Mission RMx Series 2002 Hockey Skate Review

By Steve Costanza

Written 10/7/2003

In an attempt to continue pushing out quality skates for the consumer hockey world, Mission wanted to design something that would allow hockey players and general skaters alike to maintain total control of their skates during the most intense stops, starts, and turns without breaking the bank. Their answer for that technology was Vibe chassis. Just what is Vibe and how does it work? We’ll look more at the Vibe 2 chassis a little later on.

The RMx hockey skate is the first skate I ever purchased for roller hockey. It provides a comfortable and secure fit, lots of ankle support, and doesn’t look too bad either. There are many options included with this skate, so let’s get right to it.

Mission RMx Boot:

The RMx series hockey skate provides a durable hard boot for extra support around the foot and ankle. The stiffness rating for the RMx is 5:3. The 5 represents the stiffness in the heel and ankle. The 3 refers to the stiffness of the forefoot and arch area of the boot. To me, the skate was stiffer than any other I had ever worn. Luckily, this skate provides Thermal Heat Fitting (a.k.a. skate bake). Skate baking allows the boot to be molded to your foot and speeds up the time for break-in. I had my skates baked once and noticed a difference in the stiffness and fit the first time I wore them afterwards. This skate can be baked up to three times.

Although the boot is fairly stiff, it is very comfortable to wear. One of the reasons for the comfort is the Single Eyelet Lacing Locking System (S.E.L.L.). By allowing the lace to cross the mid-section of your foot, right where the foot and ankle come together, S.E.L.L helps hold your heel in place and prevents your heel lifting away from the foot bed, helping to reduce blisters. (YAY!)

The boot also offers Neo-wrap cuff and SoftSkin upper quarters. The SoftSkin material is lightweight, reducing the weight of the skate, but adds additional support. The Neo-wrap cuff allows the upper part of the skate to wrap around and support your ankle comfortably.

The ViBE Chassis:

The RMx series offers an Aluminum chassis which is lightweight, yet strong. The big news about this chassis is that it has Vibe technology included as part of it. VIBE is an abbreviation for Variable Integrated Balance Engineering. I have heard many people say you either love the Vibe technology or you hate it. Well, I can honestly I am unsure about it. Although I do get the concept, I am not sure that it is effective, or why it is needed. Below is a combination of statements I have read regarding the purpose of Vibe:

I tried adjusting the Vibe unit on my skates many times and I just don’t notice any difference during my turns, stopping, etc. One thing I did notice is that if I made too sharp a turn or did a hockey stop, the Vibe unit would grind against the playing surface, even causing me to fall at times. This is a major problem for those who play hockey with a more aggressive style.

Since the following year’s model of skates no longer include the Vibe technology, one can assume Mission realized that Vibe was not what the hockey world was looking for.

Labeda Gripper Wheels and bearings:

The RMx series hockey skate comes with Labeda Gripper style hockey wheels. With 72 mm wheels on the front and 80 mm wheels on the back, the Gripper wheel has a soft rating. These wheels really do hug the floor when performing tight turns and quick stops. The bearings are ABEC 5 rated and provide adequate speed and rolling power for a smooth ride. Although ABEC 5 bearings may not start out as fast as higher rated ABEC bearings, after use, these bearings can stand up with the rest of them, and tend to last a bit longer, in my opinion.

Conclusion:

The Mission RMx 2002 series roller hockey skate is an excellent skate for both the beginner and intermediate hockey player. It provides superior support to the ankles as well as a snug, comfortable fit for the foot. Also, with the 2004 version skates now rolling out, you can find the RMx skates on sale at most online sites for around $99.00 - $129.00 US. (Originally sold for around $199.00 US) These skates are definitely a bargain!!

Pros:

• Comfortable boot
• Stiff upper support due to Neo-wrap cuff and SoftSkin
• S.E.L.L.
• Thermal Heat Fit
• Gripper Wheels
• Affordable

Cons:

• Vibe chassis

Comments?

Come discuss this review on our forums, or contact Steve at stevoc@excite.com

Disclaimer:

All recommendations within this review are of personal choice of the author and do not reflect the opinions of any other individuals, websites, or companies.

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