After months of work and testing, I'm releasing the video and 3D models for making wingfoil booms out of carbon hockey sticks. I used these booms last winter and all summer this summer, so I have around 50 sessions now and a couple of other people have also been using them. I think used and broken hockey sticks have a lot of potential uses and it's a shame they mostly end up in garbage dumps.
My lightest "HockeyBoom" weighs just 260 grams and cost me less than $5 to make. Even with an added rubber grip, the weight is very close to the Duotone Platinum Miniboom. Hockey sticks generally have a sticky coating already, so the added grip weight isn't 100% necessary.
The video premieres soon and the 3D models are already available:
badass! thank you!
I know some guys here who were using broken hockey sticks for their Echo/Slick booms. Big inventory here!
I ended up w/ scrap paddle shaft from a friend of mine. Got some small diameter stuff too... ~25mm. Heaviest part is the shrink wrap fishing pole grip ~70g. Glued a trapezoidal foam part to the inside of the grip, and then I wrapped w/ fishing pole grip... result is an egg shape which is pretty comfortable w/ small diameter.
End weight is about 215g
Select to expand quoteJuriM said..
After months of work and testing, I'm releasing the video and 3D models for making wingfoil booms out of carbon hockey sticks. I used these booms last winter and all summer this summer, so I have around 50 sessions now and a couple of other people have also been using them. I think used and broken hockey sticks have a lot of potential uses and it's a shame they mostly end up in garbage dumps.
My lightest "HockeyBoom" weighs just 260 grams and cost me less than $5 to make. Even with an added rubber grip, the weight is very close to the Duotone Platinum Miniboom. Hockey sticks generally have a sticky coating already, so the added grip weight isn't 100% necessary.
The video premieres soon and the 3D models are already available:
The ends are 3D-printed on a consumer filament-based 3D printer. Even if you don't have a 3D printer yourself, check your local maker spaces and libraries for public access 3D printers (and you probably already have a friend who has a 3D printer and is wondering if it can make anything useful).
Nice work Juri! Is there anyway you can throw up a few pics of the boom on the wing? You can see the front of it in the video, but it's hard to tell what the heck is going on.
Lastly, you think a guy might be able to modify this to fit an OR Glide?
Select to expand quotesunsetsailboards said..
badass! thank you!
I know some guys here who were using broken hockey sticks for their Echo/Slick booms. Big inventory here!
I ended up w/ scrap paddle shaft from a friend of mine. Got some small diameter stuff too... ~25mm. Heaviest part is the shrink wrap fishing pole grip ~70g. Glued a trapezoidal foam part to the inside of the grip, and then I wrapped w/ fishing pole grip... result is an egg shape which is pretty comfortable w/ small diameter.
End weight is about 215g
Can you throw a picture up?
Select to expand quotemartyman said..
Nice work Juri! Is there anyway you can throw up a few pics of the boom on the wing? You can see the front of it in the video, but it's hard to tell what the heck is going on.
Lastly, you think a guy might be able to modify this to fit an OR Glide?
There's a segment in my previous video where I rig a wing with one of my HockeyBooms, so you can see the whole thing (fast forward to 0:52 to see it - the forum doesn't consider the time code as part of the link somehow):
Excellent idea and great job! Unfortunately finding a local used/broken hockey stick or SUP paddle didn't work for me. Closest hockey rink is ~100 mi away. Any way to buy one cheap online with shipping factored in?
This was my zero testing, 40 min quicky lazy guy effort. Not as light or cheap but at least better than the stock aluminum boom. Just some 25mmx22mmx1000mm pultruded carbon tubes off Amazon (2mm wall thickness so probably way overkill). They aren't long enough so I just grabbed some 1/2 inch Sched 40 PVC to make a connector, a PVC end cap (standard US plumbing items), a piece of old Burmese teak lying around the shop to recreate the front adaptor (10 min with my chop saw and belt sander) and finally some West G-Flex epoxy to glue it and seal it. Final result was 370 gm versus 585 gm for the stock aluminum. I do plenty of 3D printing with tech materials but sometimes it's fun and really quick to do it the old fashion way. I didn't use any grip material. Couple of sessions so far
If I make another one and I can't find a broken "stick" next door ?? I'd probably go with a 1mm wall thickness (lighter and cheaper) and size my connector down a bit. Should knock it down to ~270 gms. I like the nostalgic look with the teak and might make a teak rear cap as well
. Or I could buy a 330 gm Duotone carbon boom for ~$190USD.... Does any of this stuff make me wing better,..not one freakin bit, but my shoulder does appreciate the lighter weight during those frequent tacks
FWIW, my 4m SLS Slick comes in at 1780 gms and my 4m standard Slick is 1959 gms. Already sold my 5m and 6m Slicks so can't do that comparison
Select to expand quoteDspace said..
Excellent idea but where do I find a local used/broken hockey stick or SUP paddle??? They just aren't sitting around in dumpsters in my home town, and I don't have any friend with them either. Closest hockey rink is ~100 mi away. Any way to buy one cheap online with shipping factored in?
USA, I guess?
Check Facebook listings for used sticks. For example, I see a Bauer Vapor for $35 in South Carolina. If you find someone who is selling a used stick, you could ask them if they happen to know anyone willing to sell a broken stick for a bit less. Ebay has US sellers with just shafts on sale for under $20. I guess shipping cost can be an issue when buying from an individual. Facebook also allows you to make listings for items you want to buy, which might help you find a local seller who just happens to have a used or broken stick.
If you buy new, you can probably find a stick for about $40-$50 if you don't mind an intermediate (or even youth) stick. The stick I used in the video was a youth stick and it would have been long enough to make a full length boom if it wasn't broken where it was (it was only missing 1"-2" in length). HockeyMonkey has intermediate sticks starting at $45 and assuming a stick isn't "heavy or large", their shipping is $14 (no experience with the shop - just something I found on Google).
As a last resort, I guess I would call the a janitor at the closest rink even if it's 100 miles away or try to find a team coach that plays there and see if they would be interested in helping out.
When I was on a work trip in Chicago, I remember there was an indoor hockey rink very similar to the one close to my home near where I was working in Addison, IL. It suppose it helps if you're near a larger city or in a state where ice hockey is popular. In some regions, used SUP paddles might be easier to find (but I think they tend to be a lot more flexible).
Select to expand quote
JuriM said..Dspace said..
Excellent idea but where do I find a local used/broken hockey stick or SUP paddle??? They just aren't sitting around in dumpsters in my home town, and I don't have any friend with them either. Closest hockey rink is ~100 mi away. Any way to buy one cheap online with shipping factored in?
USA, I guess?
Check Facebook listings for used sticks. For example, I see a Bauer Vapor for $35 in South Carolina. If you find someone who is selling a used stick, you could ask them if they happen to know anyone willing to sell a broken stick for a bit less. Ebay has US sellers with just shafts on sale for under $20. I guess shipping cost can be an issue when buying from an individual. Facebook also allows you to make listings for items you want to buy, which might help you find a local seller who just happens to have a used or broken stick.
If you buy new, you can probably find a stick for about $40-$50 if you don't mind an intermediate (or even youth) stick. The stick I used in the video was a youth stick and it would have been long enough to make a full length boom if it wasn't broken where it was (it was only missing 1"-2" in length). HockeyMonkey has intermediate sticks starting at $45 and assuming a stick isn't "heavy or large", their shipping is $14 (no experience with the shop - just something I found on Google).
As a last resort, I guess I would call the a janitor at the closest rink even if it's 100 miles away or try to find a team coach that plays there and see if they would be interested in helping out.
When I was on a work trip in Chicago, I remember there was an indoor hockey rink very similar to the one close to my home near where I was working in Addison, IL. It suppose it helps if you're near a larger city or in a state where ice hockey is popular. In some regions, used SUP paddles might be easier to find (but I think they tend to be a lot more flexible).
Cool. I guess there a whole world of used hockey gear out there I had no idea of. That Amazon deal of two 25mmx23mmx1000mm tubes for $51 USD seems close enough for me so I might just stick with that. The last time I built anything sailing related was a reproduction sail-and-oar boat around 2015. Took me 12 months to complete. Now I'm just lazy
Select to expand quoteDspace said..
Cool. I guess there a whole world of used hockey gear out there I had no idea of. That Amazon deal of two 25mmx23mmx1000mm tubes for $51 USD seems close enough for me so I might just stick with that. The last time I built anything sailing related was a reproduction sail-and-oar boat around 2015. Took me 12 months to complete. Now I'm just lazy
You need about 1250 mm to make a full length boom though. You'll have to do join the two pieces or figure out how to make a tail piece out of something else (if you're lucky a windsurfing boom back end might fit inside the carbon tube). That will add a bit of weight.
Purehockey had this for $42 ($14 flat rate shipping): www.purehockey.com/product/bauer-nsx-grip-composite-hockey-stick-intermediate/itm/34033-31/
Here's another shop (shipping seems to be $11):www.hockeyworld.com/BAUER-NSX-Grip-Stick-Int
Select to expand quoteJuriM said..Dspace said..
Cool. I guess there a whole world of used hockey gear out there I had no idea of. That Amazon deal of two 25mmx23mmx1000mm tubes for $51 USD seems close enough for me so I might just stick with that. The last time I built anything sailing related was a reproduction sail-and-oar boat around 2015. Took me 12 months to complete. Now I'm just lazy
You need about 1250 mm to make a full length boom though. You'll have to do join the two pieces or figure out how to make a tail piece out of something else (if you're lucky a windsurfing boom back end might fit inside the carbon tube). That will add a bit of weight.
Purehockey had this for $42 ($14 flat rate shipping): www.purehockey.com/product/bauer-nsx-grip-composite-hockey-stick-intermediate/itm/34033-31/
Here's another shop (shipping seems to be $11):www.hockeyworld.com/BAUER-NSX-Grip-Stick-Int
Yep, about a 25 gm penalty to make a connector to get the 125cm length. Added ~10 min to the job. I think the hockey stick version is great as well, but a new off-the-shelf tube version with the 1mm wall thickness comes pretty close and you don't have to deal with rectangular fitting custom end pieces to a rectangular shape via 3D printing. Quick and easy to cut round holes and use round caps. Splitting hairs at this point,...it all works! The shrink grip sounds great. Both my sessions were with no grip on the carbon tube. Worked great but maybe the grip would add a bit of comfort
As you said, it's all good. The sticks are good option for people who have easy access to them. I like the upcycling aspect of taking something with zero value and using it to make a part that would otherwise cost $150 or more. Used SUP paddle shafts weren't as easy to find around here.
I took these photos today. The boom I used has the extra long back piece (the stick was a bit on the short side). The epoxy has started to yellow a bit. This is my most used boom this year.
I'm publishing round versions of the HockeyBoom parts so that people who find it easier to find round profile carbon tubes can 3D-print end pieces and make their own booms. The files are accessible through this link and should become public on MyMinifactory within a day or two:
www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-wingfoil-boom-front-back-end-for-round-profiles-duotone-slick-compatible-235851
I made versions for 25mm, 27mm, 29mm and 30mm round profiles. Other sizes can be created by scaling up a smaller part.
