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Goalie Gear Made Exclusively For Sports Etc!
For 35 years we have been working with goalies and goalie manufacturers to bring the best selection of quality gear to our customer base. On occasion we like to sit down with our best suppliers to come up with gear that can’t be purchased out of a catalog. This allows us to present to our goalies something unique that will give them features and advantages that would otherwise not be available without doing their own custom design. For the 2015 season we are presenting our best selection of exclusive gear ever, including the pro goalie inspired Vaughn Vision pro catcher, the throwback Brian’s G-Netik B-Star gear and the CCM Extreme Flex II leg pads featuring an exclusive graphic and a double external break not found in the catalog version. To check out these and other unique exclusives check out our Goalie Exclusives Page!
Vaughn Vision “Pro Spec” Catcher and Velocity 2200 “Tuukka” Style Blocker
Brian Vintage “B-Star” Gear
CCM E-Flex II Exclusive Leg Pads
Sports Etc Review: The Bauer Vapor 1X Hockey Skate
The Vapor 1X skate from Bauer has officially hit the market, and a few of the Sports Etc guys were lucky enough to have the chance to try them out. Bauer has made numerous changes to the Vapor skate line, but these were a few major takeaways from the staff after their time on the ice:
- New and Improved Tongue: The tongue on the Vapor 1X skate has undergone some positive changes from its APX 2 counterpart. The APX 2 had a 52 oz. felt tongue, which we felt limited some of the forward lean that is needed to help generate a powerful stride on the ice. The new tongue has been thinned out and a Curv composite insert has been added. This makes the tongue more similar to that of the Bauer Supreme MX3. This new and improved tongue allows for a better forward lean, as well as a more moldable material for a more comfortable fit.
- LS4 Steel: The 1X features the brand new LS4 steel, which is 3mm higher than any other steel from Bauer. The higher pitch to the blade allows for a tighter and quicker turning radius.
- Heat Moldable Footbeds: The all new heat moldable footbeds are exclusive to Bauer and the Vapor 1X skate. This makes the 1X skate truly 100% heat moldable as the “Bauer Speed Plates” mold to the bottom of your foot, while the Curv composite boot molds around the foot itself.
Bauer continues to push the limit with changes in the hockey industry and they are consistently coming up with innovative ways to change the performance of their hockey skates. We can confidently say that the Bauer Vapor 1X skate is an improvement from the APX2, and we feel strongly that customers will enjoy the added benefits of this high performance skate.
Behind the Scenes: Vaughn Custom Goalie Pads
When it comes to custom goalie pads, nobody does it better than Vaughn Hockey. Recently, Vaughn gave us a behind the scenes peek at the manufacturing process for one of our goalie customers, Casen Janko of Matignon High School.
The process begins with the custom design from the goalie themselves. In this case, Casen went with a vintage cali-tan set up, which mimics the original leather look that we sold back in the 1980s!
Vaughn brings the pad to life by cutting the outside design of the pad wrap, and hand-stuffing it with high density foams. The goalie pad is tightly sewn back together to give a rigid and firm shape for unmatched durability.
The hand-made process allows for an extreme attention to detail, which creates consistently high quality goalie pads. When we visited Vaughn Custom Sports in Oxford, Michigan it became clear that owner Mike Vaughn cuts no corners when it comes to making goalie equipment. He routinely checks the quality of the materials that go into his goalie pads himself in his personal workshop. Trust us- we’ve seen it firsthand; the same effort and attention to detail goes into making a pad for Tuukka Rask or Jonathan Quick, as it does for any customer off the street.
The resulting product for customers like Casen Janko is the reason that goalie customers keep coming back to Vaughn, and it is the reason why nearly 77% of NHL goalies are wearing at least 1 Vaughn goalie product.
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Email: info@sportsetc.net