New Skates! | Etobicoke Fun - Your Portal to recreation, sport and fitness in Etobicoke

One could theoretically mark the end of childhood / adolescence at the
moment that your feet stop growing and settle into their adult size. When
that time comes in the life of an avid recreational hockey player, you can
count on about 3-5 more times that you will be fitted for new skates before
you die . Those occasions have the unique ability to bring back a bit of
the excitment that one felt way back in those glorious childhood days of
the ever changing boot size.
I was forced to embarace just such an occasion recently when a wayward puck
(fired by a fellow beer leaguer) severed the blade holder of my aging

leather wrapped CCM Tacks. I decided to take the plunge and aquire a brand new set rather subject the ol' dog sleds to yet another repair job. So, I packed up the kids (ages 5 and 1) and took them over to Duke's Sports on Bloor St.W just East of The East Mall. Duke's had alway's stuck out in mymind as a staple on the Etobicoke sports scene for as long as I can remember. I've since learned that Duke's has actually been Family owned and operated for 57 years and has a notable reputation across the entire GTA for providing knowledgable, reliable service to hockey players of all ages.
The Sales guy on duty that evening, Mike, was very attentive to my
situation and took the time to go over the various options available on the
market. After assessing my requirements, I was led downstairs where all the
stock is kept for fitment and try on. This actually proved to be a bit
challenging because I couldn't bring the stroller downstairs that was

containing my very mobile and mischievious 1 year old. No worries, I was able to carry on with the skate assessment at hand with only one toppling of an entire stick rack which was promptly cleaned up by his 5 year old brother -teamwork! Despite being a young guy, Mike was actually pretty good with managing the kiddie distractions which was really helpful to me. For his patience, Mike was rewarded with a barrage of useless Olympics facts
from the kindergarten regurgitator. I on the other hand, was able to try many styles, brands and fits until I felt comfortable settling on a shiny new pair of Bauer Vapour 4s that look and feel mighty Flash if I do say so myself. Mike set the kids up with some novelty mini-sticks while we waited for the inaugural sharpening and I
learned a thing or two about glove re-palming from store Manager, Zack

Willoughby.

The next day at my beer league game, I got a beauty assist and was able to catch a bit of that "childhood new skate excitment buzz" admist the ooo'sand ahh's of my beer soaked teamates. I was also reminded of the satisfying "glory pain" that comes with breaking in new footwear.
Thanks Duke's ! We'll be back to outfit the squad.

- Bobby Blades

Duke's Source for Sports
3876 Bloor st. W
416-233-2011