Bauer Nike Hockey

Bauer Hockey, Inc. is one of the leading manufacturers of ice hockey equipment, fitness and recreational skates, and apparel. The hockey equipment that Bauer produces include helmets, gloves, sticks, skates, shin guards, pants, shoulder pads, elbow pads, as well as goalie equipment. Bauer was primarily a skate-maker prior to 1990, when it acquired the hockey assets of Cooper Canada Ltd.

History of Bauer innovation

The owners of Western Shoe Company, the Bauer family, established the Bauer company as it is known today in 1927 in Kitchener, Ontario.

Bauer was the first hockey company to begin producing hockey skates in which the blade was attached to the boot. The boot was made by Bauer and the skate blade by the now-defunct Starr Manufacturing Company in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. This new product was then marketed under the trade name "Bauer Supreme" .

But the arrival of the legendary George Tackaberry boot, now made by CCM under the "Tacks" trademark — the Tackaberry name having been acquired by CCM in 1937 — saw a shift in the balance of power to Bauer's rival. The Tackaberry boot with CCM Pro-Lite blade would be worn by all NHL scoring champions from 1939 through 1969.

The Bauer name returned to prominence after the company undertook a pioneering step of paying superstar Bobby Hull to endorse their skates. This move, and the introduction soon after of the TUUK chassis, ushered in a new era for the company.

The current National Hockey League rule banning the use of fancy skates was introduced on September 24, 1927. At the time, this effectively outlawed all skates other than tube skates. The plastic/rubber stopper seen on the heel of later tube skates was developed by CCM in 1960 following an injury to the Montreal Canadiens' Maurice "Rocket" Richard in the 1958–59 season. It was made mandatory by the NHL in 1964.

Then in the early 1970s, Jim Roberts, also of the Canadiens, began wearing the now famous TUUK blade. High-profile teammates Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt, and Jacques Lemaire soon followed. The success of this blade chassis was such that by 1995, the various Canstar skate brands (Micron, Bauer, etc.) had a 70% NHL market share while their TUUK and ICM holders combined for a 95% share. (Note: Bauer no longer offers the ICM holder on player skates, although it is still offered with goalie skates, in addition to the TUUK cowling.)

In 1994, Bauer began producing the perforated TUUK chassis, which is the piece of equipment that connects the steel blade to the actual boot of the skate. This revolutionized the sport of hockey because it allowed skates to be made lighter, as well as more durable. Their current flagship skate is called the Nike Bauer Supreme One95. This new skate boot utilizes a non epoxy-based material that reportedly weighs 35-45% less than its predecessor, the Supreme One90 (a skate that only weighed 750 grams in a size 8). This low weight was achieved without the use of perforated runners. This skate is worn by players, including Mike Fisher, Eric Cole and Milan Lučić. An average of five players per NHL team wear Nike Bauer Vapor Skates. MSRP at launch was $860, but the average street price is presently about $450. The newer Supreme One95 is about $650. 3D anaformable ALIVE composite upper quarter package is a main upgrade of the One95's.

Nike era

In 1994, Canstar, the parent company of Bauer, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike. In 2006, beginning with the release of the Nike Bauer Supreme One90, the company's products were rebranded as Nike Bauer . This was the first time Nike had ever used a partner brand name on a product. Nike has since divested itself of Bauer, the Nike Bauer name and logo is being discontinued and the company will revert back to being known as just Bauer .

Recent history

The company was sold to investors Roustan, Inc. and Kohlberg & Co., on February 21, 2008. The company is once again known as Bauer Hockey, though the Nike Bauer trademark was used until mid-2009.

On September 25, 2008, Bauer announced the purchase of rival Mission-Itech. Bauer will continue the Itech line of goalie equipment but with Bauer branding.

Current products

Bauer is known for their long history of producing high quality and durable products. Their current season lineup is:

Skates

• Vapor X:60
• Vapor X:50
• Vapor X:40
• Vapor X:30
• Vapor X:20
• Vapor X:15
• Vapor X:05
• Supreme One95
• Supreme One75
• Supreme One55
• Supreme One35
• Supreme One15
• Supreme One05

Sticks

• Vapor X:60
• Vapor XXXX
• Vapor XXXX Stick'um*
• Vapor XXV
• Vapor XXII
• Vapor XVI
• Vapor XXI
• Supreme One95
• Supreme One95 Stick'um*
• Supreme One85
• Supreme One75
• Supreme One75 Wood
• Supreme One55
• Supreme One55 Wood
• Supreme One25 Wood

References

1. ^ http://www.bizofhockey.com/?option=com_content&view=article&id=111&Itemid=1
2. ^ http://www.bloggingbuyouts.com/2008/02/22/nike-sells-bauer-skates-to-private-equity-investor-w-graeme-rou/
3. ^ http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=230199&hubname=nhl
4. ^ http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/505555

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