Hey Puckmugger: I can’t seem to adjust to CCM runners since switching from Bauer. Options?
Mar 13 '06
The Bottom Line A change to a different runner can be a challenge. Fortunately there are lots of options these days.
Scott,
I bought a pair of CCM Pro Tacks last season and really never used them. (Story of every pair of skates I have bought lately) I absolutely hate something about every pair on the market it seems.
The boots were pretty nice which is the complaint of the pair that I currently wear. My current pair is bruising my ankle all the way to the bone due to the tongue. I believe it is time to retire them anyway. I have put them through over 200 hours worth of games in 3 years. Not to mention any officiating schools I attended or games played as a player (playing is rare though).
I discovered after skating a couple of games in the CCM's that I could not dig into the ice and turn as hard/fast as I was used to without feeling like my heels were coming out from under me.
I have never skated on the CCM rocker before and I believe that is my culprit on my problem. It seems like there is a lot of blade at the toe but very little at the heel. I feel when I make a hard turn I am going to come out of it on my head. While it is comical and entertaining for everyone watching to see the ref fall there's a little inside thing most people don't know about. The guy that falls during the game has to buy his partner's beers afterwards! It's not in the rule book anywhere but every official knows that rule. I can't have that so I am coming to you for your infinite wisdom on the matter at hand.
I know what you are saying; get on with the question already...
I have never skated in anything other than Bauers until I bought the Eastons I wear currently. I was debating putting T-blades on the CCMs instead of having them re-rockered since getting a consistent skate sharpening in my locale is nearly impossible anyway. The short blade should give me back that Bauer feel/rocker I am looking for shouldn't it?
--
Thanks,
Mitchell - Memphis, TN
Mitchell,
There are a couple of components to the CCM runner/holder system that will make them feel different from the Bauer TUUKs which you are used to using. Rocker is the most complex of these while pitch can contribute equal amounts of frustration. From your email, I would guess that you are most likely struggling more with the forward pitch of the skates.
Bauer has a backwards pitch, putting players on their heels. CCM’s pitch is rather neutral in comparison putting players rather flat on their feet. While neither of these is a very athletic position, players who switch to another brand from Bauer often have problems adjusting their skating style. The fact that you feel like you cannot get to the heel of your skates sounds like this is the major issue.
As I mentioned the rocker is a little more complex. The simple part of the rocker is that Bauer uses a nine-foot rocker and CCM eleven-foot. But there are different toe and heel angles to consider on the rocker as well. Simply switching to another system with a nine-foot rocker doesn’t assure a solution.
From what you’ve told me there are essentially three possibilities that I would suggest. First, go with the t’blades. This is probably the most flexible solution as you can experiment with different runner lengths at a relatively inexpensive $15 a change. However, you should be forewarned that there will be an adjustment period to the t’blades. No one that I’ve ever talked to has gotten on the ice and loved their t’blades on the first try. However, few people that have stuck with them for a month or two go back to skating on standard steel. I did find that the t’blades were fairly heel oriented for pitch like the Bauer skates that I’ve tried, so the odds aren’t too bad that they will work for you.
The next option is to re-contour the steel on your CCM skates. If you have a competent shop that does this, they should be able to drop the heel a little for you giving you a more Bauer like feel with the CCM runner. The downsides here are that it might cost $40 and you will need to have it redone anytime that you replace your runners. Hence if you break a runner or wear them out, the replacement cost will be $40 for steel and $40 for contouring. Also, if you cannot find a shop that sharpens well, finding one that contours well is a long shot.
The last option you might consider is putting Bauer TUUK holders on the skate. The new Lightspeed 2 isn’t a bad holder as long as the installers drill an access hole in the bottom of your skate. The hardware sometimes does come loose and the access hole will make it possible to tighten and repair loose runners. This is the only certain way that you can get back to the same feel that you had in the Bauer skates. The conversion will cost about the same as a pair of t’blades.
Of course the last two possibilities don’t help you out with the sub-par sharpenings that you’ve been getting. I certainly cannot guarantee that the t’blades will get you the Bauer feel that you are looking for. However, I think that once you adjust to them, they will probably be the most practical solution of the three offered.
I hope that helps you out and saves you some beer money. As a former goalie, I know a lot about having to buy beer to compensate for on ice gaffes.
Best of luck!
Scott
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