About this episode
Scott and James sit down with Andries de Villiers, CEO of Titan Battlegear, for a blunt breakdown of what cut protection in hockey really means and why a lot of gear parents trust may create a false sense of security.After a tragic local on-ice incident, Andries dove deep into testing standards and discovered that many products marketed as protective weren’t stopping skate blades at meaningful levels. He explains the ANSI A1–A9 scale, why he calls A6 the “Mendoza line” for real protection, and why safety comes down to two things: cut resistance and coverage.The conversation also tackles early neck-guard mandates that were “legal but not effective,” why Velcro designs can fail (and frustrate players), and why lower-body cut protection (especially around the femoral area) is the next major gap families aren’t thinking about.In this episode:What the A1–A9 cut-resistance scale actually meansWhy A6 matters“Protection” vs. real protectionThe problem with poor coverage and bad fitWhy neck guards are only part of the conversationIf you assume a neck guard is a neck guard, this episode will change how you look at your kid’s gear.Partners:https://hockeytraining.com/https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydadshttps://howieshockeytape.com/https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazy.hockey.dadsX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576627751551
