SRS: Get Back in the Game!

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SRS: Get Back in the Game!
By Bryce Randle
Feb 23, 2006, 18:25

To some it may be quite the bragging right to be able to say that you broke your graphite shaft. To others it is just plain horrible. Breaking my shaft was one of the most disappointing moments of my December 2005 month.

I did something stupid because I was frustrated; I banged my stick against the boards. I was about to score when the opposition�s defensemen lifted up my stick. I hate it when that happens. So I kicked the puck to a different spot, went to take a quick snap shot and he did it again.

A broken shaft before SRS.

The goalie got it eventually and I was mad. After I banged it up against the boards. Usually when that happens I don�t have any problem. This time there was a tiny little crack. I thought I could possibly tape it up after the game. I was wrong. On the first play on the next shiftI got a great, crisp pass from my defenseman while breaking it out of my zone. The puck hit my stick and I heard the noise. Crack!

I dropped my stick. I skated to the bench. No left handed sticks. I forgot my backup in the locker room. I got it later, but it just didn�t do justice for me. I got home bummed out because of the large purchase I would have to make. I looked around on the Internet, but my stick had already stopped being made. I just wanted my stick so bad. Then I found it.

The Shaft Repair System (SRS) was just what I needed. I will be honest, I had never heard of a repair system as accessible and as interesting as this. I sent

The stick after the repair.

in my stick and in a about two weeks I got my stick back. (I admit that the time delay was only because of my location in Utah, where the system is not available in Pro Shops yet).

I got my stick back and handed it off to Mark Ostebo, one of our associate editors from 101 Hockey Tips. He took a couple of hard slap shots with the repaired stick. He then gave it to a couple friends to use. One of them loved it so much he used it in a couple of games this weekend at a the ACHA regional tournament in San Jose.

I must admit that when I received the stick back, I leaned on it a little bit and did not know how long it would last. I have been really impressed with this system and highly recommend to everyone.

Here are a few paragraphs from the press release we received a few weeks ago:

�SRS� Shaft Repair System utilizes Shaft-Lock� Technology to create an internal composite repair that is lightweight (44 grams), yet incredibly strong. This is made possible by combining a unique carbon fiber AirCore� with a specialized epoxy system that retains proper flex characteristics and locks the stick shaft halves together. When finished, the repair is concealed inside the shaft and the only evidence is a thin seam, which is only visible upon close examination.

After being tested by former NHLer Tim Hrynewich's slap shot 32 times, the stick proved to work and stay in great condition.

Retired NHLer, Tim Hrynewich, has been playing hockey with a stick that was repaired with the SRS� system. �When I first got the repaired stick, I took 32 consecutive slap shots to test its durability, and I�ve been playing with it ever since�. A number of other hockey players at all skill levels are also using sticks repaired with SRS�. Many have stated that the sticks feel like new. At only 44 grams, the weight difference is virtually undetectable to most players.

Developed by the engineers at Edgewater Industries, the SRS� Shaft Repair System is designed for the pro shop professional. The introductory kit includes the SRS� Hockey Stick Clamp, required tools, and enough material to repair 25 stick shafts. An instructional video will also be provided. It is suggested that pro shops provide the SRS� repair service to hockey players at a cost of $25-$30 (USD), or $30-$40 (CAN).

�Composite hockey sticks are certainly preferred by hockey players, but when these expensive sticks break�well, it could just about make a grown man cry�, states Scott Hewitt, SRS spokesperson. �A composite stick can be quite expensive to replace, but if the local hockey pro shop can repair it professionally for only $25-$30, I think that�s the choice many players are going to make.��

If you would like more information on the SRS, contact me and ask for the press release PDF. E-mail me at [email protected]