OD1N vs Speed Skin: The Review We've All Been Waiting For...

[djtendy]

DISCLAIMER: I do not work for, or will promote one company's product over another. This is solely my review based on my experiences. Anyone and everyone is allowed to both agree and/or disagree with what I have to say. 

This review is quite overdue. Better late than never, though, right? 

"But, what are you reviewing?"

Let's set up some context:

Recently, CCM released their new line for 2017, their third installment of their Extreme Flex series. CCM's basic mantra in their 2nd, and now 3rd gen of Extreme Flex lines has been fairly simple: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The EFlex 2 saw few improvements and upgrades from the original line. However, the 3rd gen offers a few new changes to the pad, including the material which makes up the "skin" of the pad, which CCM has appropriately named "Speedskin". The new line has been out for a few months, so I assume a large majority of the community here has had a chance to at least see the pads in person. The skin has an almost nylon feel to it, as the goal of the skin is to reduce friction between the pad and the ice, allowing it to slide easier.

Fellow contributor @Hills just did a great in-depth review of the pads. If you haven't checked it out, I would recommend you do so.

*A quick side note; the CCM Premiers can be custom-ordered with Speedskin now through their customizer, so it is available on both models.

"Get to the point."

Sit tight.

Not so recently, Bauer released their Supreme 1S OD1N line, which was a complete 180 from traditional goal pad construction, offering state-of-the-art, never-before-seen technology in a goal pad. Numerous goalies made the switch from "traditional" pads to the 1S line, considering the vast amount of hype surrounding the pad when it was first released. What makes the 1S pad so special? Specifically, Bauer's CORTech skin. I won't get into specifics about the skin, but InGoal Magazine graciously has. If you want specifics about the skin, this link is super helpful:

 http://magazine.ingoalmag.com/publication/index.php?i=301695&m=&l=&p=53&pre=&ver=html5#{"page":54,"issue_id":301695}

And before I get people commenting saying "the CORtech skin on the front of the pad has nothing to do with them sliding", this is false. The knee landing and stabilizers are wrapped in the CORtech skin.

Some goalies, including Frederik Andersen (who switched from heavy Reebok XLTs) noted how the pads slid too much when they first tried them. As a 1S user myself, I can comment and confirm that the ability to slide on these pads is truly incredible. I switched from heavy, double break, 3-year-old Vaughn V5 7800 pads to James Reimer pro-return, NXG-skinned 1S pads. That "pad"/"transition" review is in this forum thread somewhere.

As I am sure we can put two and two together, this review will consist of a comparison between the CCM Eflex3's Speedskin vs. the 1S CORtech skin. I'd like to say this review has been highly anticipated, as these two companies are the only companies (as of right now) who have abandoned traditional jenpro in the skin/material construction of their current-gen pads.

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So, now for the review. It's important to refresh yourself with my disclaimer featured above before you continue reading.

1S: I've been wearing the 1S pads since August 2016. To say they slide incredibly well would be an understatement. There are two comparisons I can use to explain how the pads slide on the ice: 1) Ever played out in hockey, and have slid on your shinpads? Imagine this sliding, just for a goalie pad. They are that good. 2) Ever stepped onto really crappy ice and have been barely able to slide because the ice sucks? This doesn't exist with the 1S. Whether you are skating on NHL-calibre ice, or crappy, overly-wet creases in Southern California in July, you will still slide incredibly well. I can confidently say this because I've been exposed to both great and crappy ice, and I don't find my slideability to decrease when I play, and I play against Junior/Major Junior/NCAA calibre shooters often. The pads have had some durability issues that Bauer has actually addressed mid-production (no company has ever done this while still manufacturing a current-gen pad), and carry over the same performance properties in the Vapor 1X OD1N pad, the more flexible, tighter-fitting option from Bauer. From a performance, and strictly sliding perspective, these pads perform incredibly well. I am honestly surprised why not as many goaltenders have made the switch. I understand goalies have contracts with equipment manufacturers, but I often fathom, for example, how much quicker someone like Pekka Rinne would be in a set of 1S pads vs. his CCM Premiers. 

CCM: For those who know me, I am not exactly CCM's biggest fan, especially considering their common wear areas (and in my opinion, critics of 1S gear who wear CCM gear should not be allowed to critique Bauer's shot at creating something new and running into some problems along the way). The wear and tear isn't the point. I am not CCM's biggest fan. But wow. The E3s were honestly one of the lightest pads I've ever worn. For once, the pad felt a part of my leg (something I detested about any Reebok pad and even the early gen Eflex lines - they felt like separate pieces on my legs, rather than a part of my legs. My Vaughns were amazing in this category, and the 1S took some time to adjust). Moreover, the simplicity of the strapping allowed me to dial in a comfortable preference in the dressing room before my first go with them - something I could not achieve immediately with the 1S. I felt like I was wearing my old Vaughns. A softer pad that I could get a good feel with almost immediately. I was super excited to try how they slid on the ice during my ice sessions with them. When I eagerly butterflied and pushed side to side in my butterfly, however, I felt really let down. It felt like I was wearing my old Vaughns, and effortless pushes didn't accomplish much, where I barely even have to try to push in my 1S pads to achieve a considerable slide. In game situations with the E3s, and where I had to put a good amount of effort into my slides, they slid great, and even better than my Vaughns. Compared to the 1S, in my opinion, however, they don't even come close to achieving the same thing. 

"But, when are you ever not trying to push hard to achieve a good slide?" 

Fair point - but, with my 1S, I found there was an adjustment period where I could almost develop muscle memory for how much I had to push (minimal vs. just above minimal vs. considerably) to get a good slide in. I knew immediately, and developed confidence quickly in how hard I had to push and how much (little) energy I had to exert to get across the crease. With the E3s, I felt like I always had to push myself to get a good slide in, for fear that I would not make it across the crease in enough time to get square in the butterfly. This is energy consuming, and while the pad is considerably lighter, I still feel like the "sliding" aspect of the industry belongs to Bauer. 

"But, you only wore the E3s a handful of times compared to almost a year with the 1S".

Also a fair point. They were also a tad too big for me (34+2, and I need a 33+2). Maybe my knee wasn't hitting properly and it took away from the slideability of the pads. Let's also not forget to mention durability; the speedskin may be a huge leap with respect to durability, and may fix alot of the common problems (inner knee wear, toe binding wear) associated with their brand, while Bauer still has a considerable "?" beside their OD1N line with respect to the durability. Let's see how the 1X and yet-to-be-released 2S do re: durability to make this comparison.

Overall, I believe CCM has created a great product to compete with other brands, and they have a leg up on the competition (i.e. Vaughn, Brian's, Warrior), brands that have not tested a "new" material to increase slideability). However, the weight of the 1S, (and now the 1X as it uses the same skin) combined with the CORtech skin and its overall composition, for me, are superior in the sliding category compared to the Eflex 3s. 

[TheGoalNet]

You might like the 1X. 

I only wore them for about 30 minutes today, but it's the 1S sliding with a connected leg channel. 

 

[slade037]

@djtendy, what size Bauers are you wearing?

Thanks for your insights!

[Big2]

To all overheard a father comment about the slide ability of the Odin vs Eflex III yesterday, he said that his son who has a pair of Odins preferred them over the Eflex III ( which he demoed this summer).

Not very scientific but I thought I would share!

[TheGoalNet]

On 8/8/2017 at 0:38 PM, slade037 said:

@djtendy, what size Bauers are you wearing?

Thanks for your insights!

@djtendy is a great poster when he is able, but has a lot going on. 

His 1S pads are medium Reimer returns with NXG graphic. His review is here: