It’s officially ice skating season, which means it’s time to start thinking about equipment – after all, by definition, ice skating is an activity that requires some gear.
While many skating rinks offer rental skates – Everett Arena included – it’s always nice to have your own equipment (with your own sweat and associated smells) to use. Luckily, there’s no shortage of skating equipment to be had in the capital city.
Capital Sporting Goods, across the street from the state prison, is Concord’s prime hockey gear hub. While the store caters to all sports, hockey is its primary focus. And, of course, with hockey comes skates and the accompanying accessories.
Since we understand that not everybody who skates plays hockey, we wanted to find out about general skating gear and not specifically hockey stuff.
One of the big draws at Capital Sporting Goods is the used section. The store has used equipment for every sport, but right now that side of the shop is packed with hockey and figure skates, as well as safety equipment such as helmets and pads.
“I always try to sell a helmet whenever I sell skates,” store manager Rob Bolton said. He really likes to stress the importance of protecting the head whenever a parent comes in looking to get skates for their young kid. While some might try to get away with using a bike helmet, a real hockey helmet with a mask is the safest option, Bolton said.
They can also sharpen your skates there – in fact, that’s the main thing they do this time of year. Bolton said it’s not unusual to sharpen 50 to 75 pairs in a single day.
At Everett Arena, there’s a satellite location of TSR Hockey inside the rink area. Though the mini shop doesn’t sell skates, you can get accessories like socks, tape, laces and other goods. TSR is also in charge of the skate rentals at Everett Arena. They’re open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.
At second-hand stores such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, you never really know what you might find.
We stopped into both places last week and found nothing at Goodwill and a single pair of children’s skates and one tiny hockey stick at Salvation Army. But given the nature of these types of stores, you could walk in today and find five nice pairs of skates – you just never know.
There’s also Dick’s Sporting Goods on Loudon Road. We all know the drill at national chain stores like this – a decent selection of new equipment, but no real services such as fittings or sharpenings offered. This isn’t to say the experience is any better or worse than at some of the local places, just different.
