Thoughts?
Whatever floats your boat!
Quote from: sk8great on March 17, 2013, 06:18:28 PM
Thoughts?
Good inserts for men are black, red, army camp, gray paintball, gray, navy, patriotic US, patriotic Canada, anaconda, patriotic UK golden yellow, deep purple and dark green if they are adults. I'm up in the air about gloss and calypso. Boys can have whatever their parents will buy them.
The ones with the black and white flames and racing themes are like for little boys.
As a long term holdout against zucas I'm actually thinking of getting one.
Gotta say that as much as I think zucas are nothing more than a status symbol, they hold their value well on the resale market. Shame that boots and blades, the items that actually help a skater skate well, los at least half their value if they're used once. Little boys usually get the car insert, older boys/men go for black, in my observation.
Yup - boys, older teens and even adult males have them at our club
Jeremy Abbott's pigs can fly theme is great!
My rink too, has male skaters and even a male coach with zuca. I sometimes wonder how they manage to fit their skates into the bag.
Quote from: jjane45 on March 17, 2013, 08:43:08 PM
Jeremy Abbott's pigs can fly theme is great!
I thought that was so idiotic when he mimed that in the kiss & cry and thought zuca was nits for making the insert. I don't think it was popular; I've never seen anyone with one. Was it for charity?
Skates.com sells it ::>) I think my rink has two of them, one is owned by a teenage boy. I like both the color and illustration, done in good taste IMO.
Never realized that a portion of all sales from the "Pigs Can Fly" Insert will be given to the New England Amateur Skating Foundation.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51UAFSAC%2BdL.jpg)
So bulky, dragging a "luggage" bag along. Prefer the more compact skate bag which can be slung over the shoulder. Grab and go.
To each his or her own. As long as it makes the skater happy.
I think the Pigs can Fly ones are a lot better than the Fairyland ones.
Quote from: Mergen Tatara on March 17, 2013, 09:46:52 PM
So bulky, dragging a "luggage" bag along. Prefer the more compact skate bag which can be slung over the shoulder. Grab and go.
To each his or her own. As long as it makes the skater happy.
I have the smaller bag style now. It's perfect for when I go to the rink, skate a session and go home. I'd just like a little more room as I see myself 'living at the rink' after I retire. Zuca would be better for that.
I like the goldenrod colored insert with the black frame, or the gray frame with the light blue 'gloss' insert.
How much junk do you really need to lug around to the rink at once?? :o
I use a normal cheapie backpack, the kind you would throw a binder and textbooks in for school. It contains, 1 pr figure skates/guards, a pr spare laces, 1 rag for wiping blades, 1 pr skating gloves, 1 light toque for cold rinks, a small pack of Kleenex, a pen, a comb, a bottle of water. And if I'm going to be fitting in a practice during work breaks I'll easily slide in a clean sweater and slacks and socks. Easy, and it is light and slings over my shoulder. Perfect, and cost under 20 bucks at Canadian Tire. I also use it in summer for day hikes in the bush...try lugging your wheeled zuca bag into the bush and let me know how it goes 88) :P
Travel light.
Most of the boys/men with them have black. Quite a few of male coaches just carry their skates in a regular back back.
I've had the same zucca for 4 years now. The thing I like best about it is using it to sit on. Try getting a seat on nights I skate after learn to skate (not possible) and the seasonal rink has extremely limited seating. I always have a seat to put on or take off my skates.
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.
If a guy wants a Zuca, go for it. I*f he wants glitter and rhinestones or camo and machine guns, neither have an impact on me. Of course I might be jealous of the glitter and rhinestones. I think they are just too bulky and heavy and too risky to get in and out of my car without accidentally hitting door or trunk or scratch the leather seats. Plus, I know a lot of skaters that have them and the bags smell like something died in it because they don't take their skates out. Ugh, gross.
I am not a fan of them but so many others are, obviously. I am one of those people that the bigger the bag, the more stuff I put in it. I don't need that, which is why I carry a small purse.
I don't see that it makes any difference whether you're male or female. Not all zucas have pink polka dots on them. ;)
As for me, I will stick with my rolling carry-on bag, which holds my skates and everything else I need, but is also guaranteed to fit under the seat in front of me when I fly to competitions! :)
Well, I'm not a fan of Zucas anyway, so I wouldn't really care.
My $19 rollie suitcase, which can be taken as carry-on without problems and happily holds everything I need and then some, does me just fine. I prefer to spend my money on stuff that will actually improve my skating.
Surely You jest. I would not be caught dead with one.
I use a zippered shoulder bag, smaller than a usual gym bag. Holds my skates, guards, gloves, hat, one T shirt to change into after skating, one WD40 felt tip stick, one samll towel for wiping skates and one slightly larger for drying after post skating washup.
they have the charm of a steamer trunk.
But I REALLY like the first aid version! really impressive (you can buy it fully stocked...but gosh...right now I have better ways to spend 500$!)
I find that my backpack holds a lot more than the Zuca does. However, they are really nice for crowded lobbies where there is no seating!
Okay, my bag is a CCM. black nylon. wide padded straps contoured and adjustable. There are mesh breathable foam shoulder blade and back pads. 1 large main compartment with space for skates plus a change of clothes, also has a pocket for a binder/books/laptop, a smaller compartment for a toque/jacket/vest or a book, a smaller one with pockets I use for gloves and kleenex/pens/laces, then 2 small pockets for wallet/cell/blade rag/GPS/whatever. There are 2 mesh holders on each side..I use them for water bottles, plus heavy adjustable side straps I don;t use. Everything is heavy nylon webbing, edge binding, double stitched.
I've packed in lots of stuff and never questioned whether it would take the weight. For a skating bag it is ideal for me.
I have a genuine pack frame for serious trekking, can lash on 200 lbs if you care to hump that much over a mountain trail... ;D For a day's walk in the woods with a picnic lunch, this CCM bag is more than adequate.
I see a few of these at my rink but not a lot so I never understood the usefulness. Then I visited a much busier rink where my sister and her daughter take lessons. Wow. The benches that had previously been there had been replaced with these seating areas that seemed to cut available seating in half and I found myself thinking I could understand the appeal of the Zuca.
but you can buy back packs with folding chairs....usually they don't come in pretty colors though...olive drab to cameo....but hey, they aren't 150 bucks either.
What mamabear and Pinklaces said - Zucas are great as seats. Kids & adults who go to a lot of competitions often have trouble finding seating, hence Zuca bags.
I carry a multi-compartment zip up back pack, so I can stow my stuff in a locker when I'm working or skating. I would love to be able to use one with a padded back, but the lockers at my rink are too small. If I bring anything extra, I need two lockers. I also view larger bags as just something bigger to have to wrangle in and out of the car.
I use mine because I'm getting older and the backpack gets really heavy, especially since I've usually got other stuff I'm also lugging with me. The Zuca is a little clumsier to get in and out of the car, but is easier to drag around. That said, I'll probably get out my old backpack style bag when I go to ANs this year, because I think it's going to be easier to carry on the plane. Being able to sit on the Zuca is a nice plus, but not the primary reason I use one.
In my area, I've actually never seen a guy use one. I wouldn't look twice if they did, though.
As for bags: whatever works for you. I use a minimalist but monogrammed LLBean Boat&Tote bag. All I need to schlep on most days are skates, guards, and gloves. Maybe a sweater if the rink is cold. I prefer shoulder bags.
Adults don't use zucas in our area ;) ... They seem to vanish at about age 12 when they switch to almost as expensive lululemon or TNA gym bags (can you tell I'm Canadian!). Honestly I think guys can use whatever they want. My guy uses a transpack bag because sometimes there is a bit of time until skates can be aired and the mesh side pockets help. He's never come out of the guys change room with comments about other guys skatebags...
Most of the kids at our rink have Zucas.
And in fact I saw my first adult with one at the rink yesterday. Kind of caught me off guard but I figure the pro shop must be carrying them so that is why she had one.
I know an adult that has a zuca, most tend to use those skate shaped bags around here, more kids use suitcases at my current rink, and I use a Lululemon gym bag because it's sturdy and it was a moving present from my closest friend and her mom. Well, I told them it was, they gave me a good luck gift card and I spent it on my gym bag. New rink, new bag. And it's perfect. I couldn't do a zuca because I carry too much stuff in my bag, and I have to carry it up 3 flights of stairs because I don't like keeping my skates in my car. So a gym bag was more practical. I had a transpack for 2 years, but I could never find anything in it, and the outside pockets were starting to break.
My old rink was LITTERED with Zucas. My mom's first exposure to zucas was a competition she came with me to a few years back, around when those kiss n cry bags were becoming popular. She asked why I didn't have either one, and I told her the Zucas wouldn't fit my stuff but that I'd just not thought about getting a kiss n cry bag, and two weeks later one showed up at my doorstep. She thought it was practical. It was. :) I just haven't used it much since I moved since I only take a water bottle and my guards out onto the ice currently. They're not as much of a thing down here.
Lots of the adult skaters I know have Zucas, including at least one guy. They're probably the most popular skate bag among adults at my rink, whereas with kids it's more evenly split between Zucas, transpacks and other rolling suitcases.
After our group class, all the adults sit together to take off our skates, and those with Zucas sit on them to form a circle with the benches. I joke that we look like a Rainbo Sports ad.
Quote from: VAsk8r on April 05, 2013, 07:34:13 PM
After our group class, all the adults sit together to take off our skates, and those with Zucas sit on them to form a circle with the benches. I joke that we look like a Rainbo Sports ad.
You should take a picture and send it to them! I bet they'd put it on the web site, or use it in one of their email blasts!
Maybe someone on here knows - what in the blue blazes is a kiss and cry bag?!?!?!?!!? And why on earth does one need one?
May have told this story before, but the first competition my Dad came to watch, he saw a few girls dragging Zucas and was fascinated by the light-up wheels. He promptly asked where mine was. I asked if he was going to give me the $150 for it. The look on his face was :o
A "Kiss & Cry" bag is something that holds water, tissues, music, etc. for a figure skater. I've never seen anyone actually use one (see link) in the Kiss & Cry; it's more common at practices since you can bring it on the ice with you and set it on the barrier.
http://www.sportswithstyle.com/kiss-and-cry-rink-totes/
I've seen a lot of Caboodles train box/totes and shower caddy totes from Bed, Bath & Beyond more often during practices.
Quote from: karne on April 29, 2013, 08:40:06 AM
Maybe someone on here knows - what in the blue blazes is a kiss and cry bag?!?!?!?!!? And why on earth does one need one?
May have told this story before, but the first competition my Dad came to watch, he saw a few girls dragging Zucas and was fascinated by the light-up wheels. He promptly asked where mine was. I asked if he was going to give me the $150 for it. The look on his face was :o
a fancy looking tote for what you may or may not need
http://www.kissandcryangels.com/
came up when googled (a bit rich for my taste, but then again I was introduced to bags that are even pricier and look like plain gym bags....)
Quote from: Isk8NYC on April 29, 2013, 08:49:13 AM
A "Kiss & Cry" bag is something that holds water, tissues, music, etc. for a figure skater. I've never seen anyone actually use one (see link) in the Kiss & Cry; it's more common at practices since you can bring it on the ice with you and set it on the barrier.
http://www.sportswithstyle.com/kiss-and-cry-rink-totes/
I've seen a lot of Caboodles train box/totes and shower caddy totes from Bed, Bath & Beyond more often during practices.
.......oh.
Hanky in my pocket, water on the barrier, music on the table next to the CD player with everyone else's...
I've only seen ONE of these at my rink. The skater in question brought it back from America. I don't think they've caught on here.
I have a kiss and cry bag. Mom bought it for me. Went to my first adult comp and I had mom with me and she saw the little girls from my rink toting them on their Zucas and she looks at me and says "Why don't you have one???" and I said I wasn't sure and that it had just become a fad at the rink recently, and that all the little girls carry their rink stuff in them on the ice. She then runs up to one of the bags to figure out the brand and where to get it and says "When we get back I'm buying you one".
I was like, OK! :love:
They're not as popular at my current rink, but I use mine because I can keep my guards, water bottle, scarf and phone in it. It's convenient.
(girl btw, never seen guys with them, but I'm sure if you wanted one you could find something like it in a manly color, unless you like pink, purple, bright green or orange lol) :)
Quote from: karne on April 29, 2013, 08:54:45 AM
.......oh.
Hanky in my pocket, water on the barrier, music on the table next to the CD player with everyone else's...
I've only seen ONE of these at my rink. The skater in question brought it back from America. I don't think they've caught on here.
There wouldn't be space at my rink. There's only a small stretch of open barrier by the hockey boxes and there's only enough space for water and CD on it. If you bring anything else it needs to sit on the benches outside the rink.
Although, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before someone brings one back from America...
FWIW, the skaters who started using totes at our rink brought back the idea from a Canadian summer skating camp several years ago. It was encouraged because they had so many skaters who didn't know each other, so keeping things organized was a good thing and prevented mixups and misunderstandings. Plus, that particular camp uses the rink walls for drills and demonstrations, so it needed to be accessible.
The website of the company who trademarked the "K&C" name shows several Australian retailers and they just signed up two European vendors. Maybe you will see the trend reach your rinks.
It does make sense to use a tote if you have to bring a rulebook/notebook, pen/pencil, multiple CDs, MP3/iPod, headphones, tissues, guards and a drink out on the ice for practices. This way, everything is in one place - the clutter of multiple iPhones, water bottles, tissue packs/boxes and books is a PITA to have scattered across the barrier. Not to mention all the things that get dropped on the trip across the ice, and the return trips to collect forgotten items.
I bring a shoulder tote out and hang it off the box side of the door, which works fine to keep my stuff together and handy without being in the way. The price of the linked item is a turnoff, though when there are perfectly good alternatives that cost much less.
Quote from: karne on April 29, 2013, 08:54:45 AM
I've only seen ONE of these at my rink. The skater in question brought it back from America. I don't think they've caught on here.
Certainly haven't caught on here, and I'm in America! There would be no room for skaters to have these. Barely enough room for a pack of tissues and the occasional notebook or discarded jacket that skaters put on the boards.
The totes would keep it organized, but make sharing the space more difficult. I can put my water bottle behind someone's pack of tissues for instance. The tote takes up an amount of space that would be only for one skater.
Quote from: Skittl1321 on April 29, 2013, 12:49:53 PM
The totes would keep it organized, but make sharing the space more difficult. I can put my water bottle behind someone's pack of tissues for instance. The tote takes up an amount of space that would be only for one skater.
We have tons of them at one of the rinks I skate at. Mostly the younger "tween" type girls. We all put our things on the boards in front of the hockey box, and all carry some sort of bag with us to keep our stuff organized. Otherwise you have guards, jackets, notebooks, water, tissue boxes and all sorts of other things spread all over the boards. These keep everyone down to a smaller space.
Many of us, though, use small totes and simply put the tote on the hockey bench while pulling out the couple of things necessary and placing those on the boards.
A few guys with Zuca's at our rink. One is a coach and has the bright orange insert. Really suits him. Another is a superb dancer, black frame with the black and white hot rod flames insert. Just too cool, also really suits him. His daughter has a purply one with lots of sparkles.
I have a black frame with a denim insert. I bought a black frame off ebay and a new blue insert for my 13 year old daughter. We have a family of 5 who wear mostly natural fabrics and like ironed clothes. Miss 13 did all the ironing for almost a month to earn it. The comments from the other rink parents were hilarious. They all thought it was genius to make her earn it and were deeply impressed that I extracted so much ironing. :blush:
Miss 8 has coveted an Ice Halo for some time. She has volunteered to do all the folding (undies, socks, towels) for a few weeks too.