Mask Question: Sportmask to Pros Choice

[FastGoalie]

Was wondering if anyone had any insight or experience between wearing a pro-level Sportmask and/or a Pro's Choice custom mask. Specifically, I'm wondering how big an upgrade a Pro's Choice custom mask would be in terms of protection, and would it justify the much higher price. Anyone worn both masks? Was going from a high-level off the shelf mask to a full custom really worth the extra?

I'm currently in a Sportmask Pro Series 3 (Jonathan Quick model). Had it for about a year and a half, and so far no complaints or issues, it's a solid mask and fits very well. I play at a high-level men's league twice a week. If there's one piece of gear I'm not willing to skimp or go cheap on, it's my helmet. With that said, the Sportmask Pro-3 is just under $1K. However, the Pro's Choice mask is $2-3K (mask plus paint). My question is do you think the protection, materials, and fit of a Pro's Choice justify the additional $2K price tag? Living in the Los Angeles area, it's difficult to see a Pro's Choice mask in person and do a real comparison. Any help or insight is appreciated!

[Chenner29]

I went from a Sportmask to a PC in 2007 and had another one done last year.

I'm in Orange County if you want to do a drive-by comparison.  We can meet at Goalie Monkey in Santa Ana on a weekend if you'd like.

I have both his older Vapor model (when he was affiliated with Bauer) and the new 961-style shell.

The biggest difference is going to be the weight.  PCs are not a super light mask by any means, and I think most of it comes from the triangular center bar.

I've taken shots to the dome from a variety of levels - low level pickup plugs to summer skates with guys making money to play the game.  No ringing, no pain.  The closest thing to an "injury" I've received wearing Dom's masks was when I tucked my chin weird on a rising shot and strained my neck.

[TitanG]

48 minutes ago, FastGoalie said:

Was wondering if anyone had any insight or experience between wearing a pro-level Sportmask and/or a Pro's Choice custom mask. Specifically, I'm wondering how big an upgrade a Pro's Choice custom mask would be in terms of protection, and would it justify the much higher price. Anyone worn both masks? Was going from a high-level off the shelf mask to a full custom really worth the extra?

I'm currently in a Sportmask Pro Series 3 (Jonathan Quick model). Had it for about a year and a half, and so far no complaints or issues, it's a solid mask and fits very well. I play at a high-level men's league twice a week. If there's one piece of gear I'm not willing to skimp or go cheap on, it's my helmet. With that said, the Sportmask Pro-3 is just under $1K. However, the Pro's Choice mask is $2-3K (mask plus paint). My question is do you think the protection, materials, and fit of a Pro's Choice justify the additional $2K price tag? Living in the Los Angeles area, it's difficult to see a Pro's Choice mask in person and do a real comparison. Any help or insight is appreciated!

Have you considered a pro custom Sportmask as well? From what I understand they are a bit cheaper than Pro's Choice. Also, with Sportmask's recent merger with OTNY Mask, it may be possible to get ECOproFoam in the mask which would be an upgrade over most foam materials on the market today.

Honestly, don't think you can go wrong either way!

[lummy31]

I have some experience with this as I own stock Sportmask Pro2 and custom molded Sportmask as well as Pro's Choice. I regularly rotate through them along with others I have. Honestly it comes down to aesthetics (will point out some below) as any of these are going to offer you great protection. Specially the custom molded models. Think of them like a prosthetic for your head. If it's fabricated around your head mold it's going to fit just right. The cage will be lined up with your eyes and nose, the face opening will be proportional to your face, the chin cup will be set correctly and so on. If your head has any irregularities they will be accommodated with a custom molded mask. If not with some minor adjustments a Pro model Sportmask will fit well while saving you some dough. Personally I can wear a Pro2 off the shelf with 1/4" cheek padding.  I have tons of hours of play with all of the above and always feel super confident in them.  

Construction & Aesthetics 
Sportmask is a thinner shell overall and little lighter too. Really solid build though. PC, as mentioned above, carries a bit more weight but honestly it's not that noticeable when on your head. Sportmask has low profile strapping which some like as they blend into the top of the mask and allow more room for paint. The PC's have traditional raised hardware so the three on top stand out a bit more. Hands down the molded Sportmask chin cup is the best of any available in my opinion. I only use slings in my PC and other masks, but in Sportmask it's the only model I will use the stock cup. Both have great general shell shapes and I'm a fan of both. One thing I like about my PC's is the more aggressive slope from the forehead to the back of the mask. I'm short so this seems to work well for me. All my PC's except one have the standard double bar cage. I have one with the tri-bar. I don't like it as much as the flat bar on the Sportmask from a look perspective, but it's beefy and offers great protection. The cage adds to the aesthetic value of the mask depending on your personal taste so something to consider. One other thing of note - when you go custom molded the shell features are proportional to your head and you have flexibility with how the jaw line gets shaped, etc. If not for the ear vents on my custom Sportmask you might not know that it was made by Tony. It looks quite different than my stock Pro2. Two of my PC's are identical, but others I have done a little differentiator on each to make them their own - for example where the cheek to jaw cut starts, chin drop and or width, single vent hole on chin versus the two etc. It's one of the best features of getting custom mask. Point out some of things you like and let the masters perform their artistry.  

Happy to answer any other questions you may have.        

[TitanG]

9 minutes ago, lummy31 said:

I have some experience with this as I own stock Sportmask Pro2 and custom molded Sportmask as well as Pro's Choice. I regularly rotate through them along with others I have. Honestly it comes down to aesthetics (will point out some below) as any of these are going to offer you great protection. Specially the custom molded models. Think of them like a prosthetic for your head. If it's fabricated around your head mold it's going to fit just right. The cage will be lined up with your eyes and nose, the face opening will be proportional to your face, the chin cup will be set correctly and so on. If your head has any irregularities they will be accommodated with a custom molded mask. If not with some minor adjustments a Pro model Sportmask will fit well while saving you some dough. Personally I can wear a Pro2 off the shelf with 1/4" cheek padding.  I have tons of hours of play with all of the above and always feel super confident in them.  

Construction & Aesthetics 
Sportmask is a thinner shell overall and little lighter too. Really solid build though. PC, as mentioned above, carries a bit more weight but honestly it's not that noticeable when on your head. Sportmask has low profile strapping which some like as they blend into the top of the mask and allow more room for paint. The PC's have traditional raised hardware so the three on top stand out a bit more. Hands down the molded Sportmask chin cup is the best of any available in my opinion. I only use slings in my PC and other masks, but in Sportmask it's the only model I will use the stock cup. Both have great general shell shapes and I'm a fan of both. One thing I like about my PC's is the more aggressive slope from the forehead to the back of the mask. I'm short so this seems to work well for me. All my PC's except one have the standard double bar cage. I have one with the tri-bar. I don't like it as much as the flat bar on the Sportmask from a look perspective, but it's beefy and offers great protection. The cage adds to the aesthetic value of the mask depending on your personal taste so something to consider. One other thing of note - when you go custom molded the shell features are proportional to your head and you have flexibility with how the jaw line gets shaped, etc. If not for the ear vents on my custom Sportmask you might not know that it was made by Tony. It looks quite different than my stock Pro2. Two of my PC's are identical, but others I have done a little differentiator on each to make them their own - for example where the cheek to jaw cut starts, chin drop and or width, single vent hole on chin versus the two etc. It's one of the best features of getting custom mask. Point out some of things you like and let the masters perform their artistry.  

Happy to answer any other questions you may have.        

What is the price range on the custom Sportmask? I assume it is cheaper than $2000 USD.

Great info too!

[lummy31]

Mine was $1600 if I recall - and that's CDN too, so being US based now also benefitted from the exchange rate. 

[SaveByRichter35]

5 hours ago, lummy31 said:

I have some experience with this as I own stock Sportmask Pro2 and custom molded Sportmask as well as Pro's Choice. I regularly rotate through them along with others I have. Honestly it comes down to aesthetics (will point out some below) as any of these are going to offer you great protection. Specially the custom molded models. Think of them like a prosthetic for your head. If it's fabricated around your head mold it's going to fit just right. The cage will be lined up with your eyes and nose, the face opening will be proportional to your face, the chin cup will be set correctly and so on. If your head has any irregularities they will be accommodated with a custom molded mask. If not with some minor adjustments a Pro model Sportmask will fit well while saving you some dough. Personally I can wear a Pro2 off the shelf with 1/4" cheek padding.  I have tons of hours of play with all of the above and always feel super confident in them.  

Construction & Aesthetics 
Sportmask is a thinner shell overall and little lighter too. Really solid build though. PC, as mentioned above, carries a bit more weight but honestly it's not that noticeable when on your head. Sportmask has low profile strapping which some like as they blend into the top of the mask and allow more room for paint. The PC's have traditional raised hardware so the three on top stand out a bit more. Hands down the molded Sportmask chin cup is the best of any available in my opinion. I only use slings in my PC and other masks, but in Sportmask it's the only model I will use the stock cup. Both have great general shell shapes and I'm a fan of both. One thing I like about my PC's is the more aggressive slope from the forehead to the back of the mask. I'm short so this seems to work well for me. All my PC's except one have the standard double bar cage. I have one with the tri-bar. I don't like it as much as the flat bar on the Sportmask from a look perspective, but it's beefy and offers great protection. The cage adds to the aesthetic value of the mask depending on your personal taste so something to consider. One other thing of note - when you go custom molded the shell features are proportional to your head and you have flexibility with how the jaw line gets shaped, etc. If not for the ear vents on my custom Sportmask you might not know that it was made by Tony. It looks quite different than my stock Pro2. Two of my PC's are identical, but others I have done a little differentiator on each to make them their own - for example where the cheek to jaw cut starts, chin drop and or width, single vent hole on chin versus the two etc. It's one of the best features of getting custom mask. Point out some of things you like and let the masters perform their artistry.  

Happy to answer any other questions you may have.        

[lummy31]

36 minutes ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

rack it up 41yrs as a goalie who was originally enticed by the mask. I've easily spent half of that time collecting. It's a sickness, but a good sickness IMO.   

[FastGoalie]

Thanks for the replys everyone - some great info! I'm going to check out a custom option from Sportmask (probably a version of the Pro-3 with a few custom tweaks). $1600 CAD/$1200 USD isn't too bad for a custom mask.

@Chenner29 - thanks for the offer! I head down to Goalie Monkey Santa Ana a couple times a year (coming from Burbank area), next time I go, I'll give you a shout if you're available. 

@lummy31 - excellent info, thanks for the write-up! Sounds like you have a very nice mask collection!

[TitanG]

7 minutes ago, FastGoalie said:

Thanks for the replys everyone - some great info! I'm going to check out a custom option from Sportmask (probably a version of the Pro-3 with a few custom tweaks). $1600 CAD/$1200 USD isn't too bad for a custom mask.

@Chenner29 - thanks for the offer! I head down to Goalie Monkey Santa Ana a couple times a year (coming from Burbank area), next time I go, I'll give you a shout if you're available. 

@lummy31 - excellent info, thanks for the write-up! Sounds like you have a very nice mask collection!

Let us know how it turns out! It's always interesting to see the custom process in-depth.

[TheGoalNet]

20 hours ago, FastGoalie said:

Thanks for the replys everyone - some great info! I'm going to check out a custom option from Sportmask (probably a version of the Pro-3 with a few custom tweaks). $1600 CAD/$1200 USD isn't too bad for a custom mask.

@Chenner29 - thanks for the offer! I head down to Goalie Monkey Santa Ana a couple times a year (coming from Burbank area), next time I go, I'll give you a shout if you're available. 

@lummy31 - excellent info, thanks for the write-up! Sounds like you have a very nice mask collection!

Yes, please keep us posted on this. Also make sure to document the custom molding process on a separate thread