Hockey Giant Superstore Coming Soon to Sterling, Virginia

Sports Giant LLC has announced its plans to open a Hockey Giant Superstore in Sterling, Virginia. The new Hockey Giant Store is scheduled to open its doors in April, 2013 and will be conveniently located just a few miles from several local hockey rinks.

After the successful planting of a new store in Cherry Hill, NJ in 2011 and another on the way in San Jose, CA, the Sterling location will be built to deliver the same great service and wide variety of products found at all Hockey Giant Retail Stores and HockeyGiant.com. The Sterling, VA Hockey Giant Store will be 10,000 square feet, fully stocked with hockey skates, protective gear, accessories, apparel and all of your hockey team needs. In addition to hockey equipment, the Sterling store will also provide a wide range of lacrosse equipment and apparel from Warrior and Brine for players of all ages.

Great prices, friendly service and a wide selection of products have always been a staple of operations at Hockey Giant. The selection of brands that will be available at the Sterling location includes Bauer, Reebok, Easton, CCM, Warrior, Mission Hockey & Lacrosse, Graf, Brine Lacrosse, Cascade and many others.

Alan Martinson, Hockey Giant's Director of Operations says, "Hockey Giant is very excited to be joining the Beltway community of hockey and lacrosse players here in the Greater D.C. Area. We're thrilled to be opening our doors to players, coaches, parents and fans everywhere from Sterling to Fairfax, D.C., Baltimore and surrounding regions."

Just 10 minutes from Dulles International Airport and Tyson's Corner, Hockey Giant Sterling is located on Leesburg Pike (7) right off the Beltway at:

Hockey Giant
21800 Town Center Plaza #9
Sterling, VA 20164

Please visit www.hockeygiant.com/hockeygiant-superstore-sterling-virginia.html for Grand Opening details.

Our Gift to You! Free Upgrade to 3 Day Air Shipping

Don't miss out on your opportunity to take advantage of a free upgrade to 3 day air shipping at HockeyGiant.com! If you've fallen behind on your Christmas shopping, we want to make sure you still have an opportunity to get your gift list taken care of before time runs out. This promotion will only be available until tomorrow, 12/20/2011 at 12:00 PST (3:00 EST). After that time, we will no longer be able to guarantee delivery by Christmas day. The offer also excludes Wheeled Hockey Bags and Hockey Goals. Just choose 3 Day Air Shipping at the checkout page and you'll recieve 3 Day Air shipping at the low ground rate of $14.99.

Make sure to check out the new Bauer Vapor X 7.0 LE Hockey Skates and Bauer Vapor X 3.0 LE Hockey Skates. The Vapor LE skates have the same specs and features as the stock Vapor 7.0 & 3.0 models, but the quarters have been repackaged with a slick, one-of-a-kind black and white design. There are limited quantities available, so grab a pair while they last!

                   

Shop for Hockey Holiday Gifts at HockeyGiant.com today!

Benefits of Wearing Hockey Performance Apparel

Performance apparel is becoming much more popular among players of all ages and skill levels. Performance apparel is offered in two fits: compression and loose. Fit is a matter of preference, but in order to reap the true performance benefits of under apparel, the compression fit is the way to go. When you wear compression shorts/pants, shirts and socks, bloodflow is increased and your muscles recover more quickly. Most performance apparel is also hydrophobic, which means it will keep you cool and wick away sweat.

There's a difference between constriction and a healthy amount of muscle compression. If your compression apparel is too tight, your bloodflow will decrease and your muscles will grow weak more quickly because they will not receive enough oxygen to recover as you play/practice. Compression apparel should fit tightly and comfortably. So make sure that if you decide to wear compression shorts, pants, shirts, or socks, you get the proper size. Otherwise, you might as well just not wear it at all.

Loose-fitting performance apparel is moisture-wicking, breathable and comfortable, but it does not provide the benefits of muscle compression. It's a great choice for players who simply prefer this type of fit over the compression fit. Players have been wearing regular t-shirts and boxer briefs under their gear for years, so it's not like you'll be at a severe disadvantage if you choose to go this route, but you might want to try the compression fit before dismissing it because there are certainly a few benefits to wearing it.

Every manufacturer has been increasing the number of performance apparel options that they provide each year. Whether you prefer to wear Bauer, Reebok, Easton, Shock Doctor, or Under Armour, is totally up to you. But it's nice to know that you have options. Each of these manufacturers have performance apparel shirts, shorts, pants, and socks, as well as shorts and pants with integrated jocks and Velcro sock tabs. The all-in-one jock shorts and pants are very convenient and give you one or two fewer things to forget each time you pack your bag to head to the rink.

Like any other piece of equipment, hockey performance apparel gets pretty smelly if you don't wash it. Make sure you take a look at the tags to find the appropriate cleaning method. Most hockey performance apparel can be tossed into the washing machine, but make sure you take out your cup first, and like I said before, check the tags.

Shop for Bauer Hockey Performance Apparel Today at HockeyGiant.com

Bauer - #1 Brand at 2011 NHL All-Star Game

At the 2011 NHL All-Star Game, more players used Bauer gear than any other brand. They reported some staggering numbers to us regarding the number of players who were using their skates, sticks, helmets, visors, gloves, and pants. Bauer topped the list in each of these equipment categories, and in some cases they did so with a sizable margin. In the image below, you can see the stats that Bauer reported following the 2011 NHL All-Star Game.

Get your Bauer hockey gear at HockeyGiant.com

Bauer 9900 Hockey Helmet Review

Bauer hockey helmets have been the most popular choice of NHL players for quite some time, thanks to the slick look, comfortable fit and superior protection offered by their buckets. The Bauer 9900 Hockey Helmet meets and exceeds the expectations and standards that have been set by the many players who turn to Bauer for all of their protective needs.

The Bauer 9500 Hockey Helmet was the predecessor to the 9900 and some players felt that the fit was a bit too shallow and failed to accommodate a wide variety of head shapes... That, and any other apparent shortcomings present with the 9500 have been resolved with the 9900. We'll take a closer look at some of the special features and technological improvements of the Bauer 9900 Helmet.

As previously stated, probably the biggest complaint about the 9500 helmet was that some players felt the helmet was too shallow and did not cover enough of the forehead, resting awkwardly on top of the head. Of course, for many players it offered a great fit, but there were many who had an issue with the fit. Well, Bauer went back to the drawing board and found a way to optimize the fit of the 9900 helmet by slightly reshaping the contours of the padding without having to restructure the outer shell of the helmet.

I've been wearing a Bauer 4000 helmet (now called 4500) for the last 11 years and I'm not likely to replace it any time soon. But I've tried every Bauer helmet from the 3500, to the 5100, 5500, 8500 and 9500, and I was one of the people who just couldn't get a comfortable fit out of the 9500. The features were incredible, but it just didn't sit right on my dome. When I tried on the 9900 there was an immediate and noticeable difference in the overall fit. It was snug, secure and rested comfortably on my head, offering perfectly centered, mid-profile forehead protection. In fact, everyone who I've spoken with who had an issue with the fit of the 9500 has attested to the definite improvement in the overall fit of the 9900.

With that issue addressed and out of the way, the Bauer 9900 helmet offers some impressive features that need to be highlighted. The first and perhaps most notable technological improvement that contributes to the superior protective quality of the 9900 is the use of a new type of lightweight, shock absorbing foam called Poron. The foam is incredibly effective at absorbing and more importantly, containing the shock of impact. Many foams are effective for their absorption properties but the ability of the Poron to contain rather than transfer the shock is unparalleled.

As shown in the image above, the Poron foam is sandwiched between high density FXPP foam and soft comfort foam, providing a dynamic combination of protective and comfort-fit foams. The FXPP foam, which was also used in the 9500, is an improvement upon the high impact EPP foam that is currently used in many other high quality hockey helmets and bike helmets. According to Bauer, the FXPP foam "dissipates 20% less energy during impact than same volume of traditional EPP foam".

Bauer firmly believes in the integrity of the 2 piece outer shell design that has been used for many years now. Adjusting the length of the 9900 helmet is as simple as flipping up the two side tabs with the Bauer logo on them and pulling the two shell pieces apart to the desired length, providing quick, tool-free adjustability. The occipital lock located on the back base of the helmet provides an even more customizable fit that secures the helmet in place with the adjustment of two dials that are moved back and forth individually. The dials control the position of the two internal pads located below the occipital lobe which can be tightened with just a couple quick clicks.

The helmet shell is constructed with dual-density materials which provide a combination of tough, rigid protection (glossy part of the shell) and self-adjusting flex zones (brushed, muted part of shell) for an extremely comfortable and protective fit. The two-tone design adds a slick look to the shell with 10+ options to choose from.

Without a doubt, the Bauer 9900 Helmet retains all of the best qualities offered by the 9500 and has been beefed up and enhanced in all of the areas that were previously lacking. Bauer helmets continue to be the most commonly worn in the NHL, and their reputation for consistently producing high-quality gear is furthered by the introduction of their most recent protective achievement, the Bauer 9900 Hockey Helmet.

Buy the Bauer 9900 Hockey Helmet at HockeyGiant.com

Bauer Supreme TOTAL ONE Hockey Skates Review

Bauer continues to push the hockey skate market with breakthrough technology and innovation. The new Bauer Supreme TOTAL ONE Skates are fully loaded with every feature at Bauer’s disposal. Leading up to the release of Bauer’s 2010 Supreme line there was plenty of hype surrounding the TOTAL ONE’s, but there were also many skeptics who had a hard time justifying the projected $800 price tag. For anyone who has had the opportunity to skate with them, or simply try them on in the store, the question is no longer “Why would I spend $800 on skates?” but instead “What should I cut out of my budget this month so I can grab a pair?”

If you haven't had a chance to try them on yet, I'd highly recommend grabbing a pair ASAP. But in the meantime, I'll go ahead and lay it out on paper for you. The big question is "What makes the TOTAL ONE better than its predecessor, the Supreme ONE95?" First off, at 695 grams in size 8 the TOTAL ONE skates are lighter than the ONE95's which were well over 700 grams. The Anaform boot is constructed with a lightweight, Alive composite quarter which is thermoformable for a great fit. The TOTAL ONE offers a superior, contoured fit which has been optimized for weight reduction, comfort and support.

One of the other major weight-reduction contributors was the implementation of the new Tuuk Lightspeed Fusion Runners which are 30% lighter than the Lightspeed 2.1 Power runners which were used on the ONE95 skates. The Fusion Runners are constructed with lightweight aluminum (upper portion of the runner) and high grade stainless steel which are fused together with epoxy and rivets. The breakthrough concept was first explored by CCM with the Rocket Runner and has been optimized by Bauer with their substitution of aluminum in place of the plastic which was used in the upper portion of the Rocket Runner.

Another new feature of the TOTAL ONE skates is the customizable reflex tongue. The tongue is constructed with a channel for composite inserts which provide varying degrees of stiffness to deliver maximum recoil with each stride. The inserts are available in Mid, Stiff and X-Stiff to accommodate the personal preferences and needs of each player, determined mainly by their weight and the aggressiveness of their skating style. This is a new approach to boot customization, which previously had not been placed so conveniently in the hands of consumers.

The outsole of the boot is made with texalium composite and is well ventilated with 4 strategically placed perforations in the base of the mid-foot. The boot has an incredibly comfortable interior with Hydrophobic liner that provides a secure fit with a textured grip that locks your feet in place. Another feature which provides added comfort is the comfort edge on the top portion of the quarter package. Pro players and custom skate users have been fortunate enough to enjoy this feature for quite some time, but with the TOTAL ONE it comes as a stock feature.

If you're not convinced yet, just listen to what some of the NHL's top players have to say about the Bauer TOTALONE Skates in this special feature video provided by Bauer Hockey Inc.

Buy the Bauer Supreme Total One Ice Hockey Skates at HockeyGiant.com