 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm apparently a bit odd in that I don't ski with poles. I'd probably class myself as "confident intermediate", in that I will throw myself down anything, will generally do so at speed, and only very occasionally fall over (once or twice per day). But my technique is I suspect terrible if you compared me to the textbook.
Anyway, I keep wondering, why does everyone have poles except me and the snowboarders?
Flat terrain I understand, but I manage fine just "skating" (for want of a better description) along - generally avoid that sort of thing, or make sure I carry enough speed over it.
Balance i've heard some people mention, but sure you could use your arms for that just as effectively without dragging a couple of poles behind?
Anything else?
Don't get me wrong I don't struggle with poles (I sometimes ski with them when a friend is doing a video, for example, and needs his hands), but I don't find them a benefit and so don't see the point of carrying them.
Am I missing something? Will I improve massively in some way if I get them and use them in some clever way?
David
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I use them so much for balance and initating the turns.
I cant ski half as well without them.
Im sure if you're used to being without them, you've learnt to balance yourself with your body.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Good, possibly essential, for short radius turns, steep terrain, protecting your space in lift queues, etc. I don't like skiing at speed without poles, although will do it if I'm told, and use my hands/arms in exactly the same way as if I was holding the poles (but without the benefit of having them for balance).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The ONLY thing poles are good for is stopping that annoying French kid from pushing in at the lift queue. Oh and for stroking the inside leg of the attractive bird in front of you in the lift queue whilst pretending it wasn't you 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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scuby, very good plumbers...  oh come on. someone had to say it...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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For pushing me up when I fall?
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On mine its the end without the little strap.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Gives you something to wrap your duct tape round to pretend you're hardcore.
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jbob, was waiting for that. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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For towing snowboarders on the flats
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You know it makes sense.
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scuby, I have recently been watching Idea, a ski film from last year by bunch of darn good freeskiers, had pep fujas in etc. As well as being an amazing ski movie with actually really nice relaxing movement and a nice break from the hip hop mad park kids films I also have it also has a lot of people skiing without poles, in the BC and in the park... its really cool and shows the people are very talented however it is not quite as classy I think and seems to deff be something the skiers are experimenting with...being able to ski well without poles is a good skill!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Nener seena a boarder carrying his board and pulling a skiier, so why should I pull my mate who's chosen the wrong thing?
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who said it was "his" board 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
why should I pull my mate who's chosen the wrong thing?
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Because that's what mates do. With an attitude like that, I'm surprised you've got any.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The sharp bit at the opposite end from the handle.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
Because that's what mates do. With an attitude like that, I'm surprised you've got any.
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Right. I occasionally get to tow my son,who's heaps better than I am, on any kind of planks. Gives me a sense of superiority which lasts as long as the top of the next slope....
I occasionally even tow a stranger across a particularly tedious bit.
Poles are essential for expert skiers on certain kinds of terrain, as above. On fast carving turns they're completely unnecessary. Beginner/early intermediate skiers who find it difficult to ski without them are likely to be using them as safety blankets, rather than anything more useful.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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laundryman, . And to think I resisted!
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maggi, and to think that jbob posted the same thing 24 hrs ago
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Yoda, sorry, will write out 100 times, "I must pay attention" .
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Poles, they're magic devices when you are down in deep Pow and have to get back up, skiing the steeps is certainly easier when you have poles to jump around.
Otherwise you're right who needs them your balance is better when you get rid of them, no dragging poles in the snow as balance sticks, no going back and getting them when they're stuck behind you and no offensive weapon in the lift line. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I mostly use mine for sticking in the little hole in the back of the binding. Otherwise I'd never get my skis off.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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For picking my my gloves. And wot maggi says.
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maggi, I just stamp on the lever with the other foot whether or not it has a ski on it. Much less fiddly
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You know it makes sense.
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nessy, and remain upright?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poles make skiing bumps so much easier, assuming you actually use them properly. Watch any expert mogul skier, you'll see plenty of pole planting. A good positive pole plant is possibly one of the most important things to master when skiing steep bumps. Poles are much less important when carving on open terrain.
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Poster: A snowHead
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It may be coincedence they were all extremely attractive girls...
I go for young Frenchmen myself. They do look a bit taken aback at being picked up by an old Englishwoman, but they generally hang on to the pole anyway....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you find poles useful you're going too slow.
If you're worried about people exclaiming surprise at your lack of poles, just say you're an extreme snow blader (or skiboarder).
When my ski buddies told me I'd have to learn to use poles or they wouldn't let me ski with them any more, I took up snowboarding instead.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| crosbie wrote: |
If you find poles useful you're going too slow.
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When was the last time you saw a GS race? When the going gets tough good skiers use their poles.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| crosbie wrote: |
If you find poles useful you're going too slow.
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Translated:
| crosbie wrote: |
I am a bad skier, here is some bad advice.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Sheesh. What sort of advice do you expect from a snowboarder?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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crosbie,
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They're helpful for feeling the snow and terrain at least, and some slight support at most in short turns on steeps, bumps, powder. They're also used to help with timing though you can get by without them for this, for generally getting up and around, and for many drills and other odds and ends.
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I find poles work really well as a rudder when the snow gets too deep or I'm travelling just a little too fast
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| noggy wrote: |
| nessy, and remain upright? |
. Sure assuming it is flat
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I tried using mine as pole plants for parallel turns this last week - after a couple of runs the instructor suggested I give up with them and do the turns without the plant - I got on much better. The thing is that without my poles I find that I don't know what to do with my hands, so I hold them and occasionally find that I've used them as brakes and to help a little with general balance but at the moment I don't think I do much else with them, however, I'm not keen on skiing without them or using them for exercise which is very odd when I think about it. I also skied a thin path on holiday with a shallow slope that didn't require turns or any movement except to sit square above the skis and slide along it - I just didn't know what to do with either my hands or my poles. They seemed odd held in front of me, and tucked under my arms in a racing tuck seemed a bit above my station, so In the finish I did what the instructor shows the small children to do I held the poles comfortably at a slight backwards diagonal on each side by putting my hands on my knees. It was most odd that it is turns I find difficult, but when asked to go in a straight line the lack of things to do was most disconcerting.
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