Rolandes Ramblings

Well, after 18 years and 8 high school and college hockey seasons and numerous Men’s league seasons with my old CCM Super Tacks, they are now officially retired. I finally got a new pair of badly needed skates as my old boots were really broken down and not offering much support and giving my left ankle a wicked case of lace bite.

So, I got a pair of the Nike Bauer Supreme One90’s. Quite expensive but I know they will last me just as long at the frequency and aggressiveness I skate now. Talk about a world of difference… They are probably half the weight of my old skates and they pretty much feel broken in already. I had them baked and profiled/sharpened. They fit like an absolute glove around the ankle and heel and the tongue is molded perfectly and is super comfortable.

I got to skate on them for an hour today and they were unbelievable compared to what I was used to. There was hardly any break in time on them. After about 15 minutes I adjusted the laces to tighten up the ankle. Other than that, they were perfect. My feet never felt better in a new pair of skates. My arches nor my ankles were sore. I couldn’t believe it. No heel slipping at all and no side to side movement. Took me a little bit to start getting used to these blades and where to position my center of gravity when turning etc. They sit a little differently with respect to the foot than my old ones but not too significantly. I found myself leaning a little too far forward at times while sprinting or in turns. Other than that they felt great! No lace bite on my left foot either which is even better. I am amazed. My foot does not slide around at all and they feel almost perfectly formed to my foot. They sure have advanced the manufacturing of skates light years in the last decade. Now we’ll see how it feels the first time I take a puck off the boot or toe….*ouch* It will probably still be better than my old boots. I just wish I could have gotten them for $100 less.

Either way, you get what you pay for and these skates are definitely top notch all the way. I guess my reaction probably isn’t unexpected comparing to the skates I have been used to for so many years. Kind of like making the switch from a Honda Civic, which works and gets you where you are going, to a Ferrari which gets you there fast and in ultimate style.