A
few years back I got N some nice skates online on clearance and he
used them for a couple of years before he outgrew them. I broke down
and went to Stateline and got him new ones that he used last season,
and truth be told, their prices were very reasonable, even compared
to going online. The skates were on the nicer end so they weren't
cheap, but they were killer skates and he loved them. Enough said.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long before he outgrew them. I went
through this whole fiasco trying to save money which I won't bore you
with, but suffice it to say that N is starting to require adult
sizes, which translates into higher costs. Funny how that works. In
the end I got him new skates this season and again, he loves them and
is skating beautifully on them. I said it before that it's a good
thing I'm a working man because keeping the supply chain open for
hockey and skiing can weigh heavily on your wallet.
Anyway,
my point is, a few years back when I got N new skates I got A new
skates, as well. Since she wasn't as serious, I figured I could get
her a less expensive pair of skates, though new, nonetheless. She
loved the skates and has used them ever since. To her credit, she has
never complained and has never asked for new skates. Her approach has
always been that they work and there's no need to get new ones,
despite my strong desire to get her new ones. She keeps shooting down
my frivolousness. What a great kid.
Well,
like all things in life, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky,
and eventually her blades started to wear down. I didn't realize this
happens, but it makes sense when you think about it. I have no clue
about these things, but apparently people on her team were commenting
on how small her blades had become. I took them into Stateline and
they said they were probably fine but did appear to have some wear.
Nothing urgent, but something to keep in mind. As if I needed
anything more to stoke my OCD. I immediately set about finding her a
new pair of skates, and this time she was on board.
I
decided to get her an upgrade like N's skates, which have blades that
are replaceable. When you get cheaper skates like A's old pair, you
can replace the blade but it requires replacing the entire bottom
manifold. Not only is this somewhat involved, but it costs as much as
a new pair of skates. I figured I'd get her a higher end pair that
would not only last longer but had a replaceable blade. It seemed
like a good solution.
And
talk about timing, I was over at Stateline last week and they were
having a sale on hockey equipment. Usually this means selective
items, but when I asked, they said everything was on sale. How could
I pass this up? I bought her the higher end skates that she had tried
on and figured I could return them if things weren't all peachy,
which turned out to be the case. The thing is, they were a wide size,
and because they are higher end, they are made to last, i.e., they
have a harder boot that withstands more abuse.
She
liked them, but I could tell she wasn't completely stoked with them.
Since we were paying full price, I wanted her to make sure she got
what she wanted, and clearly this wasn't it. I realized that this was
only go to work if she went in and tried them on again. The guys at
Stateline all know me well because we are in there about twice a
week, but they never give me a hard time and they are always
knowledgeable and helpful. I love that place. They took the skates
back, no problem (they had not been used, after all), and we tried
several on until A found ones that she really liked. Her old skates
were not wide sized, so we went with a regular width, and she liked
the skates that were a step down because they had a softer, more
comfortable boot. Granted, the blade was not replaceable, but since
they were a step down, they were cheaper. That speaks volumes to me.
Now
this is where you realize the value of supporting a local store is
just a really good thing. Not only did they take the skates back no
question asked and give me a full refund, but they sold me the
cheaper pair and still gave me the discount even though the sale was
long over. AND, they threw in a free pair of laces, which is a drop
in the bucket but it's the thought that counts, right? They didn't
have to offer it to me.
A's
new skates were definitely a step up from her old ones, and one
indicator of that the ability to heat mold the boot. It's not a big
deal, but it's kind of cool, especially when you're a kid and being
cool is tantamount to existence. A's new skates were heat moldable,
which Stateline takes care of whn you buy new skates (they have this
special oven which is really cool), not to mention a free sharpening.
I tried heat molding skates at home and I think I burned them.
For
the final act of this long and sordid tale, which has gone on much
longer than I thought it would, A got to try out her new skates
during practice, and she loved them. Like I said, they are much nicer
than her old skates, which were sort of a bargain-basement purchase
(I know, my Mentor and the Amazing PR Man are shaking their heads in
disapproval), so the blades are nicer and the boot probably feels
better. She liked them and I think she skated beautifully on them.
She came off the ice with glowing reviews, and I'm glad that she has
a nice pair of skates to continue playing hockey in. Plus, I'm
thinking her feet probably won't grow too much from here on in, so
she can use these for awhile. If she'd embraced the more expensive
ones, blade replacement would have been easier, but kudos to her for
going with what she wanted. Plus, it saved yours truly a fair amount
of money, and as you all know, I love when that happens.
Until
the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Joel Desrochers for the pic.
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