The WinnipegJets say they’re not even close to real.
It happens to every NHL team. You go rooting around on Ebay or other sites looking for a good deal on your favorite team’s jersey to add to your collection. You see one well below the cost of your typical jersey and it looks virtually identical to what you can get from more reputable outlets and you bite the bullet.

How about if your favorite team hasn’t even released what their sweaters will look like yet and you can still buy them online from… Somewhere? That’s the situation the Winnipeg Jets are dealing with right now as their sweaters won’t be shown off until the start of training camp at the earliest yet there are still some “new” ones found online.

As Paul Turenne of the Winnipeg Sun finds out, the Jets management is making sure it’s well known that these jerseys are fakes and that the design of them is more than a bit suspect.

“The authentic jerseys won’t be available until October, and replica jerseys likely not until November. That comes from the manufacturer,” said Scott Brown, director of communications for True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Jets.

Nevertheless, photos purporting to be leaks of the new Jets jerseys have been circulating on the Internet for weeks.

Brown said a common one showing a dark blue jersey with the main plane logo in the middle is “not even close” to legitimate. The same goes for any other supposed sneak previews.
For Jets fans and jersey collectors alike, the wait to see the new sweaters is a bit frustrating and since we’ve already heard how the delay in showing off the new duds is going to affect the video game fans, it’s a bit annoying for them too. Still, True North is creating a lot of interest in what they’re going to be showing off and given the response of the fans in Winnipeg, they’re not going to have a problem selling the new goods once they’re out. Keeping enough stuff in stock will be a problem, however.

That said, at least one of the more reputable sites is giving you the chance to put your claim in right now to order either the home or away sweater (no, the Jets won’t have a third right off the bat) without even knowing what it looks like (stick-tap to Tyler McKinna for finding that). As we showed off in our tour of the best and worst sweaters of all-time, plunking down your hard earned bucks on a sweater that may or may not be terrible could be a gamble of an investment.

With how nice the new Jets logo looks, it’d be a relatively safe investment either way but still… What if it ended up looking like the new Islanders third jersey? Yikes. Spend wisely, friends.

Just received our shipment of CCM U+ Control Skates for the 2011/12 season and holy cow am I ever impressed. After a few years of hits and misses (mostly misses) CCM has finally hit a home run with this skate. The skate looks incredible right out the box. The first thing the kids have been saying is “Wow that skate looks cool”.
The skate “Fits” as well, and has customizable U foam to make it fit even better. CCM says “Experience true customization with U Foam. Extremely heat reactive to take the shape of your unique foot. Don’t settle for anything less than U+ technology”

The Control skate is based on the U+10 with a number of upgrades such as a Pro Armour Tongue, a Carbon Composite Outsole, a branded moisture wicking Clarino Liner and the aforementioned Customizable U Foam quarter with Vector Armour II Surlyn coating.
This skate comes stock with the  CCM E Pro Holder as well as the Lightweight Perforated Steel Runners.

Hurry in a check this skate out. It won’t be around for long. Also check out the Control’s siblings: the U+ Vibe and U+ Shock, not quite all the options as their well heeled cousin but just as cool. All now in stock at Jasper Source For Sports

Over the past decade there has been a shift or some would say a revolution in the mountain bike world, with the introduction of 29 inch wheeled bikes.  Some companies jumped on the bandwagon quickly, while others took a wait and see approach to this new technology.  2011 marks Giants first foray into building a full suspension 29er.  What is a 29er and what makes this bike so special?

A 29er is as the name clearly describes, a 29 inch wheeled bicycle.  That is the wheels are 3 inches taller in diameter than a standard 26 inch wheeled mountain bike.  The benefits of having bigger wheels are many and the drawbacks are few.  The key bonuses are that big wheels roll over obstacles easier, there is a larger area of the tire in contact with the ground creating more traction and the increased amount of centrifugal force creates a more stable bike at speed.

Having ridden Giant full suspension bikes for the last number of years, I knew how well the rear suspension performed.  I also own a 29er hardtail single speed, which I find rolls over just about anything.  So, needless to say I couldn’t wait to try a 29er version of the Anthem that would meld these two technologies together into a bike that I believe will absolutely dominate the trails around Jasper.

The Maestro rear suspension found on all Giant bikes tracks up and over obstacles amazingly, you never feel that the bike gets “hung up” on roots and rocks slowing you down.  Add the benefits of 29 inch wheel to this system and you get a bike that flies up the technical climbs around Jasper, soaking up roots and ledges and keeping the traction going to get you up the hill.

The big wheels also cruise over technical areas, such as the roots on the backside of the Twenty Mile Loop or beside the marsh on Mina Riley, making the sections easier to clean.  Then when the trail opens up, the Anthem 29 is a super stable bike that carves through corners and uses the increased momentum of the big wheels to carry your speed up any inclines, quickly and with minimal effort.

Who is the Anthem 29er for?  Anyone really.  This bike will be great around Jasper for the majority of trail riders.  Whether it’s cruising the Valley, Trail 7 or tackling your first go at Around the World the Anthem 29 will deliver.  It is a trail bike meant to go up, down and everything in between.

Better come in to The Source and check it out soon, because that’s my bike on display in the store and as soon as the snow melts and the trails firm up, it’ll be gone.

About Matt Staneland: Matt Staneland is one of Jasper’s top riders. He has was a member of the winning team at the Canmore 24 HRS of Adrenaline Race the past two years as well as finishing 15th in the men’s open team category at this years TransRockies’ Race. He also placed in the top ten at the Trans Stoney Marathon last May. Matt is currently the 2010 Alberta Single Speed Champion .

Genuine licensed replica jerseys in our store start at about $130. If you add a player’s name and number the price rises to around $220. A fully numbered on ice jersey like the ones the players wear on ice can run you up to $350. A authentic game worn jersey can be upwards of $600.

By comparison, knock-off replica jerseys are available online and at retail outlets  for a little as $30. So called “authentic” Team Canada Olympic jerseys were advertised at a local retail store last winter for less than $70.Authentic named and numbered jerseys with”tie downs” were advertised online for $130. Nike, the manufacturer of the “authentic” Team Canada Olympic jerseys didn’t even make a replica jersey with tie downs.

The following is an excerpt from the Ottawa Citizen: KNOCK-OFF JERSEYS KILLING LEGIT TRADE

What’s the big deal you might be saying? Don Butler of the Ottawa Citizen says the trade in counterfeit sports apparel is only a small slice of a much larger problem. Counterfeit versions of everything from Viagra and software to children’s toys and luxury goods are feeding a global criminal enterprise valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

According to a 2009 report from the Canadian Intellectual Property Council, “ports of entry are being inundated with illicit products and the proceeds are being funnelled into criminal and terrorist organizations.

The report estimates that counterfeiting and piracy cost the Canadian economy $22 billion a year in lost tax revenue, investment and innovation.

Butler states that to the untrained eye, many counterfeit jerseys look identical to the legitimate ones. As a result, most buyers believe they’re getting the real deal.

“A lot of people are being duped” says Lorne Lipkus, a Toronto lawyer whose firm specializes in anti counterfeiting cases.

Counterfeiters use cheaper cloth and patches and lower-quality stitching machines.

“A lot of these counterfeits look good, but their garbage,” Lipkus said. “If you wash them a few times, they just don’t wear well”.

Knock-off jerseys have long been available in limited numbers at flea markets. But increasingly they can be found in stores-and in staggering numbers on the internet.

In the past, “people just kind of laughed at what was going on with knock-offs,” says Dave Holland, a former sales rep with CCM Canada. “Now it’s an epidemic. It’s not a laughing matter anymore”.

Untold thousands of jerseys enter the country undetected every year, many shipped directly from China to Canada in small batches.

The small shipments make the phoney jerseys not worth the effort for police. Lipkus says.

There are no reliable estimates for the economic damage caused by knock-off sports apparel in Canada. But Rick Baetz, president of New Era Cap Canada puts the loss in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

So if the jersey seems too cheap and is of poor quality, there is a reason for it. Contact your local police department and register a complaint.

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