Rayzilla

Although it's not good news, I appreciate the consistent and timely replies and messages from John regarding my order. He had the unit made very quickly but the delivery is being delayed by the courier, which is out of John's hands. The courier needs to wait until there is enough items to ship it since there are less deliveries coming this way these days.

Here is a photo of the lockers at the rink that I now play at. The equipment is dry by the next night.

7 minutes ago, RichMan said:

If you play a lot or are a strong odour kind of guy, rinsing it once a month is a good idea. Otherwise, a good soak 2-3 times a year is fine. You could even get away with just at the end of the season, especially if you fan dry your gear after every use, but it doesn't seem to be the option in your case.

I rarely ever hang around or go eating/drinking after my games. That gives me time to get home, unpack and set up my main gear on my fan rack to dry overnight. No stink whatsoever aside from a delicate hockey smell. I rinse out my Maltese collar and my mask and let them drip in the tub until morning when I transfer them to the fan rack. The under garments, garters, jersey, socks and towels get washed and dried immediately, no morning after shit. This routine has aloud me to keep my gear in top shape for long periods of time, keeps the apartment odourless, the girlfriend happy and won't suffocate the change room occupants upon opening my bag (I can't stand when that happens from others), and not to mention will also avoid any skin issues or infections that can arise.  

That's a solid routine you have there.

I'm lucky in that I am not a strong odour guy. I think I will be fine with the once or twice each year rinse even though my equipment is stored in a locker at the rink. I will see what the new locker will be like but the one that it is in now is completely wire/cage enclosure so the ventilation is as good as can be. The new lockers are way bigger but is shaped like a morgue where only the front door is wire/cage. I'll get a photo of the locker when I get the chance.

Thanks.

3 hours ago, RichMan said:

Just water won't give it the stank virus but not drying it with a fan right after could result in mold issues. I lost my JB unit because of that, and just by having it stored away in a basement during the off season. Even mild humidity or dampness can mess up your gear. Don't forget that there is plastic in his units and that can prevent all the water and moisture to evaporate properly if just air dried.

Thanks. That's good to know and hear about your experiences.

Here in Hong Kong, the summers get very humid. I keep my equipment stored in a locker at the local rink. By the way, I'll need to show you guys some photos of the new rink that just opened up near to my home. More on that later.

Do you think it is ok to bring it home to give it a rinse in the shower without using any detergent? Just to rinse away some of the sweat that has built up over time.

On 10/16/2021 at 1:35 AM, RichMan said:

I say call a buddy over to your place, turn up the thermostats, put the c/a on and engage in 30 minutes of wrestling or jiu-jitsu and let it take its course slowly. Don't forget to fan dry it after or the stink will stick for good   

Ha! I think I will give ArdeFIN's recommendation a try first and then I will consider your suggestion. 

I will fan dry it after but if I am just soaking up in the shower with it and not sweating it up, will it actually still stink afterwards if it were not fan dried? I didn't think just water would do that but I don't know for sure because I never tried that before.

On 10/16/2021 at 12:04 AM, ArdeFIN said:

This is only my opinion based on what I've seen and think of what will happen during the break in. You don't need the shower to be hottest, but more so you need the unit to be througly wet. That will lubricate every seam and materials so that they'll take their place faster and easier. Also when wet I'd suggest you to do stretching to the unit, like bend your arms as much as you can for a little while, then do the opposite movement and try to work with all the fabric there is. Only moving will do the trick too, but I think it'll be faster when you give it a little stretch and give the materials a short time to "realize" what's happening.

Sort of same thing that you do for your new gloves, first tie it closed for over night with some pressure over maybe, then for the next night put a stick to hold it as open as possible.

The heat itself won't soften anything permanently and you don't want the plastics to soften at all and neither you want the foams to collapse. That's what is protecting you afterall, the rigid plastic parts and thick soft foams!

Thanks so much for your response. It is GOLD!

I like the recommendations that you made but more importantly, the reasons and understanding that supports them. It makes total sense to me and will be exactly what I will be doing when I receive the 2400CA.

1 hour ago, RichMan said:

Yeah, that shit happens here now and then, but it's been a couple winters now that it's tons of snow but higher temperatures. The world is changing man. Anyways, cool to see hockey happening in China. Don't they have a semi-pro or National team now? IIHF?

Hong Kong has a national team in the IIHF. Need to have a Hong Kong Passport in order to qualify to be on the team. Unfortunately, politics in the game here have prevented the team from being the best that it could be. Barry Beck is one of the coaches here. Hopefully it will start moving in the right direction soon.

I think China has a national team too. They built a record number of hockey rinks throughout the mainland country when they won the rights to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. It will be exciting to see Olympic hockey next year.

11 minutes ago, bildeer said:

Once you confirm that everything fits the way you want, I would strongly suggest getting it through a few warm/hot showers as soon as you can. This thing is going to be extremely rigid for the first few ice sessions and then begin to loosen up. Tying the arms up with skate laces when drying will help expedite the process. I've got 9 months on my 2400 Russian spec and it has broken in very nicely. Get ready to take shots that you won't even feel. 

Ok. I'll do the warm/hot showers trick but not sure how long I will be able to withstand hot showers here in Hong Kong. It's still fairly warm here now. I guess it will still have some breaking in effect if I just leave it hanging on something in the shower with the hot water running?

I'll try the skate laces trick to but maybe it would be better to use some kind of thicker ribbon or belt like strips to keep the arms bent up to spread the tension out more?

I'll keep you posted on how this goes. 

Thanks!

54 minutes ago, RichMan said:

I play in Gatineau/Ottawa area. The guy I thought you were was at a clinic I attended in Ottawa a good while back. 

I was on a secondment to work in Ottawa way back when I was still working for the government. It was the coldest winter that I ever experienced. There were a few days where it was -50 something. I can't remember if that was with or without the windchill. 

Just received an email today that my 2400CA is starting its way to its new home.

Here are two photos of the finished product. I love the protection on the biceps because I've had multiple bruises in that area and on the outside elbow area in the last two months. This will give me the confidence of protection when facing the guys coming in and winding it up from the slot.

I can't wait. I've heard about some tips of working them in quickly. Since my season has already started, if you care to share your ideas here again I would appreciate it.

23 hours ago, RichMan said:

Sorry man, then it was another Asian goalie brother and I can't remember his name or handle.

Not surprised about the Canucks vibe given the high Asian population in Vancouver. Lots of relatives keeping the fan love going.

Are you in Toronto? If so, where do you tend to play?

I was playing regularly with friends at East York Arena on Friday and Saturday nights. Sometimes I played on Wednesday nights at Seneca College (on Finch).

12 hours ago, RichMan said:

@Rayzilla did you rock a Pete Smith set at one time, Whalers colours or Canucks?

I had a big interest in getting some Smith gear but I don't recall pulling the trigger on it. 

My colour combos have typically been white with silver or white with red. Lots of Canucks fans here in Hong Kong though.

I just got an email from John. He sent me a photo of the cut out pieces that will go on my 2400CA and that it should be completed by the end of this week and shipped immediately after that.

I've been taking this lightly and not thinking about it too much since I have no control over it but seeing these basic cut out pieces in the photo has me thinking about it some more now and getting a little excited.

9 hours ago, dreadlocked1 said:

It was definitely the other dreadlocked goalie at the GSBB.  I was Dreadlocked1 and mine is from the band I was in a long time ago.  I would have assumed the other had dreadlocks.  

No dreadlocks at all on him. I recall he had wavy, medium/longish length, dirty blond hair. lol

48 minutes ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Seriously.  That's a lot of heat rising up under that ice.  

If you have ever been in the shopping malls in Hong Kong, heat is never a problem. You need to bring a jacket to go into the shopping malls, movie cinemas, and restaurants. You go to the rink to warm up. lol

2 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

IIRC @Rayzilla had a very bouncy GSBB avatar

I've already run out of reactions for the day so I will have to reply with an emoji.  

2 hours ago, Scythe said:

How in the world can an ice rink be put on a 10th floor? Would like to see that in person.  

I tried looking for photos that I took of the view from the benches that are located where the windows are but I couldn't find them. I found this one the web but it's not the best but gives you an idea.

It's a shopping mall and office tower all in one. Even the parking lot goes all the way up to the 12th floor or so.

2 hours ago, dreadlocked1 said:

I'm embarrassed, I think I've been hit in the head one too many times and I don't remember this meeting. Yes I was back on the gsbb and your username is very familiar now.  But where did we meet at if you're in Hong Kong?  IL or WI?  There is/was another Dreadlocked goalie on the GSBB and here.  Pretty good?  Must be the other guy

I was born and lived most of my life in Toronto. I'm older than most of you guys and when I met Dreadlock Goalie, I imagined a guy that really had dreadlocks. I can't remember if I met him at one of Dave's goalie training camps or somewhere else. Another possibility was that I put out a call for a goalie to cover my spot or the other goalie's spot for one of my weekly games? Or to hand off one of those custom goalie jerseys that we organised back at GSBB. We did a few custom jerseys such as the tuxedo jerseys and the GSBB jerseys where we decided on a few different designs. Those were the days...

On 10/8/2021 at 7:28 AM, ThatCarGuy said:

Could be worse. Could be Houston. Down there is barely breathable compared to the Midwest. 

I wonder if it is worse there or here in Hong Kong during the summer.

On 10/8/2021 at 10:41 PM, Chenner29 said:

I read an article earlier yesterday with a quote from either the current or former Montreal goalie coach(?) - can't find the article anymore and the dude's name escapes me right now

Said it has nothing to do with drugs or alcohol.  Getting to the Final last season and not winning took a toll on him

I didn't follow it closely but I would think that exposing him for the expansion draft after all that he did for them in the playoffs is a bit of a sting even if there was a super low possibility that he would have been selected. Even if it had to be done to protect the chance of losing Allen. But maybe there was a full explanation that it was the right move. I'm just wondering out loud I guess...

On 10/3/2021 at 12:54 AM, ThatCarGuy said:

Not really sure where else to put this but would anyone care to explain what’s going on here?

Either JRZ is too wide or everyone else is drastically too narrow. 

Perhaps, try taking the photo with the pads resting on a flat surface like the floor and then see how much taller the JRZ is at the other side. I agree with @AdamL, that looks like a lot more than a 0.25" difference from those photos.

12 hours ago, dreadlocked1 said:

Which goalie are you?

Hey, I think I know you. Are you Dreadlock from GSBB? I am pretty sure we met up and you didn't look exactly like what imagined based on your user name. lol. Then again, I don't think I look like some kind of reptilian monster either. lol. If that's you, I remember that you were pretty good. ;)

I'm the Asian goalie in the middle with the striped Coors Light jersey.

Ok. Finally straightened out the payment with John for the 2400CA. Initially a payment was made on September 17th but for unknown reasons, the bank later returned the money to me less about $25 to $40 CDN. Still no reason given for that yet. So just the other day another payment was sent via Interac online and John confirmed that this time he received the money. He will be starting on it this week and will have it ready to ship within a week.

I'll post some photos when he sends me any updates on it. 

Here is a photo of my first season here in Hong Kong. This was for the All-Stars game. I think I started my first season in Division 2 and then I think I went up to Division 1 in the following season.

I'll try to find some photos of this rink, which sits on the 10th floor of a shopping mall and that huge glass window in the back looks out to Hong Kong Harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline. It's got to be one of the nicest views in the world for a hockey rink. I think I posted photos of this rink back in the Goaliestore.com days.

10 hours ago, creasecollector said:

This was still the weirdest team switch ever. MAF will be close but I don't think it's like Marty.

For some reason to me at least, it seems like seeing any HOF goalie in a Blues jersey just doesn't feel right. Nothing against the Blues and they've been around for a long time but somehow it just doesn't look right to me.

On 7/26/2021 at 10:24 PM, bunnyman666 said:

True and CCM E-flex are both showing a few Vortek styling cues, intentionally or not.

Just catching up on some things here. One of my all time favourites was the Vortek VK5 glove. I still have mine and maybe I'll take it out for a spin to see if it can still hold up. Anything up with Vortek these days?