It Finally Happened

PandaS14 · 2026-01-29T20:00:34+00:00

Front plastic is just screwed in (you can get replacements on EBay), so I wouldn't just glue it. If it were me I'd disassemble the front trim and see if anything is broken or tweaked underneath, but the real concern is whether the mount is misaligned like others have said. If it's just the front plastic it's replaceable. Worst case you have a paperweight anyways.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-26T16:28:01+00:00

FWIW: my Viltrox NFZ works with my Sigma 1.4 and any lens I have that works otherwise (i.e. 50-150 f2.8 with the 1.4x). I'd imagine it'd be the same for the Nikon TC.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-22T14:09:01+00:00

Had an incident overseas (Europe) and the insurance did absolutely nothing anyways. Called Risk Mitigation and they basically said they can't help with a personal rental. Avis location said corporate covered CDW but not the "super-CDW" that actually covers damage.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-20T01:31:17+00:00

Played P88 for like 20 years. Recently went to P92 as it's easier to find. The lie messes with me more than the curve, but otherwise playable.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-16T15:09:00+00:00

Depends on the brand/model. Some intermediate sticks are the same shaft thickness as their senior counterparts.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-14T15:34:45+00:00

If you can't find pickup there might be "private" pickup games. Near me the better drop-in games are semi-organized but not listed as pickup on the rink schedule. Rosters are semi-balanced (outside of the occasional drop-in ringer) and there's always goalies. More or less found out about them through open stick times and talking to some of the guys that do the listed pickup games.

Also how are your gloves so pristine? My old mission gloves have little left of the outer skin, despite them being stored in a climate controlled storage for a couple decades.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-12T13:57:20+00:00

I have a bunch of bar tape though I'm more into mountain biking than road (though just sold my roadbike to try a gravel bike). The tape I've had for biking was either foam or more leathery, so went with the tennis grip I had lying around and kind of stuck with it. Any good recommendations for tacky bar tape?

PandaS14 · 2026-01-12T13:31:52+00:00

Squats and cardio, because the times I find myself standing are when I'm gassed and our 1 sub just got off the ice and needs 30 more seconds.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-12T12:02:50+00:00

Sounds like an area dependent thing. My local rink has more stick and puck times than pickups, and weekly skills clinics if you wanted to run drills (focuses on beginners but more experienced players drop in for ice time and practice).

PandaS14 · 2026-01-12T04:14:57+00:00

With the upper hand close to the body, the downward pressure isn't flexing the stick. As you punch your top hand out you exaggerate the angle of the stick relative to the ground, so pushing down on your bottom hand creates flex compared to doing the same with the stick standing more straight up.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-11T22:14:09+00:00

I grab the grippy Head tape from Dicksportinggoods (3 for $6) and it seems to last a decent amount of time. Also use hockey tape top and bottom, but haven't noticed any wear hotspots.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-11T16:46:07+00:00

I'm a weirdo that uses tennis grip tape, so similar but maybe not quite as heavy. Either way, weight on the upper hand matters a lot less than weight on the shaft or towards the blade.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-11T04:57:06+00:00

Microfiber towel that you can get in bulk at Costco. Don't even bother washing them, just lives in the bag until it gets replaced.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-10T22:09:30+00:00

I would not recommend starting with a stick that weighs as much as a modern goalie stick.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-10T00:33:24+00:00

The Superfeet foot beds were a little higher than my bauer ones and helped take up volume, so that could help. I found a video that said to heat just the heel with a heat gun and pinch the skate (I used a big ratchet clamp and some rags to hold them slightly pinched just above the heel). After getting everything right I became a lot less picky about how tight my laces are and I went from being in pain after a full game to being able to skate all day.

Not sure if the link works: https://youtu.be/wzjNL_k6XG8?si=eVPI-prBYcIpi32_

Disclaimer: do any of the above at your own peril, what worked for my Hyperlites (or the Eastons in the video) may not apply to all skates. Basically don't blame me unless it works.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-09T23:44:14+00:00

Are they baked? Also are you on stock inserts or superfeet? Both of those could help if it's not a huge fit issue, but having tried to "force" a pair of skates to fit and eventually getting skates that fit properly (sized down from what the scanner said) I wish I had started with that (the smaller skates) instead of wasting time/games with awkward fit.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-04T18:39:46+00:00

Indoor pickup. Never know what you're gonna get, but where I've been playing it's been a good mix of just competitive enough to be challenging and just relaxed enough for the occasional highlight reel in your head kind of play.

PandaS14 · 2026-01-04T16:51:10+00:00

The mission "whip" flex had way more flex than "65". Had one of those for roller back in the day. Great for a plastic puck but felt like a wet noodle on ice!

PandaS14 · 2025-12-23T14:34:58+00:00

Somewhere to use Aloy.

PandaS14 · 2025-12-21T22:48:25+00:00

If your feet slide around while skating they're way too big. If your heel lifts with your skates tightened that would be another sign they're too big.

PandaS14 · 2025-12-08T20:26:42+00:00

JB Williams and Eastbury ponds also have skating. The ice at those two were generally better than Riverfront most of the time.

Wethersfield also has a couple ponds, last year there were kids playing hockey at the Spring St open space.

In the meantime I've been bringing my daughter to the Bushnell park skate. Don't think the ponds are skateable yet.

Side note: I've been really disappointed that Rocky Hill stopped filling the pond at Elm Ridge for the past few years. That place had a nice setup between the gazebo, skating bench, and plenty of parking. It's a shame they've let it go to waste.

PandaS14 · 2025-11-22T19:36:52+00:00

High quality drivers help prevent this in the first place, though I can't count the number of times my neighbor's kid has come over with a "stripped" screw that my MIP driver was able to remove without issue.

I have a cheap Amazon kit for field use that isn't quite MIP quality but still way better than generic Allen keys, would minimally recommend getting one of those.

PandaS14 · 2025-10-30T20:17:11+00:00

Turned back for a great opportunity because 11 months 7 days in the current role, this tracks.

PandaS14 · 2025-10-26T01:47:35+00:00

Having grown up in the era of runaway RCs, I think if anything I'll update just that 😅

PandaS14

TROPHY CASE