loading...
Canwest News Service
The world economy may be taking a beating, but hockey's not.
At least not in the stores where those of us who still dream the dream when we lace up our skates for our weekly recreational league game go to buy equipment.
"Hockey is recession-proof," says Tobi Higo, an equipment specialist at Cyclone Taylor Sports Oak Street store. "Our numbers are up from last year. People might cut back on some things, but they find the money to keep playing hockey."
Although the holiday season tends to focus a lot on sticks as presents, December's buying patterns tend to be similar to the rest of the year. While minor hockey players likely got their skates before the season started in September, many adult recreational players buy when the price is right — meaning Christmas sales.
Higo says the pieces of equipment that get the most interest from customers are skates, sticks and gloves.
"Skates are the most important piece of equipment," says Higo. "You want to feel comfortable and not feel your performance is being hindered by your skates. This is where your money is best spent. You can go cheaper on pads, but skates, sticks and gloves are going to be what people spend the most money on. They are the performance pieces and that translates into the most fun."
The trend this season for skates, perhaps with the Baby Boomer generation becoming ever more of a factor, is to comfort, rather than lightness.
"The last 10 years manufacturers made skates lighter," says Higo. "It got to where it was affecting durability, so skates have actually got heavier this year."
That's good news for recreational players, who can expect a workable balance between comfort and performance.
Higo says the current skate technology allows for much more moldability. Most models are custom heat-moldable from the toe cap back to the heel.
There are also a number of options beyond the insoles, or footbeds, that come with the skates from the factory. There are improved, third-party insoles available — some of which can also be heat-molded to the player's foot.
Once the skate is fitted optimally, then other fine tuning measures such as blade alignment and sharpening parameters can be added to perfect the process.
But Higo added that the key to buying a pair of skates, like any piece of hockey equipment, is fitting it to your needs.
If you are an entry-level player and you're getting out there once a week, don't think that buying the top-of-the-line skates for $699 are going to give you an edge. It could be the opposite.
That level of skate is designed for elite, powerful skaters and are so stiff that they would be uncomfortable and possibly even contribute to injuries for less proficient or young skaters.
But don't go the other way, either. A $200 entry-level skate is the least stiff and, for bigger players or those playing often, may not last very long.
Skates are one of the hot-button topics for parents of minor hockey players.
The temptation is to buy a skate bigger so a growing son or daughter will get an extra season out of it.
But that can approach can be penny-wise, pound foolish, says Higo.
"Sizing is the bane of all hockey parents," says Higo. "You don't want to go too big. The main problem is over-sizing skates. The obvious thing is performance, but you can also end up with blisters and bone spurs."
The key with any piece of equipment — whether it be helmet, shin guards, elbow or shoulder pads — is three-fold: do your homework, find a knowledgeable professional to work with and try on lots of different products before you finally buy.
Stocking stuffer!
Here's a chance to win yourself a great hockey stocking stuffer. The makers of BladeTape (bladetape.ca) are offering five sets of their product displaying the Canucks logo to 10 lucky White Towel readers. Entering is easy: Tell us who's your favourite Canucks player all-time — and why. Send your entry to
jmcdonald@theprovince.com and don't forget your name and home address. We'll pick the winners' names at random — and run some of the best answers in upcoming issues of Province sports.
