List of the most popular hashtags for theme #PROJECTARMADILLA

It’s 1991 all over again. Originally purchased at Don Simmons Hockey, this was one of the first batch of CSA certified masks to hit the retail market. Over the next few years, it was recoated with the colours and patterns of a couple of minor hockey teams, before being back-burnered for a new custom fitted and styled Armadilla. After 25 years of hanging in the shadows, it was time to restore this prized childhood memory to it’s former glory. Being completely stripped of it’s accumulated paintwork, the shell was primed, and treated to the same pattern and finish that it had originally left the shop with - topped off with a new set of matching trim, interior foam, and accessories. Restoration complete, it can ride out it’s days in unmolested, original style! #donstrausdesign #armadilla #original #iconic #restoration #goaliemask #goaliemaskart #goaliemaskpaint #custompaint #airbrush #iwata_airbrush #anest_iwata #90sstyle #carbonfiber #kevlar #vintagegoalie #projectarmadilla #wepaytribute #whenoldschoolwasnewschool #goodenoughisnotgoodenough #fightingabovemyweightclass #hockey #nhl #kitchener #waterloo #kwawesome

Taking advantage of the continued great weather to compile a mosaic of images that will make their way onto the newly landed Bauer mask! Production manager helping. Not helping. #donstrausdesign #original #iconic #bauer #nme9 #goaliemask #goaliemaskart #goaliemaskpaint #custompaint #airbrush #iwata_airbrush #anest_iwata #fireworks #mapleleaf #carbonfiber #kevlar #vintagegoalie #projectarmadilla #whenoldschoolwasnewschool #goodenoughisnotgoodenough #fightingabovemyweightclass #hockey #nhl #kitchener #waterloo #kwawesome

Ship it! The latest Armadilla Mask restoration is on it’s way! A crazy journey that connected Hong Kong, Florida, and Pittsburgh, with a detour through Ontario. #donstrausdesign #armadilla #original #iconic #goaliemask #goaliemaskart #goaliemaskpaint #custompaint #airbrush #iwata_airbrush #anest_iwata #patriotic #starsandstripes #90sstyle #carbonfiber #kevlar #vintagegoalie #projectarmadilla #wepaytribute #whenoldschoolwasnewschool #goodenoughisnotgoodenough #fightingabovemyweightclass #hockey #nhl #kitchener #waterloo #kwawesome

Another chapter of the Armadilla brought to light, courtesy of @vintagegoalie14 Still bordering on surreal seeing history replayed like this! Posted @withrepost • @vintagegoalie14 Project Armadilla: The 'Beezer' Years - Don was invited into the NYR pre-training camp festivities at the request of another goalie. With anticipations high, he packed up his kit, a handful of sample masks, and hit the road! While waiting with the trainer in his room, with all the masks splayed out on the floor, who goes cruising past the open door, but John Vanbiesbrouck! I'll let Don take it from here... "you could literally hear the screech of his running shoes on the concrete as he stopped, reversed, and poked his head around the door frame. ‘Who’s masks are those?’ Trainer jerks his thumb at me, and says ’This guy’s’. Introductions were made, and John asks if there is one he can try, when he hits the ice for a scrimmage in a few minutes. The answer was yes! After the skate, John cruised to the boards, motioning with is hand around the side of his head, and said ‘I got hit once. Over here somewhere, I think. How do I get one of these?’ Certainly not what I thought my day would have turned out like! On the opening day of training camp, one week later, Beezer hit the rink wearing his new Armadilla Mask. For the rest of his career, we had a lot of fun. He was respectful enough, and pretty much gave me complete freedom to create what it was I thought he needed. The only times I remember him offering up a suggestion, was when he went to the Panthers (‘Can I have something like what you did for Hayward?’) and when he went to Philly, 'just do something cool!’. One of the best working relationships I’ve ever had - regardless of industry!" TRIVIA: Was this the first Dilla that the Beezer wore in NY Know the answer? Prove it . (Photo Courtesy @donstrausdesign) #LegendsTribute #projectarmadilla #armadilla #bees #DonStraus #beezer #Newyork #USA #goalie #goaliemask #Vintagegoalie

…and then this happened! It was that time of year, for the annual pilgrimage to the annual CSGA (Canadian Sporting Goods Association) trade show. It was the time, when all manufacturers worth their salt - perceived or otherwise - humped their trunks of stuff to Montreal to dazzle prospective buyers. Being the new kid on the block, and ready to embark on my own career journey, I followed the caravan. This was a mission of pure recon. Pure observation, note-taking, absorbing every little bit of info I could get my hands on. This was also the year - and chosen venue for the debut of the newly minted San Jose Sharks’ logo and jerseys. BOOM! Minds are blown. Not just mine, but everyone (well, maybe only 97%) who was there at the unveiling. Cool logo, crazy colours! After the buzz of the day, the caravan relocated to Biddle's Jazz and Ribs. For jazz. And ribs. Talk eventually rolled back to the Sharks’ new gear, and I slid my beverage off it’s napkin, and sketched out what I felt a Sharks mask should look like. A simple, harmless doodle. The evening ended, the crowd dispersed, and armed with my newly doodled napkin, I rolled back to the shop in Waterloo, and transferred the sketch to an actual mask - an ‘artist’s proof’, if you will. Happy with the finished result, that Armadilla was put up onto a shelf, and I continued to take care of business for my business. There the mask sat, up on a dusty shelf, for the next 4ish months, until the team members were revealed…. #armadilla #donstraus #projectarmadilla #vintagegoalie14 #original #icon #goaliemask #goaliemaskart #goaliemaskdesign #napkinsketch #goaliegear #maskdevelopment #earlydays #donstrausdesign #goodenoughaintgoodenough #whenoldschoolwasnewschool #nhl

Front porch design studio weather! A visit from the production manager, to make sure that the design/paint layout for a new Bauer goalie mask was progressing well. Full steam ahead! #priorities #bestdogever #unconditional #bestfriend #mykryptonite #trupanion #bullterrier #bullterriersofinstagram #donstrausdesign #armadilla #original #goaliemask #goaliemaskart #goaliemaskpaint #custompaint #airbrush #patriotic #fireworks #90sstyle #carbonfiber #kevlar #projectarmadilla #whenoldschoolwasnewschool #goodenoughisnotgoodenough #fightingabovemyweightclass #hockey #nhl #kitchener #kwawesome #iphonepic

You can almost hear the angels singing! You know it’s going to be a good day, when you can start prepping for a repaint of vintage Armadilla Mask, while wearing a @vintagegoalie14 Armadilla Mask t-shirt! Please reach out to Matt at www.vintagegoalie.ca to get your own copy of this limited run shirt, and support this Legend’s Tribute edition. #donstrausdesign #armadilla #original #goaliemask #goaliemaskart #goaliemaskpaint #custompaint #airbrush #patriotic #starsandstripes #90sstyle #carbonfiber #kevlar #vintagegoalie #projectarmadilla #wepaytribute #whenoldschoolwasnewschool #goodenoughisnotgoodenough #fightingabovemyweightclass #hockey #nhl #kitchener #waterloo #kwawesome

Posted @withrepost • @vintagegoalie14 Project Armadilla: A New Franchise: one of my all time favourite Dilla designs; John Vanbiesbrouck's Panther(VGB). Don tells the story, "can you get me something like what you did for Hayward?" says the Beezer. The call came in after John found he was to be a Florida Panther. "Off to the library I went for panther images. Remember 1993? No internet - research was done by searching through books! An awesome looking, realistic panther head, open jaws - just what he was looking for, arrived just in time for the pre-season team photo shoots and trading card sessions. As cool as it was, upper management suggested that something more ‘team coloured’ might be a good idea. Understandable, as their new uniforms - dark navy, red, and gold, were too striking to ignore. It was a short trip back to the drawing board for this. Combining the requested ‘open mouth’ style, and the team’s request for colour adjustment, the layout rolled off my pencil very smoothly. No pre sketches, no renderings, no net! Sitting on my front porch that evening, it was laid out directly on John’s new shell. No struggle, no eraser, no grief - it just flowed. The next day at the shop, the paint process followed suit, and within 24 hours of getting the call, the shell was ready to move to final assembly!  I had a feeling that this one would be special. Didn’t quite know why. Just felt it in my gut. It just felt right having the pattern drop into place, and the layering of those distinctive colours! Doesn’t always happen, but when it does… The original, realistic Panther did see some love over the years, with John bringing it to the show for a few games. After all these years, it still brings a smile to my face recalling this story." - Don Straus. (Photo source: Vintage Goalie Brand). #projectarmadilla #armadilla #panthers #beezer #florida #Vintagegoalie #goaliemask #throwbackthursday #TBT

Posted @withrepost • @vintagegoalie14 Mask Monday- Project Armadilla is close to wrapping up so we thought it would be appropriate to post a few more iconic Dillas that made their mark in mask history. I love them all but personally speaking, Beezers paint job while with the Flyers was unreal: the glitter and sketch effect?!?.. amazing!!! Don, when it came to mask designs, you were ahead your time. (Image source: Don Straus). #projectarmadilla #armadilla #maskevolution #MaskMonday #DonStraus #goaliemask #goaliemaskart