Bauer's Own The Moment

[TheGoalNet]

Own The Moment - My Experience

I’ve been to Bauer’s Own The Moment (OTM) store in Minnesota a few times before. This was the first time I had visited since starting the website and associated social media accounts. I communicated with Bauer ahead of time that I would be visiting soon, but didn’t outline a date or time. I wanted to visit the store as any regular customer would and get the real experience. I am sincerely in the market for new gear and will probably change to Brian’s Optik, 2S, or 1X in a few months. So I entered the store with the intentions of taking tons of photos for content, but also to see some stuff up close that I can’t at my local Total Hockey. . .

 

Fortunately, the timing worked out perfectly. I had about 3 hrs to kill before my 8:30pm flight back to Chicago and the store is right by the Airport. I normally was limited to a 20-30min stop on my way back to MSP. Before I left for the trip to MN, I had thought about bringing my skates and demoing the 1X on the ice. If you’re not aware, OTM has two distinct opportunities for testing gear. The first is a studio rink with real ice. You can literally try on any of their gear and go hit the ice for a brief demo. This is open to skates, goalie equipment, sticks, etc. The second is a synthetic ice sheet with a net. The latter is almost like a driving range for hockey. Very similarly to how you can test a driver at a golf store before purchasing, you can demo a Bauer stick before buying. During the demo, one of the Bauer staffers will help analyze your shot and fit you for the right stick. I don’t know how much value that has for me personally, but it’s pretty cool if you are on the fence between player sticks. Unfortunately, Skates smell bad and take up too much suitcase space and I quickly dismissed the idea of bringing my wheels and demoing 1X. As much as I wanted to try the 1X, I figured it’d have to wait for another time or until I could pick up a set used.

I entered the store and immediately headed to the goalie section. Although they only stock Bauer, it’s still something to see. They have literally every model of everything in every size to try on. I was able to compare 1S to 1X very closely, try on the XPM in multiple sizes, and see all of Bauer’s various accessory models for knee pads, replacements straps, etc. I am still kicking myself for not picking up the XPM harness kit for my CCM mask. The sewn tips are a really nice touch, the elastic is high quality, and I wouldn’t have needed to pay shipping charges. The sewn strap tips were a detail I only first noticed when seeing the harness loose from the mask. 

Fortunately, some of the display gear was “launch” 1S and some was the mid-model “revision”. For any gear heads like myself, seeing this up close is awesome. As much as people like to rip on Bauer for releasing a product too soon with durability issues, I commend Bauer for doing the right thing and updating the pad once they realized the issue. One of the most fascinating things to see was a set of Vapor 1X pads with both the “launch” top binding and then another set with the “revision” version. I hadn’t noticed that before either and figured all 1X pads got to production with the “revision”. I am actually sad the “launch” top edge didn’t hold up. I love how clean and minimalist the pad looked without the binding in sight.

Once a store rep noticed how intently I was looking at the gear and taking pictures, he decided to engage me. On one hand, I was very impressed with the knowledge and being able to explain the differences between the Supreme and Vapor lines. On the other, it was clear that he was not a goalie and didn’t know much about Bauer’s competition. He asked a couple of very ignorant questions, like “does anyone else have elastic strapping yet?” and “have you ever worn pads with elastic straps?”. But again, he knew the Bauer product well and was honest with me that he was not a goalie. It would be nice if Bauer had a goalie on staff at all times, but I get it and don’t completely blame him. He knew Bauer gear better than the typical rep at a traditional retail store.

After we talked for 10 mins, he asked me why I was not testing out the gear? I figured I needed my own skates, helmet, etc and he pointed out that Bauer had it all! It didn’t take much convincing. I ran to my car, grabbed some workout gear from my suitcase, and hit the Bauer locker room. I ended up trying the 1X skates, 1X pads in L, 1X pads in M, 1X gloves, and XPM mask. There was no line for the rink and I was able to mess around for about 30 minutes on my own.

I will save my thoughts for the 1X line in a future “Initial Impressions” article. My only complaint about the demo experience was that the skates were a bit dull. Other than that, the test drive was fantastic. I did a bunch of crease movement drills focusing on RVH, VH, and sliding to get a feel for the 1X pads. My main areas of interest were: Do they feel much different than 1S, do they slide as well as 1S, do they address anything I don’t like about 1S? The demo session gave me enough time to have insight into those questions. Various Bauer staff members poked their heads into the rink during my demo. They were very helpful to check on my progress and see if I had any questions.

Recapping my experience, Own the Moment is flat out phenomenal and only makes sense. If I am spending $3000 on a set of gear, why shouldn’t I have an opportunity to try it before I buy it? The ability to try on the size or bigger smaller than you might think you want should give everyone the peace of mind that shopping online misses.  It’s also a fantastic place to swing in for some hard to find small accessories. My only complaint was that I wasn’t dealing with a goalie in the goalie department, but he knew his Bauer stuff. He also wasn’t worse than many other employees at big box stores I’ve encountered. If you want to buy Bauer gear and live near an OTM, go there. It’s that simple. 

 

[TitanG]

Looks cool, though I still prefer the traditional retail store with all of the major brands to test out (the more, the merrier).

I agree that it's a good feature to have the ends of the XPM harness sewn like that -- only problem is Bauer (and CCM for that matter) still do the old harness system that covers the backplate instead of the "strapless" look to feature more backplate art. I've also liked the inclusion of the rubbery plastic around the parts of the cage that like to chip the paint and I'd wish more companies would do this. Also, what I found when trying the XPM was the S/M size seemed to fit higher on my head and limit my down vision more than the M/L so much that I asked the store rep whether they had different cage sizes (answer: nope).

I'm also curious about the leg channels, as much has been made of the fact that Dubnyk literally has a stock 1X leg channel on both his 1S and 2S. I find it funny how the leg channel is labelled still as 1X, so I wonder if/when Bauer offers different leg channels if they will be labelled like this or not.

[TheGoalNet]

34 minutes ago, TitanG said:

Looks cool, though I still prefer the traditional retail store with all of the major brands to test out (the more, the merrier).

I agree that it's a good feature to have the ends of the XPM harness sewn like that -- only problem is Bauer (and CCM for that matter) still do the old harness system that covers the backplate instead of the "strapless" look to feature more backplate art. I've also liked the inclusion of the rubbery plastic around the parts of the cage that like to chip the paint and I'd wish more companies would do this. Also, what I found when trying the XPM was the S/M size seemed to fit higher on my head and limit my down vision more than the M/L so much that I asked the store rep whether they had different cage sizes (answer: nope).

I'm also curious about the leg channels, as much has been made of the fact that Dubnyk literally has a stock 1X leg channel on both his 1S and 2S. I find it funny how the leg channel is labelled still as 1X, so I wonder if/when Bauer offers different leg channels if they will be labelled like this or not.

I have a "no show" harness and I hate it. For some reason, my mask never felt right with it. The only thing I could think of was that I was loosing some tension without the straps being connected? I went back to the basic AR harness and have no complaints 

Second the vote on the plastic wrap on the cage. That would have saved most or all the forehead chips in my mask 

[TitanG]

1 minute ago, TheGoalNet said:

I have a "no show" harness and I hate it. For some reason, my mask never felt right with it. The only thing I could think of was that I was loosing some tension without the straps being connected? I went back to the basic AR harness and have no complaints 

Interesting. I still have the stock straps on my Eddy so I haven't tried the no show style yet, but I wondered if it might not feel snug enough. I wonder if a design similar to Sportmask and Coveted/OTNY mask would do better, since they are specifically designed for that harness type? Of course some goalies go the old fashioned route of simply hiding the harness inside the backplate (I'm assuming between the padding and the shell) to get the no show look but full harness support.

[TheGoalNet]

2 minutes ago, TitanG said:

Interesting. I still have the stock straps on my Eddy so I haven't tried the no show style yet, but I wondered if it might not feel snug enough. I wonder if a design similar to Sportmask and Coveted/OTNY mask would do better, since they are specifically designed for that harness type? Of course some goalies go the old fashioned route of simply hiding the harness inside the backplate (I'm assuming between the padding and the shell) to get the no show look but full harness support.

That last suggestion just seems like trouble to me!

[TitanG]

 

18 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

That last suggestion just seems like trouble to me!

It always did to me as well, though I'm pretty sure Michel Doganieri does that upon request, so maybe it's not so bad?

I just remembered that Sportmask and Coveted/OTNY mask (see below) use less stretchy material (looks more like nylon backpack strap material) for some of their no show straps, so maybe that helps keep it secure?

[Mroy31]

Were there any other options for the 960XPM than just the typical s/m and m/l sizes in regular stores? I was always curious if the OTM stores would give you a bit more custom opportunities in some areas. I was ready to pay retail for a 960XPM but my big head and narrow face just didn't fit either size properly. 

[TitanG]

39 minutes ago, Mroy31 said:

Were there any other options for the 960XPM than just the typical s/m and m/l sizes in regular stores? I was always curious if the OTM stores would give you a bit more custom opportunities in some areas. I was ready to pay retail for a 960XPM but my big head and narrow face just didn't fit either size properly. 

I had a similar issue with the M/L size while the S/M size fit well in the face the backplate had a gap and the sight lines were not as good. With Bauer making a big deal out of having mechanically attached padding, you'd think they'd have come out with different padding options like CCM does for their pro NHL moulds. I'm guessing it's not profitable in their minds because most people will buy the mask even if it doesn't fit well just because that's the mask their favourite goalie wears.

[TheGoalNet]

44 minutes ago, Mroy31 said:

Were there any other options for the 960XPM than just the typical s/m and m/l sizes in regular stores? I was always curious if the OTM stores would give you a bit more custom opportunities in some areas. I was ready to pay retail for a 960XPM but my big head and narrow face just didn't fit either size properly. 

No, but they did have the full array of the pro model NME

[TheGoalNet]

4 minutes ago, TitanG said:

I had a similar issue with the M/L size while the S/M size fit well in the face the backplate had a gap and the sight lines were not as good. With Bauer making a big deal out of having mechanically attached padding, you'd think they'd have come out with different padding options like CCM does for their pro NHL moulds. I'm guessing it's not profitable in their minds because most people will buy the mask even if it doesn't fit well just because that's the mask their favourite goalie wears.

I actually had the exact same problem. S / M felt great, but the backplate was suspect 

M / L felt big and I didn't know if I'd be able to get the strapping dialed in. 

If I were ever to own one, I'd have to consider a S/M with thinner Maltese padding or I'd really have to play with strapping before buying a M/L

[Mroy31]

37 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

I actually had the exact same problem. S / M felt great, but the backplate was suspect 

M / L felt big and I didn't know if I'd be able to get the strapping dialed in. 

If I were ever to own one, I'd have to consider a S/M with thinner Maltese padding or I'd really have to play with strapping before buying a M/L

Masked Marvel sized me into a medium mask with the shell extended 1/2" and the Assault model is basically the same shape as the Bauer profile series, so that ended up being a pretty easy call for me. Also saved some money to put towards some mask art

[TitanG]

14 minutes ago, Mroy31 said:

Masked Marvel sized me into a medium mask with the shell extended 1/2" and the Assault model is basically the same shape as the Bauer profile series, so that ended up being a pretty easy call for me. Also saved some money to put towards some mask art

Awesome, I wondered whether they could do that. I always appreciate a mask maker that cares about the fit of the mask more than a couple of stock options.

[TheGoalNet]

1 hour ago, TitanG said:

Awesome, I wondered whether they could do that. I always appreciate a mask maker that cares about the fit of the mask more than a couple of stock options.

I believe MM ( @Joe Messina ) offers masks for an in home try on too.

[Mroy31]

9 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

I believe MM ( @Joe Messina ) offers masks for an in home try on too.

Yeah, my head is a pretty straight forward fit, not weirdly shaped really (nothing wrong with that :P) . I'll go into a bit more detail in another thread, but from pictures of me in my current mask and my head circumference measurement, Joe confirmed my "medium face, large head" hypothesis. 

[TheGoalNet]

23 minutes ago, Mroy31 said:

Yeah, my head is a pretty straight forward fit, not weirdly shaped really (nothing wrong with that :P) . I'll go into a bit more detail in another thread, but from pictures of me in my current mask and my head circumference measurement, Joe confirmed my "medium face, large head" hypothesis. 

Haha, maybe I should FaceTime @Joe Messina just to get a diagnosis!

[SaveByRichter35]

So you can pull any piece of gear from the shelf and demo it or do they have every piece of every gear in every size in stock to buy and then separate duplicates to demo?

[TheGoalNet]

51 minutes ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

So you can pull any piece of gear from the shelf and demo it or do they have every piece of every gear in every size in stock to buy and then separate duplicates to demo?

There's a separate locker room with demo gear. Had 1S and 1X is every size. Had Bauer masks in every size. Had 1S & 1X skates in every size 

[SaveByRichter35]

That's pretty friggin cool.  I wish I lived in more of a hockey hotbed.  We have shit for hockey stores around here.

[TheGoalNet]

1 hour ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

That's pretty friggin cool.  I wish I lived in more of a hockey hotbed.  We have shit for hockey stores around here.

I get that only having Bauer is a turn off to some people, but it's legit cool. Given how much they charge for new gear now, it only makes sense to get out there and test it!!! 

[coopaloop1234]

@TheGoalNet did you notice any differences in prices from the Bauer specific store to the general retailer? Does cutting out the middleman save the consumer anything? Or are they still looking at paying the same price?

[SaveByRichter35]

9 minutes ago, TheGoalNet said:

I get that only having Bauer is a turn off to some people, but it's legit cool. Given how much they charge for new gear now, it only makes sense to get out there and test it!!! 

Yea I am not a big Bauer fan whatsoever but to have a store like that would still be nice to have.

[TheGoalNet]

6 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

@TheGoalNet did you notice any differences in prices from the Bauer specific store to the general retailer? Does cutting out the middleman save the consumer anything? Or are they still looking at paying the same price?

I didn't check out the prices, but I'd bet they are identical. Bauer isn't cutting out the middle man as a cost reduction, the idea is controlling and improving the customer experience. Bauer offers tons of models now and gear is expensive. 

By making sure people are properly fit into the proper model and providing a demo, people should leave the store their perfect piece of equipment and without buyers remorse. 

[Mroy31]

They were supposed to open one of these not too far from me this summer, but it looks like that was scrubbed at some point.  No more "Coming soon" on the site and the only google hits are a bunch of 2016 articles about how it was supposed to be coming in 2017.  Too bad.

[bunnyman666]

2 hours ago, TheGoalNet said:

I didn't check out the prices, but I'd bet they are identical. Bauer isn't cutting out the middle man as a cost reduction, the idea is controlling and improving the customer experience. Bauer offers tons of models now and gear is expensive. 

By making sure people are properly fit into the proper model and providing a demo, people should leave the store their perfect piece of equipment and without buyers remorse. 

There is actually a fair bit of risk operating a store. By the time you do everything, they probably aren't making much more than they were selling it to retailers. Sales people take up a lot of the profits as does maintaining the space.  It does not sound like there is a middleman in this sales scheme, so it isn't like they sell to a wholesaler, then the wholesaler gets their cut. 

[TheGoalNet]

10 minutes ago, bunnyman666 said:

There is actually a fair bit of risk operating a store. By the time you do everything, they probably aren't making much more than they were selling it to retailers. Sales people take up a lot of the profits as does maintaining the space.  It does not sound like there is a middleman in this sales scheme, so it isn't like they sell to a wholesaler, then the wholesaler gets their cut. 

Agreed, Bauer is probably not saving any money with their stores. Their incentive is mainly based on customer expierence.

How much does it cost to operate a studio rink and no one buys ice, haha 

@Mroy31 - Chicago was on the list pre bankruptcy. I thought it died with the bankruptcy, but the store guys pro actively told me Chicago is rumored to be getting a store again. Guys even called out Schaumburg by name and that's where one of the Total Hockey's closed. 

It'd be a prime location for them