Jester meets Bluebirds (icehockey goalie-mask)
Fri Feb 01, 2013 3:11 am
Hello everyone,
facebook friend of mine talked me into sharing this with my fellow Bluebirds.
I used to play icehockey, since I was like 8 or 9 I played that sport and became a Goalie at 10. Played high up in German Junior Hockey, being a squad member of our U16s and U17s National team. Signed a pro contract at 19, but was forced to quit my carreer after breaking my right leg and severely damaging my left knee in an accident.
Anyhow, some Goalies are famous for their helmets, Goalie Masks as we call them. Many of us have individual airbrush designs on their masks, if you follow the NHL or watch the Devils (my former employers) you will know what I mean...
Anyway, I used to have 3 mask designs, one was a theme of my club in team colours, but my 2nd one was featuring a Jester's face. The story behind that is, I got introduced to progressive Rock by one of my coaches, who recommended that style of music to listen to before games, as it calms you down and in my case it worked perfectly. So I listened to the likes of Pink Floyd, old Genesis, Rush and... MARILLION. Fell in love with them and listened mostly to them while on long teamcoach travels. And quiete often I wore a Marillion shirt, featuring the first album "Script for a Jester's tear".
As we all had nicknames back then, my teammates named me "Jester".... that's why the Jester arrived on my mask. A simple design by a local airbrusher who charged me very little money...
But my last mask featured not just my Jester, but also my other love, I discovered in 1990... you guessed it...
So I had this one done...
The Jester's face and mask, idea taken from Marillion's "Market Square Heroes / Grendel" artwork... a Welsh flag, symbolising my connection to Wales, transforming into one arm/hand holding the heart --> Claddagh
2 Jesters watching over Ninian Park, one is stitting down, the other one is providing the floodlights. A German flag, the country I was born in, transforming into the 2nd half of the Claddagh
CLADDAGH, Irish symbol (hands represent friendship, heart represents love, crown represents loyalty), I have a Claddagh ring since I was a kid, a present from Irish friends of mine
JESTER YN BYW Y FREUDDWYD, as you all recall, Welsh for "Jester living the dream"
Backplate: Robin Friday, in his famous pose giving the two fingers, coming out of the Jester's Mask.
Until this day, I work as a professional full-time icehockey coach now, I still listen to Marillion before games, always the last on my iPod is "Torch Song" from their 1987 "Clutching at straws" album...
Well, that's my icehockey-mask story, hope it wasnt too boring... and NO, I wont get it rebranded...
facebook friend of mine talked me into sharing this with my fellow Bluebirds.
I used to play icehockey, since I was like 8 or 9 I played that sport and became a Goalie at 10. Played high up in German Junior Hockey, being a squad member of our U16s and U17s National team. Signed a pro contract at 19, but was forced to quit my carreer after breaking my right leg and severely damaging my left knee in an accident.
Anyhow, some Goalies are famous for their helmets, Goalie Masks as we call them. Many of us have individual airbrush designs on their masks, if you follow the NHL or watch the Devils (my former employers) you will know what I mean...
Anyway, I used to have 3 mask designs, one was a theme of my club in team colours, but my 2nd one was featuring a Jester's face. The story behind that is, I got introduced to progressive Rock by one of my coaches, who recommended that style of music to listen to before games, as it calms you down and in my case it worked perfectly. So I listened to the likes of Pink Floyd, old Genesis, Rush and... MARILLION. Fell in love with them and listened mostly to them while on long teamcoach travels. And quiete often I wore a Marillion shirt, featuring the first album "Script for a Jester's tear".
As we all had nicknames back then, my teammates named me "Jester".... that's why the Jester arrived on my mask. A simple design by a local airbrusher who charged me very little money...
But my last mask featured not just my Jester, but also my other love, I discovered in 1990... you guessed it...
So I had this one done...
The Jester's face and mask, idea taken from Marillion's "Market Square Heroes / Grendel" artwork... a Welsh flag, symbolising my connection to Wales, transforming into one arm/hand holding the heart --> Claddagh
2 Jesters watching over Ninian Park, one is stitting down, the other one is providing the floodlights. A German flag, the country I was born in, transforming into the 2nd half of the Claddagh
CLADDAGH, Irish symbol (hands represent friendship, heart represents love, crown represents loyalty), I have a Claddagh ring since I was a kid, a present from Irish friends of mine
JESTER YN BYW Y FREUDDWYD, as you all recall, Welsh for "Jester living the dream"
Backplate: Robin Friday, in his famous pose giving the two fingers, coming out of the Jester's Mask.
Until this day, I work as a professional full-time icehockey coach now, I still listen to Marillion before games, always the last on my iPod is "Torch Song" from their 1987 "Clutching at straws" album...
Well, that's my icehockey-mask story, hope it wasnt too boring... and NO, I wont get it rebranded...
Re: Jester meets Bluebirds (icehockey goalie-mask)
Fri Feb 01, 2013 8:22 am
Nice i like it