From: dcchan@engin.umich.edu (David Chi Wei Chan)
Subject: Re: ** Inline Hockey FAQ  (Beta Test Version)
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 92 23:38:57 EDT
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor

In article <42090026@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM> aites@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Jim Aites) writes:
>| Thomas A. Darling \\\ Fact HQ Studio * record production * dance re-mixing
>| darling@cellar.org \\\ music for film * The Cellar BBS:215/654-9184 * FACT
>
>Nice job on the FAQ.  It's almost enough to get me to try this.  <grin>  I'm
>into free-style, and have only seen one game of hockey anywhere in my area 
>anyway.  (rats!)
>
>Jim 8')s  |  aites@hpsmpa.lvld.hp.com

Yeah, good job with the hockey file.  Just some comments:


>Sticks //  Many of our players use standard street hockey sticks, with
>______//  wooden shafts and plastic blades.  These seem to survive the
>surface with minimal wear.  However, those more experienced players
>(former ice hockey players all) prefer wooden ice hockey sticks, with taped

I think one reason for sticking with wooden blades is that the way the
weight is distributed is different when you attach a heavier plastic
blade.  Still, I've switched to plastic blades because I can keep 
replacing them, and besides, I Iike the stick too much to throw it away 8-)
You get used to the heavier blade.

>Pucks //  Sun Hockey makes a nifty three-wheeled puck called the "Hot
>_____//  Puck."  The puck is hard rubber, and the "wheels" are three teflon

>an extremely cool design.  Disadvantage: It doesn't work.  Even on the most

A big disadvantage, IMHO 8-)  I've tried several types of pucks, both
the ones with the plastic balls imbeded, and the all-rubber kind, and
none of them want to stay down.  Usually you end up rolling it down the
court.

>Since the Sun puck doesn't happen, we use Mylec street hockey balls.  They
>...
>of a warm-weather ball that shattered when used in cold weather.

The orange (warm) ball gets really hard during cold weather (as several
bruises on my friends' bodies will attest 8-).  Also, it's really dead
because it loses all of it's bounce.  The blue or pink balls work pretty
well for their given temps.

>Those nifty wristguards are probably a good idea for skating and training,
>but for all practical purposes it is impossible to hold a hockey stick with

Agreed.  The plastic plate only gets in your palm's way.  However, I've
found that wearing the guard only one my shooting hand (the lower one) is
okay, and even helped me straighten out my shot (but that's just me
I guess).

 
>The bottom line, really, is that you can make do with what you've got.  One
>of our best players uses el cheapo skates (Phantoms?), yet still manages to
>come up with the breakaways and finesse plays.

Yeah, how you skate is much more important than what skates you have. I
remember one of the players at school had the old Zetras with really worn
and small wheels.  Even on my tall 76mm wheels and good bearings, he'd
outsprint most of us quite handily.  I guess it helps that he was in
shape from all his ice hockey (vs. the rest of us hackers).

Anyway, good job on the hockey FAQ.  If you want, I can repost it with
the rest of the FAQ files.

-Tony Chen
 adchen@lee.cs.uiowa.edu

Newsgroups: rec.skate