Skate and gear recommendations

[reaper_rider]

Could anyone suggest good brands of skates and equipment?
Also a minimal gear listing would be appreciated.
Im 6'3 and size 15 shoe. I've noticed that Mission is a popular brand but they dont make my size skate.
If anyone could direct me to a FAQ on sticks and other hockey matters? I've noticed some players using an aluminum shaft on their sticks which was new to me.

Thanks

[ChloroFiend]

Hmm...mission doesnt make a 15 eh? thats going to be a tall order (pun not intended) to fill. Id recommend calling or emailing either your local pro-shop or online store...no one is going to stock a skate in that size, and it will probably need to be a special order. As far as skates go, Tour and Mission are the brands that ive used. Ive been fairly happy with both of them. I currently skate on a Tour, but am considering going back to the Missions, as they offer a stiffer skate.

After skates, you will need shinguards, a helmet, gloves, rollerhockey pants, and a stick at a minimum. Most players wear elbow pads, and some wear a protective girdle. Also, you may choose to wear a cage or shield on your helmet to protect your face.

The rest of the gear is based on comfort...what feels good to you....gloves especially. I use Easton gloves and love them...the Mission ones are nice as well. As a matter of fact, i use complete Mission gear(shins, elbows, pants, girdle) except for my gloves, skates, and helmet. As far as helmets go, youve got basically 2 choices...CCM and Bauer...see what one you like the looks of better and fits your melon best. Cage/Shield is up to you...i have a 1excel half plastic shield, cause i kinda like my eyes...the girls love em

There are a number of choices in sticks. You have your traditional wood 1-piece sticks, and then composite, kevlar, graphite, aluminum, or some combination shafts, with removable/replaceable blades...these blades can be wood, wood/abs, abs, kevlar, or graphite. They are held in by hot glue...to remove them, you use a heat gun on the shaft to melt the glue, and pull the blade out. The shafts will be more expensive, but will last a lot longer than a regular stick....and the blades are much cheaper than replacing a whole stick as well.

www.epuck.com has an online sizing guide that will give you an idea of what size you should order. Ive found Kevin and the rest of the staff there to be great, and they have excellent prices/customer service. hockeyone.com, hockeygiant.com, and hockeygear.com are also other places to look online for gear.

if you have any more questions, feel free to contact me, or post here.



-Jon Gucinski #16
-<A HREF="http://www.stuorg.iastate.edu/rollerhockey" target="_new">Iowa State Roller Hockey</A>

[reaper_rider]

Jon,

Wow, thanks for the detailed post. Im feeling that path here...slowly but surely. I'll look into those brands and experiment with the aluminum shaft replaceable blade combo since I dont know what type of blade I like.

Thanks again. I'll be sure to contact you as I progress.

[newtron]

First thing, get your foot measured. Its very common to want a bigger skate than you think you need cause of width. Go into a shop and have your foot measured on a Brannock device, chances are you are not a full 15 but if you are then the biggest stock skate made is a ccm size 13EEE(600 series) that will fit a full 15.5. I wear an eleven shoe and am in an 8EE Bauer and they feel like butter. All canadian sizes are two sizes down. Shoe size means nothin, actual foot size means everything. Don't buy the top of the line, somethin with a softer medial area so it will conform to your foot easier. Depending upon the retailer... use heat, boot strechers and maybe a skate oven. There is a ton of stuff that you can do to help your foot fit. There is aways a way. I'm not petite. As for sticks, alum graphite is probably the best performance with the best durability. You can make it longer with a longer butt end, try different blades etc. If ya like a wippy stick try an Easton z-core 6000, if you want durability try a 7000. Try Bauer 1000 shins and elbow pads and move up in performance from there. Don't skimp on the helmet, Bauer 5000 maybe, you'll have it for a long time. Gloves are as individual as people, try all synthetic leather styles. Try out everything before you buy. Laters.

[reaper_rider]

Newtron,

Wow...some solid advice. You don't know how much I appreciate good solid advice like this.
I actually emailed epuck.com and although their service and reply were great the felt nothing could be done. The only thing they could do for me was get a CCM 13 ice skate and fit it with inline blade. $400-$450.
I would like to try equipment before I buy but I live in Orlando Florida and haven't been able to find a hockey shop or sports shop that carries a good selection. Im still looking though.
I want to try a Easton AL shaft with Yzerman blade. I suppose I should just buy these online. I do have a pair of Rollerblade Bravo Blade XLs that I received as a gift back in 94' but they just kill my feet. They cut the circulation and are just uncomfortable. I dont know if its my flat foot, but the skates use these plastic straps that are either too tight or too lose.

Thanks

[ChloroFiend]

If you can find a manufacturer that makes a big enough boot, you should be able to order just the boot, and then fit it with the frame, etc of your choosing. It would be cheaper than buying a full ice skate, as then you wouldn have to pay for the blade and holder. Several of the players on my college team do this. They get their stuff through the owner of one of our rinks, so a pro-shop would be your best bet.



-Jon Gucinski #16
-<A HREF="http://www.stuorg.iastate.edu/rollerhockey" target="_new">Iowa State Roller Hockey</A>