When the guys over at East Coast Dyes challenged me to try out their new Mint lacrosse ball, the non-greaser ball, I was a bit skeptical. After years of playing with lacrosse balls that turn into dinosaur eggs after sitting outside for too long or just regular use, I thought a ball that kept the same feel as when it was brand new would be fantastic, but improbable. The Mint is manufactured in the USA and is made with polymer material via an advanced manufacturing process instead of using the typical vulcanized rubber standard for all lacrosse balls before this year.
Sorry lil’ Mint ball. You’re about to taste Mother Nature’s wrath. It’s for science, ok?
A good-ol’ vulcanized rubber ball as the control before the test
When I first got the Mint, my first impression of it was it felt the same as a normal vulcanized rubber ball that I was used to, but just a little bit softer. It still felt exactly the same as a regular fresh ball, nice and grippy. But, to really put the Mint to the test, I put it through the terrible weather conditions we have up in Buffalo for three full weeks. Within these three weeks, the temperatures ranged between 20 and 60 degrees, including sun, rain, freezing rain, sleet, hail, ice and snow. Why do I live here? Oh yes, I remember. We have the best wings in the world (Editor’s note: They do.). I also put a new standard lacrosse ball outside, next to the Mint for this period of time. I didn’t touch either for those three weeks.
Approximate depiction of present-day Buffalo
The Mint nestling-up in extreme conditions. Brown spot courtesy of nature.
Three weeks later, when I went to grab these lacrosse balls from outside, the standard ball was hard as a rock and completely slick (go figure).
The vulcanized rubber ball is, as expected, smooth as all Hell. Certified greaser.
The Mint on the other hand surprised me, and after I quickly rinsed off the mud on it, the ball felt just as grippy as when I put it outside and as soft as a new, normal lacrosse ball.
Overall, I think the Mint is a great product, which fixes a long-time problem in lacrosse. It’s also a bit safer than the vulcanized rubber ball since it’s noticeably softer (both fresh and after being outside for a month). These balls should be a big hit for East Coast Dyes when they hit the market.
What do you think of The Mint? Let us know on our Instagram.
