Bungee Cord Skate Strap Pad Mods

[old_gregg]

After coming across Paul Campbell's "New Aesthetics of Goaltending" series, particularly https://ingoalmag.com/news/the-new-aesthetics-of-goaltending-vol-2/, I realized I've been strapping my pads like a curmudgeon.  I just figured I struggled with butterfly slides because my technique sucked, but after reading that article, I was amazed I could do them at all.  Given that newfound knowledge, but worried about how strapping my skate straps loosely enough to let my skate drop would feel in game, I started thinking about how I could adapt some sort of elastic solution to my pads.  One $3 pack of mini bungee cords later...

After playing with this setup for a few games, the bungee cords are performing as I had hoped.  My pads move around a little more than I'm used to, but it hasn't been a big adjustment in that regard.  My butterfly slide technique still definitely needs work, but now it's legitimately a tool in my goaltending toolbox.

I'm still using my leather straps and buckles, so I can adjust the tension of the bungee cords by just adjusting where I buckle my straps.  This same concept would likely work for the calf straps as well if anyone wanted to experiment with elastic pad straps without dropping 4 figures on a brand new set of pads.  Also, if the bungees break, I can get another 10 pack for $3 at the local hardware store, not to mention that the mod is entirely reversable, so if you hate it, you can always go back with no harm done.