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Gold
Coast Ice Hockey
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Buying Used Hockey Gear
So you have found hockey. Some might say, "been called to hockey". Now you need some kit to play safely. The major question is, new or second hand? New has one major disadvantage - cost. Paying full retail for items can hurt the hip in the pocket region. If you are new to the sport and still finding your blades, second hand might be the best way to go to see how you go. Many clubs have kits that are sold on a 'return promise' (when you stop using it, you place it back into the club pool at a fair price reflecting the break you were shown when you bought it). If going second hand (or new), the first rule is, get the best quality that you can afford. Many beginners can find a near full set of gear available from someone who is upgrading their kit. Prices for such kits can vary from a case or two of beer (this is Australia after all!) through to a few hundred dollars, depending on what the gear is and its condition. So what to look for: Go over the gear well and thoroughly. Helmets especially - any cracks mean it has served (past tense) its purpose and may not protect you as well as it should. Straps can be re-sewn; Velcro can be re-done by a competent machinist for little money. Smelly gear can be disinfected and deodorised. Minimum kit to get on the ice: stick, helmet (a full face cage or visor is strongly recommended), groin guard, gloves and skates; for drop-in and training, at least one definitively light or dark jersey is needed (please bring one of each to allow balancing of teams). Strongly recommended - the whole lot! Hockey at any level is not chess! It is a high speed contact sport where folks of similar sizes are competing for a single bit of rubber and the right to control it. Even simple falls can leave long term injuries if an elbow or knee is involved. Even if the level is designated as, "no body checking", collisions will happen (it is not chess, remember?) unless you intend to let the other bloke take the puck uncontested? Yeah,.. right! To quote Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler movie), "That's MY puck,.. don't you ever touch MY puck!" Have a look in this site's trading post, online trading posts, talk to club members, coaches etc. It is pretty rare that you can't find appropriate gear going quite cheap to get you onto the ice and playing. Be prepared to upgrade as your skills improve though. The more competitive you are, the harder the knocks are likely to be!
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