Ribcor 50K Q&A with the CCM Skate Team

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve introduced you to the CCM Ribcor 50K skates, as well as their counterpart, the Ribcor 50K white skates. We took a high level look at some of the features of the skates, but thought it would be great to have some commentary about the skates with the team that helped to build them. So, we enlisted the help of our friends at CCM Hockey and put together a brief Q&A session with the CCM Skate Team. Check out all of the questions and answers below. If you have any questions you’d like us to ask the team, please leave us a comment and we will do our best to get them answered for you!

Hockey World Blog: What are the main differences between the Reebok Ribcor skates and the new CCM Ribcor skates?

CCM Skate Team: The launch of the CCM Ribcor is a very important milestone for CCM Hockey. We are carrying all the key technologies which have made the Reebok Ribcor so successful, such as the patented Pump™, the lace-lock, the black SpeedBlade (for retail) and the Comfort Frame boot construction, with the intention of making the skate one of the most comfortable on the market. The CCM Ribcor also brings about new innovations such as an advanced Pump™system which efficiently wraps the interior of the skate around the back of the player’s foot, an improved FlexZone tendon guard which helps agile players achieve a greater range of motion, a new interior liner with improved durability and resistance to abrasion, a newly designed ankle support piece found between the interior and exterior layers of the skate boot giving the players a fully-wrapped and supported feel around the ankle, a new pro-style tri-guard tongue giving elite players further comfort and extra support, and a fresh new metal mesh design to give the skate a state-of-the-art look like never before.

Hockey World Blog: Can you tell us a bit about the new Triguard pro tongue?

CCM: The tri-guard tongue was designed with the help of our stable of NHL players, who wanted the tongue to offer support, comfort and protection from the stiffness of tightly tied laces. It consists of three layers of materials; a thick felt which wraps nicely around the players foot and lower leg to support the body’s movement, an EPP foam layer giving the tongue the right level of rigidity to allow the player to be quick and agile with every movement, and an injected outer area which provides durability and protection from the tight tension of the laces. The tongue allows players to “crank” their laces tightly to wrap the skate around their upper ankle, helping the get extra support, stability and maximum energy-transfer with every movement in every direction.

Hockey World Blog: How has the pump technology been changed for the CCM Ribcor?

CCM: The advanced Pump™ consists of a more efficient system which micro-customizes the fit of the skate by pushing air into the key pockets of the skate in just a few pumps, for those players who just can’t wait to hit the ice.

Hockey World Blog: What type of feedback have you received from your NHL pros who helped develop this new skate? What did they not like about the last skate that they wanted to improve? Can you tell us what NHL pros helped with the development?

CCM: Over 75 NHL players used the Reebok Ribcor skate last season and we obtained a ton of feedback from them. Sidney Crosby is a loyal Reebok Ribcor user and was among these NHLers to provide consistent feedback. Furthermore, some of the best skaters in the world played hands-on roles in the development of the CCM Ribcor such as Pavel Datsyuk, Matt Duchene and David Perron.

Each of these players aimed to incrementally increase the performance of the skate, without compromising its consensus comfort. Therefore, we worked on evaluating the key areas of the skate which required more flexibility in order to generate a better range of motion to maximize their natural agility or more stiffness to help generate power with every movement.

Hockey World Blog: How has the quarter package changed from the original Ribcor?

CCM: The quarter package was one of the key success factors of the Reebok Ribcor skate. We gave the CCM Ribcor a fresh new design to the outside of the boot, giving the skate a rich, edgy and technological look that we feel is unmatched by any skate on the market today. As for the inner layers of the quarter package, we remained true to the skate’s essence. Those who love the Ribcor skate REALLY love the Ribcor skate and are loyal to its fit. So we have remained loyal to them by maintaining our patented EPP foam construction which allows for a comfortable, natural micro-customization of the skate around the player’s foot.

Hockey World Blog: Is the skate any more heat moldable than the previous version?

CCM: The skate is as heat moldable as the previous generation, with materials that are highly responsive to heat molding, allowing the player to perfect the fit of the skate around the foot.

Hockey World Blog: What type of player does this skate line target?

CCM: The skate was built for players who want a high performance skate without having to sacrifice comfort. It’s ok to be comfortable in a skate right out of the box! The CCM Ribcor allows players to simply slip their foot into the boot and play the game at their highest level. The design and construction was meant to make players feel as quick and agile as they can possibly be, feeling like they’re always one step ahead of the competition, in every single direction. The skate is meant for a player who wants a skate that fits very comfortably, and adapts to every movement, responding optimally whether it’s for a speedy push-off, a quick turn on a dime, or for that extra boost to shift into top gear.

Hockey World Blog: What advantage does this skate offer versus other brands?

CCM: The CCM Ribcor offers a highly-praised level of comfort right out of the box, and micro-customization attributes that can suit any player thanks to the patented Pump™ technology which locks a player’s foot into the back of a skate, and the EPP foam around the interior edges of the boot which provides a snug fit around the curves of the foot, so that the forefoot of the skate is connected to the parts which most affect energy transfer, giving the player extreme responsiveness in every movement.

Hockey World Blog: To someone making the jump from another brand, what would you say to try to sell them on this skate?

CCM: A skate should be comfortable, and the CCM Ribcor offers a level of comfort that our pros love because it allows them to focus solely on performance. It’s the exact same thing for any other player. Most players say that fit is the most important factor in picking a pair of skates. The CCM Ribcor offers out-of-the-box comfort, with a customizable fit that is unmatched by any other skate. Whether it’s the Pump™ technology to lock the heel into the skate, the EPP foam around the interior walls of the boot which wraps the skate firmlyaround the outer edges of the foot so that no space or energy is wasted with every stride, or the quarter package which is highly responsive to heat molding for a perfected fit.

If you want to pick up a pair of the CCM Ribcor 50K skates, you can check them out by clicking here. Want to see the rest of the new line? Check out the other Ribcor skates here.