Blade of Glory

George did.

George Tackaberry was a shoemaker. He’d grown up in Ontario but now lived with his wife in Brandon, Manitoba … where he specialized in making orthopaedic shoes for the handicapped.

One day, George’s neighbour dropped by. Joe Hall worked professionally but had a problem … his boots never lasted the whole season … he needed something more durable… and wondered if George could help.

Well George tried a couple of different things and eventually settled on a boot made of kangaroo leather that sported both a reinforced toe and heel.

The boots worked perfectly … so much so that when Joe returned after the season he came armed with a lot of orders … because all of Joe’s teammates wanted a pair of George’s boots too!

And that’s how it started … when George passed away his wife sold the rights to make the boots to CCM.

Today, over a 100 years later, George’s boots that three time Stanley Cup Champion and Hall of Famer Joe Hall first sported remain a well-known skate brand … named after its creator George Tackaberry … CCM Tacks!

Tacks are a great idea … because making something durable means you you’ll likely never be skating on thin ice.