Hockey for Weekend Warriors is a humorous look at hockey and how to play. Aimed primarily at Beer League wanna-be's, it has nonetheless been very well received by everyone from non-players to novices, to experts. Click here to read the reviews.
Contacting Me
If you need to email me about epinions or hockey gear, I'll be glad to answer your questions. Please use the email link near the top of this page (you will need to be logged in to epinions to view it). Please be aware that any email letters to me may be published as advice that other people with similar issues might be able to benefit from as well.
Links to my hockey articles you might find helpful:
Basic Hockey Guides:
Hockey and Recreational Skates:
Hockey Sticks, Shafts and Blades:
Helmets and Facial Protection:
Elbow Pads:
Shoulder Pads:
Gloves:
Pants:
Shin Guards:
Hockey Bags:
Hockey Accessories:
Online Shopping:
Golaie Leg Pads:
Goalie Gloves:
Goalie Chest and Arm Protectors:
Goalie Pants:
Goalie Skates:
Goalie Sticks:
Goalie Masks:
Goalie Jocks and Accesories:
Hockey Books :
A little about me
If my wife had to describe me in a word, I think it would be hockey. She isn’t quite a hockey widow, but sometimes she likes to play the part. I began playing goalie in 2001 and playing out of the net in 2002 (although anyone who has watched me play goalie would say that there isn't much difference). Right now I play four to five hours a week but my goaltending time has dropped to a couple games monthly.
I currently own a small hockey retail store and have worked in hockey retail since 2001. I spent a portions of this time as a manager at one of the top 25 hockey retailers in the country (by sales volume). I am a qualified tech who can complete all repairs on a skate from a simple sharpening, to replacing carriers, to a rebuild of a hockey boot. I have fit literally thousands of people for skates and to the best of my knowledge have only had one person who I couldn’t make happy (frankly, he didn’t listen to my advice in his choice, and having played hockey with him for a couple of years now, he isn’t ever happy anyway).
I’ve tried on every model of skates that I can get my hands on (or, more appropriately feet into), just to get a feel for the shape of the boot. Fitting a boot is something of an art. You eventually get to the point where you can look at someone’s foot and know exactly the brand and model that they will be most comfortable in. It is somehow rewarding to bring out seven pair of skates and then have the customer decide to buy to the first pair you brought them, but the urge to shout, "I told you so!" is overwhelming.
I paint goalie helmets as a personal hobby. I haven’t ever thought about selling them since there is a definite liability issue. Painting a helmet voids the warranty and having people with brain damage taking me to court sounds like a bad idea. Anyway, I have a lot of goalie helmets. I tend to get excited about a new paint scheme idea and buy a new lid every six months to a year. It’s a lot of work, taking about 40 hours or more to finish a helmet.
As a sales person, It seemed people were often conflicted about the advice I gave them. It’s a reasonable human reaction, to believe that a stranger trying to sell you something is going to steer you towards a higher priced item simply to make more profit. In fact sometimes you have to slow people down as well and convince them that buying too much skate is as bad an idea as not buying enough. Too many times they failed to trust me. This is what excites me about epinions. I consider myself an ambassador for the sport I love. Hockey is the fastest growing sport in the country, but at the same time, much of the equipment is mystifying to the average person. Epinions offers a forum for information unbiased by the thought of sales commission hungry salesmen. Hopefully I can demystify a few products and help some people make the right choices.
If you do have questions about skates, service or gear, feel free to drop me an email, I would love to help you out.
My nickname on the ice is Batman. I wish I could say this was due to my lightning reflexes and the fear I strike into the very heart of would be evildoers. The actual impetus behind my moniker was a number of guys misreading the "Battram" logo on my leg pads. This is a picture of my Koho 570 before I switched to a Cat's Eye Cage. The paint work took me about 40 hours.
This was my first actual batman paint job on my NXI Stealth. I don't wear this helmet since it no longer offers the level of protection that I need. I did this paint job in the span of three NFL games one Sunday. All of the stencil work was done in front of the TV and the painting at halftime breaks.
This Itech was the first helmet I painted and is still one of my favorite paintjobs. The theme probably added to the confusion with me earning the nickname of Batman as it certainly borrowed from the old TV series. It was actually inspired by a combination of the comical busses that Boulder has driving the streets and a concussion that I had the the helmet this one replaced. Note the backplate, "That didn't hurt!" Unfortunately this one now has an egg sized hole in the chin and has been retired.
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