Most of the guys at my rink have zucas.. except for one, I've never seen him use a bag of any kind, anytime I've seen him with his skates he's just been carrying them. I have seen a "pigs can fly" bag in person at my rink but I'm pretty sure it belongs to a teenage girl
ONskater74 - both of my hiking "backpacks" set me back more than a zuca would, so that argument is moot for some people.. and while I wouldn't take a zuca into the backcountry, I also wouldn't take your $20 bag either.. it doesn't mean you are wrong to, but I'm more than willing to pay for quality (and comfort) if it means I'm happy to keep hiking longer. Most $20 backpacks don't represent quality or comfort, and while they may get the job done for a little while, they really do not last... it's a false economy to "save" money like that if you have to replace a bag every few months or if it just doesn't suit your needs (I've yet to see a cheap backpack last longer than that with my kids - perhaps you are more careful with yours, but my kids just aren't, plus I prefer an internal frame pack over a rucksack, since I end up carrying water for myself plus extra snacks, sunscreen, first aid kit, etc for my kids, who are usually doing good just to carry their own water).
I have a zuca I don't use anymore (I have a locker at the rink since I'm an "employee" so I no longer need to drag anything back and forth) and my daughter has one too... I like the space because she can stuff a jacket in there, a change of clothes if she needs them, drinks, snacks, any toys she wants to bring to entertain herself while I'm on the ice, and more importantly, there are enough places for her to put things (books, ipod, etc) so that she's not constantly dumping out the contents to find what she needs like she was with a regular backpack. Could it be done with a regular backpack? Sure, but it would make for a heavy load for a 7 year old.