Guys with Zucas

[sk8great]

Thoughts?

[pegasus99]

Whatever floats your boat!

[AgnesNitt]

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.

[FigureSpins]

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.

[learning_as_i_go]

Yup - boys, older teens and even adult males have them at our club

[jjane45]

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.

[FigureSpins]

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?

[jjane45]

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.

[Mergen Tatara]

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. 

[AgnesNitt]

I  think the Pigs can Fly ones are a lot better than the Fairyland ones.

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.

[ONskater74]

How much junk do you really need to lug around to the rink at once??
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

Travel light.

[PinkLaces]

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.

[sarahspins]

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.

[rosereedy]

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.

[Doubletoe]

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!

[karne]

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.

[ls99]

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.

[4711]

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$!)

[Skittl1321]

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!

[ONskater74]

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...    For a day's walk in the woods with a picnic lunch, this CCM bag is more than adequate.

[mamabear]

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.

[4711]

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.

[Sk8Dreams]

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.

[Clarice]

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.

[Robin]

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.