What's in a ski pole - what does 'it' for you?

A snowHead

The Buy and Sell thread has made me think about ski poles.

I've gone from beginner to now being able to get down a lot of what I want to and in that time, along with having two skiing kids who have gone from no skiing, to roaring around most of the mountain, have accumulated a veritable mountain of ski poles, and probably have a choice in 5cm lengths everything from about 100-125cm!!

I've done hire ones, cheap and cheerful owned ones through to the £40-£50 sets that I've had as pressies Very Happy

and provided they have been the correct length, I've skied with all the types fairly successfully. Brand wise we've seen Scott, Komperdell, K2 and various unbranded cheaper ones, and we've used tubular ones as well as the K2 composite ones (experience with 5 and 4 Karat ladies poles - apparently the difference is their 'Exo' number which may equate to number of carbon fibre bits they contain)

So what have I found.

1. All seem 'functional' regardless of make and material
2. The kids have sometimes managed to bend the cheaper tubular ones (though they've clobbered the odd Scott ones too), but within reason you can ease some of the tubular ones back into a useable form. I haven't seen the composite ones bend yet, so don't know if you can ease these back when/if they do bend.
3. The composite ones seem thinner
4. The dearer tubular ones also seem thinner
5. The width of the pole doesn't seem to affect the 'functionality' (at least not at the level I need a pole for)
6. The material that the grip is made of does 'wear' against the ski glove and it is disappointing that the most expensive ones have hardly lasted longer than a couple of weeks without the rubber grips starting to 'pickup' and flake fragments off of the grip material.
7. The location of the adjustment buckle on the hand look and how the loop fastens to the pole does affect the comfort of pole in the hand
8. OK, I like the look of the expensive ones (I shouldn't, but I do Embarassed

)
9. All of the above comments are about Ski poles and shouldn't be quoted out of context Laughing

So, it made me wonder what do others look for in ski poles and which do you prefer and why, when all seem 'functional'.

A snowHead

composite ones will not bend like alu ones.... they'll snappety snap.

Scott poles have good handles for big hands.

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

I have malt whisky in my Cold poles ( http://www.coldpole.com/home.htm ), it keeps me happy.

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I always get bruised hands from ski poles, so I chose the ones that felt comfiest in the shop.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Megamum, as you say, they're all functional. Couple of key features relevant for some people: size of the basket (big baskets help when skiing deep snow), and adjustable length (when walking/skinning uphill). Beyond that it's all personal taste. I prefer a composite pole, but will use whatever is to hand.

A good pole plant is a thing of beauty. We do lots of pole plant drills (as well as using poles in all sorts of ways) when we're teaching, so I always say use them on every turn.

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rob@rar,

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Megamum, given your obvious reluctance to use them then I'm surprised that you get through them so quickly! Toofy Grin

I really like the grip / strap arrangement on the Scott World Cup poles. That they make them in bright colours is a bonus!

A pole is a pole is a pole. You can get really nerdy about swing weight etc or argue about merits of carbon/composite/alu but the reality is most skiers who get a lot of skiing in are probably happy to just grab roughly matching pairs from a skip. You break one, so what? Grab another.

Baskets make a difference in powder and surprise surprise even the most Gucci poles are often the least well equipped with their effete little pisten carven discs.

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I like nice colours

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FlyingStantoni, I am astounded at the heap I have accumulated - I opened and explored the back of seldom explored cupboard the other day and found 3 sets that I'd forgotten about. As rob@rar, knows I am a bit of tyrant when it comes to remembering to use them (current work in progress to re-dress this), but funnily, given this fact, take them away from me and end up not having a clue where to put my arms and hands. I often revert to putting them down near my knees like they teach the kids in ski school Laughing

.

As an aside I did a really good exercise in Les Arcs with an instructor this year - he took me up a quiet red slope and had me do really short quick turns, nearly coming to a halt on each one (I guess semi braccauge (sp?) style) with my poles balanced on the backs of my wrists held out in front of me. I worried about losing my expensive poles (they had been a new pressie), but luckily when I lost them about 3/4 of the way down he skied down and grabbed them for me Very Happy

I think it was a technique to give me something to handle using the very side of a steeper piste where the best snow might be(rather than the scraped sheer sufaces). This was quite an issue in Les Arcs last spring. Mind you I, think, I 'got it' and I believe I made quite a sound job of shimmying down the very edges of the slopes when it was necessary/helpful to do so following that lesson.

I've had a pair of Scott SL poles for donkeys years.

I like the wider straps for poling, there's no graphics left on them at all so they're just white and I've replaced the baskets tons of times (just get the biggest in the shop).

I'm sure that they've survived this long because their a decent quality.

You know it makes sense.

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

Cheap.

A snowHead

i bought a nice pair of Black Diamond adjustable poles when i first bought ski kit (2001 maybe?) and have kept them ever since. have bought the odd replacement part but otherwise i see no reason to replace them

i did rent a bad pair of poles which had hard plastic "grips" ("" because they were slippy not grippy) and were really heavy

i also have some leki adjustable poles where the adjustment unscrews itself which is a bit crap

A snowHead

Megamum, I have an old pair of Leki's which are comfortable to use and another pair of something French, Rossignol I think with powder baskets. I carry spare baskets off-piste when using these just in case.
Both pairs have duct tape bands wrapped around then on the off-chance a quick emergency repair is needed at any stage.

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

JustJill, Hey! I see me in your comments about pole plants! Glad I'm not alone Laughing

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I'm not sure why you have so many pairs? I've got one pair of K2 composite poles which have done maybe 150 days skiing with no issues. Yes the grips have worn a bit against the gloves, but so what? I like lightweight composite poles and they do not bend at all. I'm sure they will eventually snap but I've had my money's worth already. Also reminds me that I need to fit some bigger baskets for off-piste.

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uktrailmonster, I bought 3 pairs of the composite poles as they were very cheap (£20 per pair IIRC). One pair lives in France, and I have a pair and spare pair at home in the UK. The adjustable poles and the GS poles serve a specific purpose.

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Freestylers would prefer to use a slightly shorter pole with a narrow grip to allow easier ski grabs, but otherwise, there's not much in it unless you're racing??!

After all it is free

I started with a brandless pink pair brand new from ebay (115cm). BF decided that these weren't posh enough, so got me a new set - I thought we were aiming at 115cm. He made an error and gave me 110cm. I tried skiing with these - they were too short, so he got another pair - another error these were 125cm, In the finish he got me another set at 120cm (these seem quite useable - maybe my original 115cm might have been a tad too short) - So I have three pairs of K2 4 and 5 Karat poles with only a couple of weeks use (if that) on each. In the meantime I had also aquired a set of 120cm Komperdell ones from the internet in case the ex. wanted a go at skiing so I also have those, and I bought some kids skis and someone chucked in a tatty pair of 100cm poles with those which I have and we have 2 pairs of new shiny scott kids poles at 100cm and 105cm so that the kids feel the part in ski school. I have also recently sold 3 pairs of shorter kids poles that they have outgrown. At the moment I've decided to keep the K2 poles as my daughter grows up she will like them and I don't know how tall she will get, and the same goes for the 125 Komperdell ones for my son (because from what I read these also seem to be another good make). So you see I have poles growing out of my ears at the moment!! Not to mention the fact that we all have walking poles too rolling eyes

rob@rar, sorry was aimed at Megamum and I see she's answered my question. Goes to show length is the primary thing to get right with poles! Not much else matters.

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personally I just go for the cheapest pole in my length I possibly can find... they get knackered being stood on by clients, banged into by kids and allsorts. I go through about one pair (at £20) a year but then again I do ski about 275 days a year or so.

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uktrailmonster, Length certainly seems critical. Mind you I seem to notice the too short ones more when it comes to poling across the flat than when skiing. Too long ones are great if you have any distance to pole on the flat though Laughing

I'm with Arno. BD adjustables with carbon lowers and large baskets... Can be adjusted asymmetrically for skinning on traverses... Vary both for powder etc etc

I do find carbon poles more pointable and less draggy

You know it makes sense.

Another Scott pole fan here. I like them because there is an edge circling the bottom of the handle. This gives me great leverage on really steep slopes and compensates for my small hands and rather weak grip. Wouldn't trade those poles for anything.

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

A snowHead

Cold poles are crap heavy poles unless you drink evenly they are awful grips are like 80,s bmx handle bar grips.

A snowHead

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

I don't seem to use my poles much, but I do feel naked with out them.

snowHead

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Trigger S straps I like em stops your poles being nickable.

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I like the Leki Trigger. I have the older version, and yes, sometimes the snow and ice accumulation make them harder to release, but i enjoy very much the way it sets the pole grip in your palm. As someone who has a problem remembering to use poles correctly, it's great. they are also lighter and more pleasant to swing (better balanced?) than the previous el-cheapo pair.

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Just bought some dynastars with "handed straps!" Damn! Another thing to get anal about! wink

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Have a pair of Leki telescopics with fat baskets and a pair of the cheapest alloy poles I could find for piste days. On the Lekis one feature I do like is the rubbery stuff wrapped around the pole below the grip. Means on traverses I can hold the uphill pole higher off the ground whilst still maintaining a decent grip. Also means the poles are warmer to hold when say on a drag lift. Don't use straps so can't get anal about them. Small points I know but we're talking poles after all.

After all it is free

I've just got some new K2 Composite Poles (only £30) to replace some Goode Composite Poles which had started to fall apart after 6 years use. I just find the weight, swing, etc more comfortable on these than on aluminium poles.

How does this have 900+ views!? Laughing

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I've just recently purchased a 'very special' pair of poles from Ford, they're used, but very special. Toofy Grin

Help!!

What's in a ski pole - what does 'it' for you?

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