Really...you want to return that?

Some people are real doozies. I get that you only bought the shoes a year ago, but the fact that there are no outsoles left on either feet, holes in the upper, and they smell like the dog after swimming the English channel probably means that they aren't really "defective".
What is defective in retail? Well in our case it's when the product fails due to a manufacturing error. Examples of this would be a tounge not stitched to a shoe properly and coming off. Or a jacket where the zipper rips out of the seam. A hockey skate where a rivet pops out a week after buying them.
Hockey bags cut by a skate blade are not defects, "but the bag should withstand that". Really? let's take a knife to your seat cushion and then claim that as defective too...since it's the same thing.
Also, when you buy a bicycle, your tires are not covered under warranty, nor are your tubes, chain, cables, spokes or derailleur hangers. If your tube pops 3 months after buying the bike, that's pretty common. And please don't bring in a bike with car tire marks on it and paint smudges and try to tell us the frame being bent is a defect. Bike tires and tubes don't have a road hazard guarantee. And no we won't return a bike after 2 weeks and you left it outside in the rain. Nor if your son takes it out and literally scrapes 50% of the paint off, breaks the chain guard and then you bring it back to say "he was just riding and it fell off".
Scratched sunglasses are another one, the fact that sunglasses get scratched is not our fault, nor the fault of their manufacturer. The lens are not bulletproof (although lots of people seem to think so) and they can't withstand being assaulted by your keys while sharing your jacket pocket. Yet I'd say 7 out of 10 sunglasses that come back are scratched and the owner feels that that is a defect because "they shouldn't scratch after a week", well when SHOULD they scratch? Oh, and if you buy cotton sweat pants, wash them and put them in the dryer and they shrink 2 inches....please check the how to wash tags before actually washing them because when they shrink, that's the nature of the materiel, not a defective product.
Broken hockey sticks...oh boy, If I had a nickle...."I just stepped on the ice, took a shot and it shattered". Really. The first time you ever used it...It just exploded like the Death Star after Luke used the force (And a couple Photon Torpedo's)? There is almost always a skate cut, or something more to the story but we never get to hear that. I had a woman pissed at me because she bought a stick Friday, son played with it Saturday in Provincial playdowns and broke it in a game and got pissed when we didn't replace it, and this 2 weeks after the same model stick did the same thing on him, perhaps a different model might be an option here. They don't expire like milk. Their shelf life isn't 24 hours. She wasn't too pleased that I told her that she might want to tell her son to consider a different stick.
If your new golf driver doesn't hit it straight like you saw on TV, that's not the fault of the club sir. That's operator error. I've seen aluminum bats come back and they have a pretty decent bend to them, however when you try to explain to the owner that this is usually from hitting the ground in a downwards motion when your upset because you struck out playing slowpitch and not from hitting a ball, it isn't usually met with smiles and giggles.
If your brand new snowboard gets run over by a ski or another snowboard and the de-lamination is in a perfectly straight line running perpendicular to the wood fibers of the core, chances are it's not the fault of the way the board was constructed. That's a cut in the top sheet.

Now don't get me wrong, 90% of all defect claims are in fact defects. It's very rare that we won't take back a questionable defect also. At least we will give you a discount on a replacement. People look at us like we have 3 heads however when we tell them that there is no warranty on a defect replacement. It makes sense to reasonable people like you and I, but some people don't get it. If we let you replace a replacement, it would create a never ending cycle, everything would be mysteriously defective, over and over again.

Bottom line is we are more that fair and reasonable when it comes to returns and defects, but please don't take advantage of it. If your honest and up front with us we will be more than happy to help fix the problem no matter what it takes.

Salomon QuestMax 100 Ski Boots

Here it is, Friday April 13th, what the be-jezus am I doing on here blogging about ski boots? I should be talking about golf clubs, In-Line skates (NOT Rollerblades, didn't you read the last post?) Corona's vs. Coors Lite, something other than a snow related product. Well, every once an awhile, something monumental happens. The Toronto Maple Leafs make the playoffs, Gas dips below $1.25 a litre, you get hit by lightning, my Dad wears something other than a Hawaiian shirt, and I acquire new ski boots.

 The last new pair of ski boots I had I received back in 2000. They were Salomon Crossmax 10.0 and they have served me well for the last 12 years. It's kind of like finding a little slice of heaven. They literally fit like a glove, no pressure points, never had cold toes or sore spots. Every boot fits a bit differently than the other so when you find one that fits as well as my old red babies you ride them like Seabiscuit  until they are done. Well this spring they were done, it was (semi) painfully apparent in Sunday River, I just wasn't getting the snap and response I used to.

 Then a minor miracle happened. I happened to run into Bruce Diehl, the New England Salomon rep at the Sunday River ski shop. He was showing the guys at the shop next years ski boot line and we started waxing nostalgic about sales meetings of yesteryear while Jackie went about buying a helmet and goggles. As we were chatting I started trying on boots, Quest Max 120, Quest 110, Ghost Max 120, Impact 110 CS, RS 120, everything fit fairly well, but I was all over the board in terms of flex. Then I came across the Quest Max 100. Queue the angels singing, bright lights, clouds, harp music, the whole nine yards. I was happier than Liberace at an Organ Convention....

 Ok, what's the deal with these bad boy kicks anyway? Well first off you aren't going to get shot wearing them with the liberal amount of Orange they are swathed in (Orange is the new Black). I'm convinced that they weigh about 3 Ounces and they wield Salomon's 360 Custom Shell which allows for total lower shell customization, both in the width and in the depth. It can take the shell last from 98mm to a duck like 104mm around the metatarsal's without creating extra room which makes you sacrifice steering precision,or too narrow so you have zero snow feel. Just pop them in the oven (not YOUR oven, an Authorized Salomon Dealer's oven) for 10 minutes, on your feet for 5 and then cool them down for another 5-10 and your done. Salomon uses a materiel called "Caprilene" which I can only assume was mined from the craters of one of Saturn's moons to allow this process to happen.

 So you may be thinking that the frame performs like a marshmallow? Think again. Near the bottom of the lower shell is the Twinframe (they have done a variation of this design since I was 2). It uses a materiel called RPU plastic which is 8 times stronger than the regular PU that they use in their shells of old. That gives the rider (aka ME) much better power and performance than ever before.

 And what the hell is that huge, Orange circle on the ankle? Well....that's the Oversize Pivot my friend! Most alpine ski boot have pivot points with 8mm of translation of energy through the boot while The Oversized Pivot has 24mm to give you mind boggling precision and energy transmission (and I wasn't paid to say that....but I could be). The boot also has a contragrip outsole (same as on their hiking boots) for hiking to the back or sidecountry.

 Finally the Magnesium Backbone makes the boot very easy to spend time in when it's not snapped between the binding toe and heel housings. In it's "Action" mode, the spine is locked giving me the required marketing department superlatives when skiing (back support, power transmission, flex management, etc, etc). Yet it also goes into "Release" mode which makes you able to do the Boot Scoot Boogie at your local Apres ski hangout, or, go hike the back country for powder stashes...whichever is more important to you.

 Will you see these at your local retailer? Hopefully. If not, you can always catch a glimpse of mine on a ski hill near you. Keep in mind these might not be the right boots for you so come see us at Sportchek to be properly outfitted.

They aren't "Rollerblades"...They're In-Line Skates!

Sometimes a product get so popular that the brand name become synonymous with the product itself. Kleenex is actually facial tissue ("Please pass me a Kleenex?"). Xerox is actually a photo copier ("Can you Xerox that for me?"). Windex is actually glass cleaner ("Where's the Windex?"). You get the point. The biggest one probably is when people com in the store and ask "Where are the Rollerblades"? (During the late 80's and early 90's , Rollerblade Inc. a company founded by the Brennan brothers in Minnesota widely promoted Inline skating to the point that it was so successful the trademark name "Rollerblade" became synonymous with the sport.) Well, the "INLINE SKATE" wa.ll is right over there...
There are several types of in line skates. There are adjustable ones for kids. hockey boots, fitness skates, and Aggressive or stunt skates. In line skates consist of four main parts. The boot, frame, wheels and bearings.
The boot is the most important part of the skate and depending on how you plan to use your skates will dictate the fit. Fitness skates usually have a higher boot around the ankle for support and a soft boot upper (usually comprised mainly of fabric for light weight and breathe-ability) and are by far the most popular type we sell for the recreational skater. This makes them easier to skate in and offers more support. Most of the other diciplines prefer a harder boot for impact protection and or better control of the skate.
The frame is the part that holds the wheels onto the boot and is either made of polyurethane (plastic) or some form of alloy which tends to be more expensive but also more durable and solid. The frame wont flex as much when the skate is weighted and n weighted during the stride. Frame lengths range from 2-wheeled frame styles for aggressive skating to around 230mm for short framed 4 wheel skates. The max is about 325mm for 5 wheeled racing skates.
Bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely and smoothly. The are rated on the ABEC scale which is a measure of the manufacturers precision tolerance, rated from 1 (worst) to 11 (best) in odd number increments. Since 2007 however some manufacturers have started to use their own rating systems. Rollerblade Inc. for example uses SG1 to SG9, Twincam bearings uses ILQ (In Line Qualified). The majority of bearings are produced in China and are considerably poorer in quality than ones produced in Canada, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, or the United States. Two bearings are used per wheel. They are held together in the wheel by the axle spacer which can be made out of either steel or plastic.
Wheels are now almost all made of polyurethane which is a form of durable plastic, it's cheaper and also more durable than rubber compounds, but you sacrifice grip. Their hardness is rated by Durometer, the higher the number the harder the wheel. Most skate wheels are between 78A and 93A. The lower numbers have more roll resistance but the higher numbers don't wear down as much. There are also different profiles depending on the application. Rounder wheels for stunts, elliptical wheels for speed.
When coming in to be fitted the skates should be snug, with just a tiny bit of space between the toes and the front of the skate. Also, don't forget the protective gear because nothing says ouch like road rash, and a helmet is a must as well.
Thanks again for reading. Stay tuned fr the next installment..

The Salomon BBR

Sean and the BBR

Hello all. Sorry it's been a while since I have written, we were in Sunday River skiing with the family and the day after I got home I was hit with a 6 day long cold that knocked me on my butt. Needless to say when your huddled under the covers and freezing and sweating profusely at the same time you don't really feel like writing. I did however manager to get in a couple hours of Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 3 on the Playstation 3 and maybe I'll write about that next...who knows.

ANYWAY...so this week I want to talk about my experience with The Salomon BBR ski. In case you don't know it, the BBR is Salomon's latest "re-invention" of the ski that they seem to do it every 4-5 years. The BBR, The Pilot System, the X-Scream, Prolink...etc. etc. They all do make manufacturers re-think how skis work and how can they get better and within 2 years almost every ski brand has a version of their latest revolution built into it. They also look totally wacky...until you try them. Salomon has rockered the BBR to make the ski easier to steer and turn and changed the shape to brand them as the true "One Quiver" ski. The super fat tip floats like a rocker and the patented V-shape allows them to rip on groomers

So I had looked at them a few times on retailer racks around town, read about how they worked online and talked to a couple of friends who worked for Salomon to also get their take, so I had a fairly good idea of what I was in for. I picked up the 8.9 176CM's from Adam on the Monday before we were leaving so that gave my lots of time to tune them up they way I wanted. I knew that the snow in Sunday River this time of year is pretty granular and heavy so I prepped accordingly at the shop. First thing I noticed is man these suckers are heav-y! But most wider skis are these days ( 147-88-102 dimensions aren't your Daddy's Rossi 4SK's).

So we loaded up the van with 2 kids, 6 pairs of skis, 4 bags of gear and clothes, toys, pillows, games and apparently a hippopotamus, and off we went to Sunday River, or during March Break I like to call it Bluenoser's run amok. I managed to get a solid afternoon in on Monday with just me, the sun and the mountain and decided to give these blue monsters a go.

The one thing I found right off the bat is they love to turn, they initiate very very easily. Almost too easily, but I started off just cruising along to try to get a feel, so far so good, but now I wanted to head to something steeper and really try to open them up. on my way to Black Diamond nirvana I noticed a lot of kick at the back end of my turns, so much so I was scrubbing speed at times. It almost felt like they were mounted too far forward. So I decided to shift the binding back a centimeter and EUREKA! The next run was like...wow! The BBR was dialed, I was trying all different turn shapes all the rest of the day, short rapid fall line turns, longer GS type turn shapes, it was easy.

I do want to mention that I really found the skis performed best in a neutral stance, in other words don't push too much on the tongues of your boots, they didn't seem to enjoy too much tip pressure, but you can push them pretty good. Also, dont go fiddling with your bindings yourself, let someone in a ski shop do that, we go through vendor specific training that allows us to set them properly for you.

So what's the take? These really are a "do it all" ski for an advanced skier looking for just one weapon. Salomon has invested a lot into the BBR line for next year. In the US there are 9-10 BBR skis in their line ( I managed to get my hands on next years catalog when I was in Sunday River) for both men and women, and I'm sure the line will be similarly ranged in Canada. I strongly urge you to get out and try before you buy. Stock levels don't really start to dwindle until mid February so with an early season ride you have lots of time to hunt them down.

Thanks go out to Peter and Adam at Salomon for letting me take these puppies for a rip! I appreciate everyone reading! See you soon.

GT Bicycles and I Drive (No, it's not a Autobiography)

I Drive, or Independent Drive train, it's the revolutionary drive train system from GT Bicycles that allows their bikes to pedal with out changing chain length while navigating uneven terrain. It's pretty freakin' cool, and has actually been around for a while. But how does it work and how will it make riding easier for you? Well read on...

With I-Drive, regardless of how the rear wheel moves, it wont pull on the chain, crank or pedals.That way the rider wont get pedal feedback and it improves your pedal stroke efficiency. Because the suspension operates independently of the drive train, it allows both components to focus on what they are meant to do. So with the suspension not having to take orders from the drive train anymore it makes for a smooth ride and allows the suspension to follow the path of impact which considerably quiets the bike. The rider can keep the momentum, especially going up hill (it's hard enough going uphill without your bike working against you).

The other good thing is there aren't any other components or linkages or pivot points, so that way things don't break, the less headaches the better. You can find the I Drive or pretty much any of the bike in GT lineup of gravity, all mountain, and most of the enduro product families. I think it's a very cool piece of tech and I can't wait to get out and try it.

The other thing about GT is you can now find them in Sportchek stores across Canada. So add the GT line with Jamis, in itself a very reputable product and all of a sudden you have a very attractive product line up. Throw in the value added Reebok and Nakamura brands and you can truly find a bike for anyone here. The prices range from $180-ish up to $1300 and higher in larger stores like Sportchek/Atmosphere in Halifax Shopping Center

Make sure that when you buy your bike you are properly sized. You don't want to get into a frame that is too big or too small as it will make handling the bike more difficult, cause stress on your neck, arms and back, and generally make for a less enjoyable riding experience. Make sure you have 1-3" of clearance under the tires when you hoist it up and it's, ahem... "snug". Then place the ball of your foot on the pedal when it's at the bottom of the pedal stroke, you should have a very slight bend in your knee when your seated with your butt cheeks properly placed on the saddle.

Dont forget you have to have a noise making device (aka bell) and padded shorts are always a good idea if your planning to spend any amount of time in the saddle. Watch for upcoming blogs that will focus on these products.

As always thanks again for reading. next week I'm going to venture into the travel realm as we head to Sunday River for the week to ski, ride, drink, shop, sleep, and as always do it all with big smiles on our faces. Stay tuned.

The Perfect Fitting Hockey Skate

The Perfect Fitting Hockey Skate.

Is there such a thing? Well, yes. The trick is finding the skate that is best suited for your feet. Everyone makes a decent product (heck for $700 or more for top end skates they better be decent. No, they better teach you how to skate and open your beer for you after the game) but finding the skate with the right support, shape, flex, and features that you want without breaking the bank is not exactly easy either.

So where to start? What is the biggest thing to think about when buying skates. FIT! They need to fit correctly or your feet are not going to like you, not even a little bit! Now people think that if they are skating outside they will need a bit more room for thick socks, heat packets in the toes, fuzzy slippers, and a butler to pour your Earl Grey tea for warmth as you zip around the Emera oval like Sydney Crosby. The perfect fit is a skate that hugs your foot, with your toes just barely touching the end of the boot (or toe cap) when you are standing up. The easiest way to measure this is to loosen up the laces and place your toes at the front of the skate unweighted. then check to see if you can fit a) a pen behind your heel snugly if your a child, or b) a finger if you are an adult. Keep in mind the size of a skate isn't the same as a shoe. You have to go down between 1-2 sizes from your shoe size to fit correctly. For example I'm a 9.5 shoe and I wear a 7.5 2E skate.
Make sure that once you have the skate on and laced that you can flex it, there is no sense buying a skate that is too stiff and keeps you off the balls of your feet. Also you will probably find that the ankle is tight and it might actually be sore. The reason for this is that skate these days are meant to be heat molded around the heel pocket to give you a custom fit and help with heel retention. Make sure this step is done and done correctly (worn for10 minutes sitting) as it greatly improves the fit experience. Most skates you can heat 3 times
So what skate fits which way? I'll tackle the skate giant of Canada first, Bauer. There are two series of Bauer hockey skates, Supreme and Vapor. The Vapor line (X1.0 to 7.0 and APX) is aimed towards players looking for maximum acceleration, 2 to 3 strides and they are flying (think Phil Kessel or Mike Camalleri). It's a light weight, nimble boot with great lateral stiffness for cornering and stopping and starting power. It is also has lots of volume with a narrow heel pocket, medium wide mid foot and wide forefoot, so a wide, muscular foot would work well in this skate.
The other side of Bauer's line up is the Supreme line (One 20, 40, 60, 70, 80, 100, and Total One) that want a bit less volume overall and need a bit more "beef" in their skate (think Luke Schenn, Steven Stamkos). This is Bauer's tried and true line that they have been producing for years.
CCM and Reebok are quite the same fit as each other to be honest, Reebok has the "Pump" technology that allows you to customize the heel retention and they need it because the heel is quite wide and deep, so be warned. CCM fits a bit like a rectangle but the good thing is they are very light weight and seem to fit wide feet without having to move to an E width skate unlike Bauer. I found the Bauer Supreme really pinched my feet where my arch is and I had to go to a 2E to make it fit.
One of the best features we have at Sportchek is the Junior Trade in Program. How it works is you purchase a junior skate (they go up to a size 5.5) and within 1 calendar year if they outgrow it you get 50% of your original purchase price back towards a new pair of skates. If they keep it for more than 1 but less than 2 years you get 25% back. It's an awesome way to keep skates affordable and also have your child (or children) it proper fitting skates when it matters most. This goes for any junior skate, hockey, figure, recreational, it doesnt matter. The credit is good for and new skate, junior or senior.
This should give you some insight as to what to expect when you buy a pair of skates. Dont be suprised if when your trying them on you may need a footbed to help with the fit, they help with body alignment and support the foot exceptionally well.
If you ever have questions you can ask here or find me at the Sportchek in Dartmouth Crossing. 902-468-6506

Big Box Retailer Myths

There seems to be a myth floating around out there that as soon as you walk into a large chain retailer like the one I work for you are on your own and that you have no chance at all of a) finding a sales associate and b) finding a sales associate that knows anything. Well hold on to your hat because nothing could be farther from the truth.
 Now I will start by saying that yes, there are some retail chains that do staff so their locations so thinly that you can fire a cannon through the store and not hit a soul. Yes, on a Tuesday morning there will be fewer staff working than there would be say on a Saturday afternoon, but when you do 30% of your sales on one day of the week I, as a consumer would hope that's the case. Most retailers have a cost out formula based on past sales, future budgets, payroll wages etc that go into this complicated formula that tells the manager how many hours they can spend on payroll for that week. If we had as many staff as our customers would like us to have, we wouldn't make a dime.
 MYTH #1, Staff don't know squat.
 Sheer and utter bullcrap! Yes the majority may be young, but they also tend to be university students, well educated, smart, mature people who are totally capable of independent thought. They aren't just mindless robots who sweep floors and go fetch a box for you out of the back room., so please don't treat them like that.  Every store (at least in our case) usually has 3 or 4 product experts that participates in specialized training courses to learn about the latest and greatest products and innovations relevant to a particular vertical, be it footwear, bikes, hockey equipment, ski and snowboards, outerwear, what have you. We are then tasked (yes, I'm one of them) with bringing that knowledge back to the store level and passing it on to the sales associates so they can help the customer make informed decisions about the products they are interested in. They also go through several constantly updated training modules to keep them up to speed on what and how to help recommend the right products and services.
 The sales guys and gals are usually very active in sports themselves and can articulate certain aspects of the sport the consumer might not be aware of (" There's great tree skiing on this mountain, don't put your ski boots in the trunk on the way to the resort, they will be frozen stiff when you get there", etc. etc.)
MYTH #2, We can't Special Order anything
 Just give us a deposit on the product you are salivating over and we'd be happy to order anything you want from any supplier we do business with. But I'm afraid that seal fur lined ski boot warmer from Japan you saw on the infomercial at 4AM last night is not something I am able to get my hands on for you...
MYTH #3, We only carry entry level crap.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! Big box stores like mine have always had the higher end gear to some degree, but only recently have we really made a commitment to be the one stop shop. One weakness was we didn't carry the fringe "accessory" items but that has changed. And besides, if we don't have it, see myth #2.
MYTH #4, No after sales service.
Uh-uh. You buy it, we'll fix it if it breaks, correctly and quickly. Plus small independent shops have to send products back to their suppliers for credit or replacement if their is a warranty issue, so say goodbye to riding your favorite snowboard for 2-3 weeks. We are enabled to make the call on the spot and if it is a legitimate manufacturers defect you walk out with a replacement...or a credit to go pick it up at another location.
The large chain store isn't something to be looked at with disdain. We have the products and tools and people to help you live a healthy, active lifestyle.