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bytebark posted:I think it's Morton Grove. And Gunzo's has another big store in River Forest which is pretty good. They have pro shops in 5-6 rinks in the area, including the IIC in Romeoville and both Johnny's in the city, but for the love of god, DO NOT GET YOUR SKATES SHARPENED AT THE PRO SHOP LOCATIONS. Everyone I play with has some horror story resulting from a lovely sharpening job from a Gunzo's pro shop. The two big stores allegedly sharpen skates pretty well though. I've been nothing but disappointed with the Gunzo's pro shops. Seriously, do yourself a favor and avoid them even if you're desperate. I'm pretty sure their hiring process is "are you 18 years old and able to chew gum? if yes, award job". I haven't been to the River Forest store, but I've frequented the one in Morton Grove and the guys there are pretty great. Total Hockey has good selection, but also suffers from the "staffed by kids" problem. If you know gear and can take care of yourself, it's a decent place to shop.
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Mar 15, 2011 16:40
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bytebark posted:There's a good shop on the south side, in Alsip (Jerry's Hockey Warehouse, google it for the address, they have no website). I looked up the address, and man, I will never have a reason to be out that way. How big is the store? Maybe when I get to the gear buying stage I'll try them out, if they're newbie friendly. I've been in the Chicago area for 10 years and never gone through that area except when we're driving to the east coast.
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Mar 16, 2011 14:11
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Can anyone comment on how to properly balance when skating? I've been watching a lot of rat hockey lately, because it starts shortly after my skating lessons, and can't come up with a good answer. Basically there's a huge variance in posture.. you got the guys with their knees at a 90 degree bend and hunched over their stick, and the guys who spend as much time as possible standing straight up cruising around. And everything in between. The reason I ask is because my teacher thinks the source of the problems I'm having with my calves/shins (short version: they burn like they're on fire) is I'm relying too much on those muscles to hold my balance. I tense up, and the muscles are fighting each other to keep me upright. It's been getting better as I get more comfortable on the ice and my leg strength improves, but there's still a lot of aches and pains. I understand what proper hockey posture is.. you want to have the knees bent and your torso leaning forward, so that's not what I'm asking. What I can't figure out is why some people can skate for 40 minutes standing straight up and not feel any pain. Is it just a leg strength issue, or am I doing something fundamentally wrong? Another question I have is where I should be putting my weight. Leaning on the balls of my feet and staying on the front part of the blade feels the most stable, but I've been told that the ideal balance point is more towards the arch of my foot, in the center of the blade.
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Mar 16, 2011 16:59
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Dangerllama posted:Are your skates comfy? Too big (this could be an issue)? Also how many hours do you have total since the pain started? Ice-skating is a wholly unnatural movement/balance issue for the human body and it takes a while to break your legs in to both the movement and the gear. I'm 20-30 hours since buying my skates in February, which ends a 20 year break from the ice. The pain is certainly getting better.. I'm going to the gym every other day and working on building muscle/flexibility, but I'm still pretty limited. I know that conditioning takes months or years to see results, my motivation for posting is to sort out if it's purely a health issue or I'm doing something horribly wrong. I wouldn't call my skates comfy. But I'm not sure if I'm still breaking them in or not.. I'm not working my skates very hard. quote:Could be a musculo-skeletal issue as well. Are you using Superfeet and, additionally, do you have any problems with any other activities i.e. running? I'd be curious to know how you fare doing squats on a BOSU ball - or better - those little red bubbly looking things that throw you off just a little bit. The only other time I've been able to cause similar pain in my shins is going on walks with a tall friend. He's well over six feet tall and has a huge stride, I'm 5'11" and have to over-extend to keep up with him. A ten minute walk and my legs are on fire (incidentally, I stopped doing walks with him last summer because of this). Skating instructor suggested getting some superfeet last night, I haven't yet researched them.
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Mar 16, 2011 19:20
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Dangerllama posted:But first do the Superfeet thing A good one, perhaps you have a future selling cars! Do you use them in your shoes or your skates? Or both? I'm inclined to get them for my shoes to start with, my day-to-day shoes are pretty flat, but their description of the one intended for ice skates interests me.
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Mar 16, 2011 21:28
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:I've never heard of Superfeet until now. My skates aren't really that uncomfortable. Should I still consider a pair? Something like 20% of the population have good healthy feet with a solid arch and can go their whole lives without any kind of foot inserts. The rest of us just walk wrong. 
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Mar 16, 2011 21:43
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Surfing Turtle posted:LOL that's awesome. How much did that kit cost? Well, the camera itself is $350. There's cheaper options out there, but you get what you pay for.
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Mar 18, 2011 15:59
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Dangerllama posted:I hadn't thought of hockey applications. Methinks there will be too much head movement, but I'm looking forward to being proven wrong. It's both awesome and sucky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xfW-K2PItA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGF2Qt1eD1g He attaches his with a bunch of velcro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osFodR7jPxw
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Mar 18, 2011 17:14
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Of course, to hear your average color commentator describe it, the backhand is as weak as a baby and almost impossible to aim!
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Mar 18, 2011 23:46
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dms666 posted:Any advice on trying to learn to stop on ice? Been trying the last few weeks at public skates with not much luck. Got just about everything else down pretty good from playing inline for over a year now Instructor had me put my hands on the boards with my feet perpendicular to the boards, about arm's length away. Lean on front half of the skate blade, and push one foot forward and away from your body until it hits the boards, using the skate's inside edge. It should make that classic scraping noise and produce a little snow. Get used to the angle needed to make snow and then do it while skating slowly. Get used to that, then ramp up the speed as you get comfortable. When going slow, pay a lot of attention to your edges. If your trailing foot is on the wrong edge or you shift your balance to your heel, you're gonna fall over backwards. Eventually once you start doing it fast enough, you'll feel your rear skate try to swing behind you. This'll start to feel a little bit like a hockey stop, but the technique for a hockey stop is different. Youtube has millions of videos on how to hockey stop properly.
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Mar 20, 2011 16:39
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Dangerllama posted:I don't suppose you know how to ski, do you? It's exactly like a parallell stop on skis. Which is funny, because I can parallell stop like a champ on skis, but thinking about doing it on ice makes me nervous. I guess it's the hard surface that does it? Worst that happens on skis is you get some snow in your face, and maybe some snickers from your friends as you walk around collecting your gear.
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Mar 21, 2011 16:22
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:This dude has no backbone and doesn't enforce anything. It doesn't surprise me that he allowed it, to be honest. Translation: he doesn't want to risk losing their registration costs if showing some backbone results in a team storming off in a huff.
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Mar 21, 2011 19:07
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How significant is skate weight, really? The $300 Reebok 8k's I got already feel feather light, I can't imagine saving any energy or being more agile if I had something even lighter. Granted I'm at the bottom of the heap in terms of ability to skate so I'm not much of an authority. Is it just common perception that "low weight == speed" and therefore all pro's have to have them? Or is there a measurable impact?
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Mar 21, 2011 22:52
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That's pretty cool, I like how they actually advocate baking the skates on your own at home. Too bad I don't need a $600 pair of skates.
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Mar 22, 2011 22:52
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What were the negatives people were bitching about?
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Mar 22, 2011 23:25
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I'd be fine with the handmade look, as long as they fit well. My foot is EE wide, and it took forever to find a skate that fit acceptably. Maybe in six years when I need new skates I'll try these out!
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Mar 23, 2011 00:55
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By the way, whoever suggested getting Superfeet inserts for my skates is a drat genius. Night and day difference.
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Mar 23, 2011 15:59
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Dangerllama posted:Good GOD man, if you don't have bake-able skates then by all means, get you some! This reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask. What's the maximum safe temperature for bake-able skates before they start to get soft? This is significant because I tend to leave my skates in the car, so I can go to open skate for my lunch break. But with summer approaching, temperature in my car usually gets well over 100 degrees and I'd like to avoid reshaping my boots every afternoon. Googling around it looks like most skate ovens warm the boot up to 170-180 degrees for heat fitting, but I couldn't find any info on when the plastic starts to get soft.
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Mar 24, 2011 21:38
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That's not necessarily a fitting problem.. you might have a flat foot and the skate is stretching the tendons that maintain your arch in a way it's not used to. Can experiment with inserts if you like, or go talk to a podiatrist to get it diagnosed.
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Mar 24, 2011 23:02
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WouldDesk posted:Is it feasible for me to drop by a game to check out the situation at the rink? Just don't act surprised if they keep shooting pucks at you during warmup. I was web browsing while waiting for lessons while some guys were getting ready for a game, and I swear every last one of them was using my head as a target. I lost count of the pucks hitting glass right in front of me.
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Mar 25, 2011 15:42
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Considering the way alcohol reduces your inhibitions, it probably does help. Hockey requires a willingness to put yourself in unsafe situations while balancing on a pair of razor blades, getting a buzz going makes you forget how much it hurts when things go sour.
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Mar 25, 2011 19:59
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ihborbobobo posted:What the gently caress is up with the shock-doctor flex cups? That has to be the stupidest loving name for a cup ever! Are they actually flexible? If so it's the stupidest idea too. Pretty sure it's just a traditional hard material with a rubber edge "for comfort".
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Mar 27, 2011 01:05
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Henrik Zetterberg posted:It was actually a ton of fun. It was the first time I've ever played goalie on ice. There is a goalie-centric thread here too: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2759111 Not that posting goalie stuff in here is bad, but I'm not sure how much cross-pollination there is between the two threads and you can get a bunch of advice from other goalies if you want.
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Mar 28, 2011 17:07
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You're not a lovely person if you didn't know.  When I did neighborhood hockey as a kid, I always took off my glasses because whenever I got hit they'd go flying, and I didn't want my mom to yell at me for breaking my glasses. Getting glasses that fit properly might have been a solution too, but oh well. I could track the puck okay (granted, it wasn't moving very fast) but I would frequently pass to the other team because I couldn't see anyone's faces and we all wore the same colors. Pretty ballsy to go on the ice as a blind dude though. I wonder what he's like when he's got the rink to himself, whether he can skate full out or stays timid.
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Mar 28, 2011 21:04
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Should get everyone an LED to put on the top of their helmet, green for one team, red for the other team. Can get LED's bright enough to wake the dead, should be no problem for anyone not completely blind to see.WouldDesk posted:Rough neighborhood? No, we were just enthusiastic. No one ever got hurt, we just loved pretending like we knew how to play hockey. But my drat glasses would never stay on. xzzy fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Mar 28, 2011 |
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Mar 28, 2011 21:22
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I mean, there were plenty of times in neighborhood hockey we would push each other into the grass but we were fairly thoughtful about not killing kids with glasses.
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poser posted:You can never spend enough money to protect your head! I always spend money on helmets and skates and go cheap on the rest of my gear. Except a higher price doesn't necessarily result in a safer helmet. There's a point where the component materials are upgraded.. no increase in safety, but an increase in other areas such as weight or comfort. Pay attention to the safety rating, not the sticker price.
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Mar 29, 2011 16:56
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Wolfy posted:Yeah I played there when I was a kid, it's a nice place with a decent pro shop. Would you recommend taking these skating classes for hockey? It's been a long time and I never learned any of these fancy hockey maneuvers anyway. I'm taking lessons from a figure skater and it's been great. The basic principles remain the same regardless irrespective of whether your skates have a toepick, so there is plenty you can learn no matter who your instructor is. I would imagine that as you get better at skating you'll start to require more hockey specific instruction, but that's relatively far down the road. Having gone through this "return to the ice after a long break" business over the last couple months, I would suggest you start working on leg strength asap. The first month or so was crippling because I was using muscles I forgot I had.
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Mar 30, 2011 20:27
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Wolfy posted:Yeah I just started working out and I have a month or two of rehab before I can do something like vigorous skating. This place offers lessons from basic skating, a couple figure skating classes and one for hockey. It's like 100 bucks for 8 sessions and they throw you on the ice and figure out where to start teaching you. Sounds like a good deal to me. That's exactly what my lessons are like. It's a youth/adult beginner/intermediate class, every age range gets their own faceoff circle and a teacher. Has a learn at your own pace setup, and I rather like it. It'd be nice to have a whole rink, being able to build up some speed is nice, but it would be prohibitively expensive.
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Mar 30, 2011 20:40
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poser posted:Any tips on delayed entry to the zone? I'm a little bit faster than people on my team and I beat them to the blue line I just end up stopping and waiting and it messes up my flow. Question reminded me of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O28zjLNsDGY Maybe you can try some of his ideas?
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Mar 31, 2011 16:20
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I went skating at lunch, and there was this little kid there that was amazing to watch. He was roughly waist height to me.. no older than 12, I'd put him around 9-10 years, but jesus christ did he have a sprint. I've watched a lot of mite hockey and most kids that age are still struggling on their skates.. lots of futile pushing and falling over, no speed worth mentioning. This dude had great technique, good power, I just had to stand there and watch for a while. Either he skates 3 hours a day or his parents got him one hell of a teacher because he could probably outskate 90% of the people who show up for drop-in. He was decent skating backwards as well, and could switch directions at a full sprint. Almost started a conversation with his grandfather (who is a regular at the rink) to ask where he plays but I wussed out. I'm a bit curious to see what he's like with a stick in his hands. Left me with a mix of feeling inadequate and inspired. 
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Mar 31, 2011 19:49
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How wide is your foot? I measure as a EE, and was able to get into a pair of 8k's with an E width. It's tight though.. I had to get heat treated a couple times before the pinching was fixed. I tried on some 7k's too and they more or less fit the same as the 8k's.. except for the fact that no one had an E width in the 7k line. Moral of the story, I strongly recommend not ordering online if you aren't 100% sure the skates will fit. Reason one is that if you bring a pair of skates you bought online into a hockey shop and ask them to get you fixed up, they're gonna instantly hate you for not buying from them, and will be less accommodating. Reason two is you're probably gonna be paying an additional $50-$60 just for initial heat treating and sharpening. If you buy your skates in store, not only is the initial set up going to be free, but future adjustments will likely be free as well. If you can wait another month or so to buy skates, I'd suggest that. The new model year is about to come out, which is why inventory at most stores is so lovely right now. Towards the end of April, those same stores are going to be overrun by brand new skates.
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Mar 31, 2011 21:14
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Wolfy posted:Well that's absolutely loving depressing. I don't want to wait but given that nobody really has anything in my size I might have to. It is depressing, and I think the situation rushed me into buying the skates I ended up getting. I was so happy to find a pair that mostly fit, I bought them without question because I didn't want to wait 2-3 months for the new models to come out. I finally got my skates to fit properly, so I got lucky, but in the back of my head I keep thinking I could have saved a lot of grief if I'd just waited. quote:When the new models come out I should probably expect to pay around 300 for the 7Ks, or what? I don't think the prices change all that much. If the 7k's cost $250 now, the new ones should cost $250 as well. Probably see a price drop on older 7k's though.
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Mar 31, 2011 22:43
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Comfort issues aside, doesn't not wearing socks increase the foot scum that stays in your skates, hastening the arrival if the rotting corpse stench? That's what I've heard anyways, I wear my $6.99 dress socks with pride, to keep my skates from stinking.
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Apr 1, 2011 01:59
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You can get nets in the 10 foot range for $25, and the price goes up from there if you want fancy materials or whatever.
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Apr 3, 2011 21:02
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For those wanting a pouch, REI makes a bag they call the "flash 18" which I've been really happy with. It's got a reversible design that lets you use it as a stuff sack and has a simple drawstring closure. I got mine for $18 a couple years ago, it looks like they've upgraded the materials and set the price for new ones at $29. I've found it perfect for cramming soft stuff into as small a space as possible (usually laundry, but I figure jerseys and socks would work just as well).
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Apr 4, 2011 17:07
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poser posted:This kid emailed me about joining my team and he graduated high school in 2008. Getting old sucks What makes me feel old is how many professional hockey players are playing today that weren't alive when Gretzky was part of the Oilers. For a significant chunk of my youth, Gretzky was the guy every kid wanted to be and now there's people winning Stanley Cups who didn't even exist in 1988. 
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Apr 8, 2011 00:11
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Can someone describe how learning crossovers should "feel"? My skate instructor is about 90 pounds wet, and can somehow completely swap her feet standing still, both blades parallel and on the ice. I'm a lot more heavily built (5'10" and 220) and can only get one foot in front of the other before my leg gets in the way and I either have to twist a foot or push the rear foot backwards to make room. Both of these seem like bad ideas. Her advice isn't bad.. she's had me improving balance by bracing on the boards and keeping my toes straight, etc. I certainly see some marginal improvement. But I think she just has no concept of what it's like to have thick legs and looks confused when I say I can't push my foot any further. Do I just gotta get skinnier legs? Is a technique thing I gotta sort out? Is there a difference in feel between hockey skates and figure skates?
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Apr 13, 2011 01:10
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Pushing with both feet sounds like a great way to send me crashing to the ice at this point, but I can visualize the process and will work on it. My balance seems fairly good.. I can coast on a single edge for half the rink or more, but when I start shifting balance or edges, I get discombobulated pretty quick and tend to catch/lose edges a lot. Instructor keeps telling me to stand up straighter.  She's not an idiot, has been a great help, but I get the feeling she hasn't taught much hockey skating.
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Apr 13, 2011 03:45
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coldwind posted:Are you measuring the circle or what? If you're skating on a single edge, you should be going in a circle..
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Apr 13, 2011 05:42
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Nick Cage posted:( So I made a go of this at lunch, and think I need more details. Does this practice come from a book I can buy, or is there a youtube somewhere that illustrates the exercise? I'm just not sure where my balance should be. If the "(" curve is supposed to be done on my right foot, as I suspect it is, my balance still needs a lot of work because I took a number of spills trying to get it right. Either due to balancing on the wrong part of the foot, or bad posture, whatever. I'm fine with falling down, but I want to be sure it's due to needing practice and not due to doing it completely wrong.
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Apr 14, 2011 19:36
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