure I'd grab the new Bauer IMS 11.0 when I decide to buy my next helmet as I love the fit of my current M11 and the improved ventilation and addition of poron is appealing, but the R800 is intruiging as well and I'll definitely try it on. Of course $299 is a steep price so I'll probably wait for some reviews and feedback on both helmets before dropping that kind of coin (even then I'd probably wait for a good sale).

I wonder what the differences between the R800 and E700 cage are? They look the same and the description is the same...I guess maybe the sizes are a tweaked a little for each helmet. It's really a moot point for me though as I can't see going from a Titanium mask back to a regular one (currently using the itech and would likely switch to a RE-AKT if I ever needed to replace that).

No, it's basically the Kreps curve. Similar to the Ovi, but toned down a little to make it a little more usable.

Hmmm...not as promising as I thought then. I've tried the Ovi and found it to be waaaay too open. It'd have to be toned down quite a bit for it to be useable for me - not the curve itself as I love a good meat hook, but the amount of loft.

Edited April 6, 2013 by althoma1

[steelnation248 101]

I wish the Kreps was a 5.5 lie but we will have to see how big the rocker is in real life.

Althoma, I have a Kreps style pro pattern (so it could be different than what comes to retail) and even though it appears to me more open than the Sakic/Hall, I find it easier to keep my shots lower. I think the extra bit more at the toe helps with my shooting technique. It could be the flex though as well though (100 vs my usual 75.)

[GiancarloSFL 15]

I think that the E28 is right up my alley. I can't wait to see it in person.

[althoma1 575]

I wish the Kreps was a 5.5 lie but we will have to see how big the rocker is in real life.

Althoma, I have a Kreps style pro pattern (so it could be different than what comes to retail) and even though it appears to me more open than the Sakic/Hall, I find it easier to keep my shots lower. I think the extra bit more at the toe helps with my shooting technique. It could be the flex though as well though (100 vs my usual 75.)

I'll definitely try it if I have the chance to do so without shelling out for a top of the line stick (a demo opportunity or if a friend or team mate gets one), but I hope it's significantly less open than an Ovechkin pro curve.

[mojo122 535]

Looking forward to the new protective equipment. Never been a big fan of Easton gloves, but I actually like the look/concept of the Mako glove.

[Kyle Friedman 9]

Heatley is gone. It suffered from being too similar to the Iginla and not being very widely offered. I'm not really a fan of where they told us they are going with their curves, but I'm not in the target demographic.

I can understand dropping the heatley as it is very similar to an iginla but It doesnt sound like im going to be a fan of where they are going with their curves either. I really do like the iginla, and Im an easton stick fan.