How do you carry yours?

A snowHead

A post in another topic mentioned carrying skis over your shoulder.

I always thought this was a bad idea as it leads to all sorts of Norman Wisdom type japes with people turning round and clouting anyone within a metre of them.

I carry my skis upright like a staff (although I've never carried a staff. Maybe there's a particular staff carrying technique which I'm unaware of but you get the idea). It's a lot more effort but there's no chance of thumping anyone with them.

A snowHead

I'm an 'over the shoulder' type. I was told this is the safest way, and it seems to be the case, especially for 'er indoors ( although I always end up carrying her skis in the end ! )

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Old style, over the shoulder, tips upwards not horizontal like a plank, I've yet to hit anyone with them and I carry them in my hand when it gets crowded

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I agree with DGO. My approach is skis on shoulder, but tips forward and pulled down, so the tails are high and only likely to hit a passing seagull (when skiing near the coast), not a pedestrian.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Tips upwards? You must have long arms DGO Shocked

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I use the over-the-shoulder method when walking long distances, and when there aren't many people around, and I'm careful with them, having been clouted by wannabe Norman Wisdom's! When I reach my destination and it starts getting busier I switch to the staff position, especially in queues. Although, there's always someone in every queue who hasn't grasped the concept of other peoples safety.

I've always wanted to be able to attach my skis to my back-pack - what's the best way of doing this?

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over the shoulder, but tips in hands and hands down by my waist so the ski tails are up in the air

After all it is free

Apart from anything else, it's the only comfortable way to carry your skis over any sort of distance.

Over the shoulder like a rifle. Odd that jacket shoulders don't rip up on sharp edges like gloves do.

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Over the shoulder, tips down, toe binding stopping the skis sliding down past my shoulder. Is there any other way to carry skis? Can't imagine me carrying them like a staff for any distance without unnecessary arm-ache!

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Dunno, the wife carries mine

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Snow Leopard, you need straps either side of the pack and another to bind the tips of the skis together to stop them flapping around. It's quite a stable arrangement but watch out for low branches when climbing through trees Wink

Exactly the same as rob@rar.org.uk,

You know it makes sense.

Frosty the Snowman, Laughing

Aren't there any leashes that could go round the bindings so you could sling them over your shoulder, with older skis i guess this would have been a problem with hte backs dragging on the floor, but with these newer shorter skis is it possible? I used to hate carrying them, especially while wearing storm trooper boots Wink

Have to say the majority of sk=ers don't seem to realise what a weapon they carry..............a bit like people and umbrellas. Being 6'4" i tend to be the prey of choice as well, and end up either having to go around with my arm by my face grabbing skis out of the way or use my board as a shield. The brits seem to be the most considerate, some europeans in Courmayeur last year were swinging them round like they were a helicopter, almost took my head off...............they thought it was funny till they saw who they almost hit (did hit my forearm though!) Twisted Evil

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

I see someone already answered verbally, but it took a long time putting my sketch on the web!

A snowHead

snowball, but it's much more eloquent than my answer snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thanks. Should have mentioned you really need a waist strap on your back-pack to keep it stable (but if it has side straps it probably has them anyway).
If you find the above method too unstable you can have the bottom strap between the toe and heel bindings, though this takes a bit longer to take on and off and you have to be careful not to catch the heels of the skis in the snow when climbing steeply.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Yep never carry them with the edges against your jacket unless you like a new jacket every year Laughing

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I suppose it is because when they are over your shoulder the skis are clamped together so the edges face each other. With gloves on you are often pulling them apart and that must be when the thumbs get cut through. Mine do anyway. It's why I buy cheap gloves.

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Exactly like Snow Leopard, but also use skis like crutch on stairs or steep and icy slopes (especially downhill) in town.

After all it is free

Chris Bish, when pulling the skis apart I always grap the binfings and pull them apart, keeping fingers away from the edges at all times

this is another good reason to wear a helmet!

another problem is when people carry their poles horizontally in one hand (usually tips backwards) while climbing stairs up to bubbles, telepheriques, etc. More than a few times I've had to dodge a pole being jerked backwards at exactly face height.

as an aside, do skiers have any concerns about the way we boarders carry our boards?

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Has anybody tried one of those ski tie things that you wear over the shoulder ? I thought this could be the answer to carrying the wife's skis...

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rob@rar.org.uk, you mean a bit like a shotgun? Its easier with modern shorties than the old 210s
The advantage of using them like Timberwolf's staff is its like a walking stick and knocks snow out of the bindings as you clank along.

Alan / snowball,

Thanks for the explanations and diagram - most helpful. My current back-pack doesn't have side-straps. Sad

If I start to need to do any serious off-piste hiking I'll have to get a new back-pack. Good excuse to spend though! Little Angel

You know it makes sense.

I find carrying skis on my shoulder, apart from it hurting my shoulder, makes me a bit top heavy which always makes me rather precariously wobbly when walking in ski boots across icy ground. Therefore I try and carry them under my arm. It might look strange but I'm more stable and less likely to crack my head on the pavement.

Don't you find they have a lot of steps in ski resorts? I suppose it's because it's hilly but I find it very unnerving going down steps in ski boots all the same.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Martin Nicholas, the trouble with carrying your skis like a staff is that you have to continually pick them up and put them down as you walk along. That's OK is you're not going to far, but if you have to walk any distance it soon results in tired arms.

Putting your skis on your shoulder means you don't have to support their weight with your arms. If you place the tips down and the bindings behind your shoulder the skis are nicely counter-balanced, allowing you to drap your arm over the front of the skis and pull them into your chest so they don't overhang too much at the back. I understand Snowy's point about a painful shoulder, but for me this is a small price to pay for the ease with which my skis can be carried.

A snowHead

snowball, just to complement your excellent sketch, here's another version demonstrated by competitors in the amazing Zermatt-Verbier overnight event: the Patrouille des Glaciers

Unfortunately it's not clear from the photo how the skis are fixed to the backpacks, but I remember (having seen the event last April) that many were carrying skis the way you do.

A snowHead

Martin Nicholas this isn't the best example of what I mean, but it's is the only photo I could find on the net:

Modern skis will be held together by their brakes, so they won't seperate like this guy's skis have. Weight is carried on the shoulder rather than in the arms, and you have one hand free to carry poles to aid balance and grip.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I use a similar technique but hold mine by the tail of the skis with the tips in the air behind me, slightly more upright so less likely to hit people behind me

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

looks like the clacier patrol were using the method you find on Da Kine bags - one fixed loop at the bottom (usually over to one side), through which you put both skis (bases together, bindings keeping them fastened) and another strap at the top to tie the skis down (usual;y on the opposite side of the bag)

http://www.facewest.co.uk/Products%20pages/snowsports/backpacks/dakine%20images/dk%20Ridge.jpg

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The "staff" technique can be very useful but if used too much/enthusiastically on hard ground can result in separation of the component parts of the ski at the heel end - I've seen quite a few skis wrecked by doing that Cool

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Balanced over the shoulder, edges facing each other, tips forward, tail back, ski poles on right hand together.

After all it is free

Carrying skis and ironing shirts; its all much of a muchness. Get the missus to do it.

If I have a huge distance (>100m) to cover to the slopes I tend to carry mine by making a handle out of the poles.
If done correctly they can be carried Vertically or horizontally.

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Boardski, I use the 'handbag' method as well but feel a bit of an clown doing so. I only use it when I've been lumbered with carrying 2 sets of skis and poles.

Help!!

How do you carry yours?

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