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Easton s19 for life. They have lasted me a ridiculous amount of play time without snapping or falling apart. I have one more new one and half a dozen new pro stock Reebok 11ks sitting untouched waiting their turn which will probably be at least a year from now at the rate these s19s last.
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May 7, 2014 19:48
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Bradf0rd posted:There are four people in Austin with those sticks and three of them have broken. One of the guys had both his original and the warranty replacement break. They're all breaking on the blade.  Not that I ever was going to buy one.
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May 7, 2014 20:27
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Breaking sticks is fun. Even though you lose one of your babies, you get the novelty of ordering a new one (or a mystery pack from HM). I'll never be good enough to spend more than $75 on a hockey stick.
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May 8, 2014 03:13
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I'm going to warn everyone right off the bat that this might get long. But it's not sad, don't worry. Nevertheless, you've been warned. I've actually been meaning to post for a little while now about some of the recent progress I've made (which, for a mostly self-taught guy approaching his mid-30s, hey, I'm pretty happy about) for a while, as I'd reverted to lurker status in this thread a few years ago when my playing days were in question, but never seemed to find the opportunity. Then several things happened: in catching up with the thread, I saw some of you talking about filming yourselves - something I've done and would totally recommend; I recently made the decision to switch to ice  - and my skates arrived today ; and I now find myself on the couch with some time on my hands while my wife takes our toddler through his bedtime routine (I'm not slacking, I'm with the little monsters during the day) so I figured it's a good time as any. A bit of context: a little over two years ago I felt my left groin give out about 18 seconds into the first shift of our championship game (on a two-on-one, no less). What I at first thought was just a bad groin pull, or perhaps a tear, ended up being chronic enough that, even 8 months later, I wasn't sure if I'd ever be playing again. Doctors visits, examinations, and tests ruled out initial suspects like muscle pulls/tears or sports hernias, and eventually (over a year after the injury) concluded that the "possible" issue was just very adductor tendinitis, for which a year+ of healing was apparently not unheard of. Whatever the case, just over a year ago I made my triumphant (to me) return to the rink. I'm going to apologize in advance if at any time it seems like I'm tooting my own horn. I've played with players I consider to be good and believe me I have no illusions and know exactly where I stand. At the same time, I can't help but get excited about being almost 33 and playing this game at a higher level than I have in my at-times sporadic twenty-something year history with it. Since coming back last March, pretty much every aspect of my game has improved drastically (I guess with the exception of my slapshot, which I avoid due to a nagging shoulder injury). The single biggest change has been my skating, which is night and day compared to even a year ago. Outside of practice, I think this was largely driven by changes I made to my lower body workout routine, and getting back to recording myself to figure out what I needed to work on. I play at Rollin Ice in San Jose, and at the time of my injury, I was an average D4-level (I can't compare it to anything else but it's a fairly competitive division that occasionally features some pretty good local high school / travelling team / state college players) player. Maybe above average defensively and a little below average offensively, because while my instincts are good my skills weren't adequate. I had, not that long before, finally figured out backward cross-overs and effective backward acceleration, and was just starting to develop an easier and more natural balance on my skates, but a successful toe drag seemed entirely outside the realm of possibility. Fast forward to a year late, and I've had several of the guys I play pick-up with attempt to recruit me for their D3 teams - which is just tremendously gratifying, as some of might may be able to relate, especially since I don't think I ever realistically entertained the possibility that, having never been formally instructed, I'd be able to get good enough for that division. And guys I used to struggle playing against I can now hang with at both ends of the rink So, yeah, I'm pretty happy about how far I've come. As far as recording yourself goes, I highly recommend. I first tried it years and years ago when I was a member of a tennis forum where people would post videos of themselves for critique (it helped to have some fairly knowledgeable posters) to help them improve. It worked some wonders for me, and provided a lot of insight into things I would never have noticed otherwise. It's cringe-inducing. It sucks. I used to hate watching videos of myself playing almost as much as I still hate watching recordings of my amateur stand-up performances. But I guess when you're not very good, watching videos of yourself is kind of like being fat and getting on a scale - it'll be ugly, but it really helps to know where you stand. With respect to the last 8 or so months (which is when I've seen the most improvement), it's helped me work on developing more of a knee bend (I've always skated too bent over and with waaaay too straight a leg), better balance, and it's helped me figure out why I've always had trouble generating explosive acceleration (the way I was kicking off with my skate), among other things. So, yeah, I highly recommend it if you have a chance. Eat some Rocky Road while you watch yourself if it helps. That said, here're two videos: the first is from about a year ago, the second from this March. I don't even know if the changes will be as visible to you guys as they are to me, especially since both of these clips are just edited footage of me dicking around with no particular goal, but if you have any comments feel free to offer them. 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JIfoAcd71c 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYPi8aMWibA Lastly, as noted, I'm making the jump to ice. Woohoo! Excited doesn't even begin to describe me. My new skates arrived today and staring at them right now is practically porn: I guess my question is: do any south bay area, CA goons know what my options are besides Sharks Ice? Is the Valco rink still a viable pick-up / Gretzky hour spot? Anything I should know about Sharks Ice, where I've only ever been once for a Sharks practice and am planning to hit up for a stick/puck this Saturday (after the rest of my gear arrives on Friday)? gently caress, I think that's enough. Habibi fucked around with this message at 15:36 on May 8, 2014 |
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May 8, 2014 06:52
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Habibi posted:Lastly, as noted, I'm making the jump to ice. What are they? They look like one.9s which I just picked up last year. You're going to love these skates especially if you've been used to a heavier boot the past few years, these things are lighter than air and don't take much to mold into and get used to.
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May 8, 2014 14:26
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dyn posted:What are they? They look like one.9s which I just picked up last year. You're going to love these skates especially if you've been used to a heavier boot the past few years, these things are lighter than air and don't take much to mold into and get used to. Close - one.7s. I sort of chanced into them. I initially ordered Vapors in the same size as my inline Vapors, but they proved inexplicably to be designed for bound elf feet. Went to a store and the guy suggested a Supreme based on the shape of my foot - turned out he had a disturbingly great eye for feet, but only the new 170s in stock in my size (and they're out of my price range). So I went home and managed to snag last year's model for $200 before taxes/shipping, which was too good a deal to pass up. In general, the weight difference between all of the ice skates I tried on and my inline skates (which lean to the lighter side) is unbelievable. I think my wheels alone weigh as much as the entire boot. I can certainly see why so many of my friends and former inline buddies never really went back after trying ice. I don't even know how you go back to skating with those bricks after getting used to ice skates.
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May 8, 2014 15:47
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Habibi posted:I don't even know how you go back to skating with those bricks after getting used to ice skates. It's not fun to be second guessing yourself which is why I don't go skating with her anymore.
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May 8, 2014 15:56
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I bought Vapor roller hockey skates last summer and the fit is way different than my Vapor ice hockey skates. I have the opposite problem; I like the narrow fit of the ice Vapors, the roller ones felt like wearing snow boots.
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May 8, 2014 16:09
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Habibi posted:he had a disturbingly great eye for feet Here is our new thread title
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May 8, 2014 16:18
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Verman posted:Easton s19 for life. They have lasted me a ridiculous amount of play time without snapping or falling apart. I have one more new one and half a dozen new pro stock Reebok 11ks sitting untouched waiting their turn which will probably be at least a year from now at the rate these s19s last. I just picked up an s19 and it is definitely an amazing stick.
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May 10, 2014 15:35
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Chemmy posted:I bought Vapor roller hockey skates last summer and the fit is way different than my Vapor ice hockey skates. I think Ive mentioned it here before, but in my experience, roller boots are made way cheaper then ice boots, even the high end ones. I've come to just turning my old ice boots into roller blades, costs $200+ so its no cheaper, but so worth it, been using my Vapor XXXX since last season.
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May 10, 2014 23:19
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Yeah I'm a moron. I sold my Vapor XXXXs for like $100 and then bought lovely $150 roller blades.
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May 10, 2014 23:21
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Chemmy posted:Yeah I'm a moron. I sold my Vapor XXXXs for like $100 and then bought lovely $150 roller blades. 
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May 11, 2014 00:19
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Trip report: got on the ice for the first time in hockey skates (and maybe 4th time in last 15 years) at a s/p this morning. That was certainly a different experience. Most of my inline instincts are completely wrong - going backward is the only thing that seems to have transferred well, which surprised me. Can't stop worth a poo poo. Lots of fun. Definitely discovered muscles I never used in roller. e: that sure is an impressive amount of Kleenex.
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May 11, 2014 00:26
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Chemmy posted:Yeah I'm a moron. I sold my Vapor XXXXs for like $100 and then bought lovely $150 roller blades. 
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May 11, 2014 01:00
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They working good for you at least?
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May 11, 2014 01:08
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Chemmy posted:They working good for you at least? Yeah, they rule. I didn't need to bake them or anything. We may have identical feet.
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May 11, 2014 04:26
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I am weak willed, was messing around with gloves while I was getting a rivet replaced on my skates and found a pair that instantly felt awesome. Lots of other gloves of the same model didn't feel that good so I figure whoever sewed this particular pair together knew exactly what my hands wanted. Granted, I needed a pair of gloves but I'd been dragging my heels because I wasn't sure what I wanted. Like, there was more empty space than palm on my right hand.
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May 13, 2014 05:14
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C'mon man. What pair did you get?
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May 13, 2014 07:49
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Habibi posted:
Thanks Costco! *I have terrible allergies as well, though thats a 6 monthish supply, it used to last like 2 when I lived with cats.
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May 13, 2014 07:57
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sellouts posted:C'mon man. What pair did you get? Nexus 800.
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May 13, 2014 14:54
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xzzy posted:Nexus 800. The Nexus 800 gloves are INCREDIBLY comfortable. The palm material is great
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May 13, 2014 15:13
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D C posted:Thanks Costco! That sure is an impressive story. 
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May 13, 2014 15:29
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Stultus posted:The Nexus 800 gloves are INCREDIBLY comfortable. The palm material is great Yeah and this pair was the greatest of the bunch. I don't know if they'd hung on the rack longer or and had more people trying them out so they're semi broken in but I tried every pair in the store and kept coming back to these ones. I ain't gonna question why but I guess I was meant to buy them.
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May 13, 2014 15:34
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FINE FINE FINE I need to get a new stick. What are good dealz out right now?
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May 13, 2014 15:38
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Another first for me this year, I just got kicked off the team! Reason given is they want to do a better job of competing at the C level which is literally the lowest level that this particular rink offers. I guess that's someone trying to find a nice way saying I don't even rate for scrub hockey. Which I have to admit is true, I'm pretty bad, but so much for the "work hard and people will notice" line because I really wasn't leaving anything on the table. Now I need a montage where I work really hard and get really good and come back on another team to make them regret their decision.
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May 13, 2014 17:09
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That's lovely, sorry that happened to you. Adult hockey is supposed to be about having fun and improving your skills, not being the best at scrub division. Those guys are assholes.
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May 13, 2014 17:10
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xzzy posted:Another first for me this year, I just got kicked off the team! This is loving bullshit dude. I give you poo poo for some of your posts but no one deserves this. I enjoy hearing about your progress. gently caress those guys. Please start a motley crew of never evers called the try hards and beat them in a game. Also don't you dare think about stopping playing. I've been there before and considered it but it's all about finding the right group of people. Skills are secondary in the right situation.
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May 13, 2014 17:34
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Yeah that's insanely douchey. That's definitely not a team you want to be a part of, so it's probably for the best. Make the tryhards team.
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May 13, 2014 17:38
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I'm gonna assume you're between seasons at least so you don't have to chase them (with a bat) for a refund of your league fees?
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May 13, 2014 17:39
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I'm going to assume that they waited until the beginning of the season to tell you, so you can't go find another team to play with?
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May 13, 2014 17:41
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Pfft, I'm not stopping. I just dropped $100 on some sweet hockey gloves. I gotta use them man!  Playing beer league has significantly helped, the increased pace has really helped me in the instructional group I'm still signed on with. I'll just keep on doing my thing and try again in the fall. As for this group, I question their longevity. If they're serious about trimming anyone who's at my skill level or worse, they'll have something like 8 skaters. There's some decent skaters in that "top 8" but 90% of the goals were coming from one guy. Who broke a rib last week. Assuming he returns after healing he's gonna get bumped up to the next tier.. I've been skating with some of the dudes on the other teams for almost three years now and given what I know, it'll definitely be a topic at the captain meetings. sellouts posted:I'm going to assume that they waited until the beginning of the season to tell you, so you can't go find another team to play with? The last regular season game was this past Saturday. There's a round of single elimination playoffs over the next two weeks and then the next season starts.
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May 13, 2014 17:55
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xzzy posted:Another first for me this year, I just got kicked off the team! Once a team takes that leap to serious town, you don't want to be on it anyway. Nothing like having some scrub team-leader wannabe chirping at you all game for not playing the way he wants you to play. It sounds like they just did you a favor. You'll find a new squad in no time, preferably one that is most concerned about the beer list--those are the best ones.
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May 13, 2014 18:23
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thengeance posted:Once a team takes that leap to serious town, you don't want to be on it anyway. Nothing like having some scrub team-leader wannabe chirping at you all game for not playing the way he wants you to play. It sounds like they just did you a favor. Quoted for absolute loving truth. You want no part of "Beer league is serious business" team.
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May 14, 2014 02:27
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xzzy posted:Another first for me this year, I just got kicked off the team! A bunch of the Coed teams don't have full timers, if you want multiple hockey game weekends.
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May 14, 2014 05:32
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I sent an email to my team re: fixing positions. Does this sound like a reasonable thing to have sent, or do I sound like a dickhead/tryhard/tool?quote:Two things:
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May 14, 2014 05:34
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I don't know how well you know your team and stuff, but if that was my team captain that sent that out, he'd get laughed at.
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May 14, 2014 05:40
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shyduck posted:I don't know how well you know your team and stuff, but if that was my team captain that sent that out, he'd get laughed at. Not very well. Teams are sorta assigned by the league (unless you request to stay on the same team), so there was a pretty big turnover, and the people I'm having problems with are the ones who are totally new to the team, so I'm trying to be pretty cordial. e: that's also why I'm asking to meet instead of just saying "here's lines". One person in particular pitched a loving fit about fixed positions, and one or two of his buddies I guess (all of whom are on their first season with this team, and league I think) are backing him up with it. They think I'm being selfish or something because it may end up with more icetime for me (or some equally inane reason). I posted about it earlier in the thread, but there's been a few people now who have mentioned wanting to go back to sticking on specific positions. Look Around You fucked around with this message at 05:46 on May 14, 2014 |
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May 14, 2014 05:43
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Yeah I'd show up around 7:35 just because you sent that tbh.
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May 14, 2014 05:44
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Topoisomerase posted:Yeah I'd show up around 7:35 just because you sent that tbh. Eh, I'm kinda writing this team/season off anyway, so if it works, then great! If not, oh well, I don't think I'm signing up for this league again because of the travel time if I have to play with shitheads like that on a team.
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May 14, 2014 05:47
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