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I have a new question!

 

Ski poles. Are they necessary? I saw something on tv with someone skiing very short skis and he wasn't using poles. But every other time I have seen people using them.

 

I will be skiing for the first time in a couple of weeks. Can't wait!

 

Thanks folks.

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Sometimes, you'll see people with trick skis without poles, they are showoffs! wink

 

You'll also see kids being taught (and sometimes non-kids, too!) without poles.

 

To do parallel turn you'll likely need a pole (or stock) to give you the turn point for a start. After a while, you'll be able to initiate a turn without using the stock, although it sometimes helps to concentrate the mind on the turn.

 

OK, you're skiing for the first time, where are you going and what got you enthused?

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Usually short skiis no need for poles, I have short skiis too, don't use them much nowadays, but I never use poles with them, no need!

 

Basically they help when you need to push yourself along when trying to go up a slope at the bottom of a ski-jo waiting for the lift or getting from the carpark, etc or too just get a push off on a slope that has flattened out. Otherwise while actually skiing I don't really use my poles, but maybe my level is not good enough to warrant needing them.

 

Not sure how others use their poles?

 

Like was mentioned above many who have lessons for the first time, tend to be made to ski without them, this is to get them to balance better from the start!

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Some instructors do away with poles during lessons to really get people concentrating on correct weighting. As you advance though poles become an integral part of your turning. Good pole placement helps with turn transitions, upper body positioning and correct weighting into the next turn. Well at least it does for me.

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Have you heard of Nordic Walking? People walking brisk and happily with poles..well that's the image you see on mags. I ask my self what's wrong with marching, doing it without poles. So, same with skis. If you can't initiate a turn without poles, you have a technical glitch. Sure, poles give you a sense of balance (i.e.; rope walking) and a feeling of security. And most instructors will aim to improve your pole skills if you had been skiing without proper instruction from the beginning. Lousy pole placement is common. Having said that, no it's got nothing to do with showing off, it's a good exercise skiing without it. You shouldn't be relying on it all the time. Like lifting one leg up and ski all the way down with one ski leg is great training for intermediate skiers.

cheers

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Yea, poles are a significant part of general skiing.

 

They are also good for:

Reaching goggles/equipment that has fallen off to drag closer to you,

To test snow depth and quality,

To tangle you up when entering/exiting chairlifts,

Poking lifties when entering/exiting chairlifts,

Hitting your friends & family (& others) with,

Steadying yourself whilst clicking your boots into your bindings,

Towing your little sister up a grade whilst fish-boning,

Drawing pictures in the snow,

Push/propell yourself when skating/traversing/fish-boning,

Breaking your wrist and/or other collateral damage during a big stack.

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uhm..well..there is a good reason why one uses poles. as go native already mentiones..they become part of ure skiing..i can't see myself or anyone really doing powder runs or glades on ski's or telemarks without poles..

sure,when you go to skischool you'll do lots without, cause it helps you rely on the technique's they teach you etc..but later you will use poles more and more as part of the skiing.. anyone saying they are uncecessary clearly hasn't got a clue what they are talking about.

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Originally Posted By: gareth_oau
when I was in thredbo last year my son broke his arm snowboarding. the doctor at the time was saying that one of the most common injuries they tend to see are broken or dislocated thumbs from the straps on ski poles

That's not from the strap... It's just from landing on your hand when you're holding ski poles. Happened to me and all my friends at one point in when we were 12. Happens to beginner skiers on hard conditions.
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Patricia,

 

Length depends somewhat (or almost entirely) on your body length. General rule of thumb (no pun intended) is that the stocks should reach to just below your armpit when standing on firm surface.

 

There are those who prefer shorter, those who prefer lonmger and those who prefer none at all. (I still think they are showing off wink)

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Originally Posted By: PWL
How long are your poles then?


Might get some interesting answers to this one.


A bit pricey but there are adjustable length poles as well.


And as for usefulness, they can be quite good at swatting snowboarders who sit in the middle of the run smoking or screwing around with their iPod.
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One of the most dangerous things you see alot of beginner skier's (and also more advanced !)do is not holding the poles correctly at the grip through the straps.. you should put your hand through the strap and grip the pole in such a manner that your hand should easily slide out if the pole is thrust upward, hard to explain like this..needs to be shown.. but alot of wrist injuries on skiers happen because they don't know how to properly grip the poles!!

 

and to the length..as mentioned..you normally start out with what JA said, pole reach below armpit etc.. when you get more advanced you will find that different lengths work better for different conditions. E.g I use longer poles for powder than on the piste (well, I won't take two set's up on the mountain with me..but according to what I have planned razz ) , they are just slightly longer, but I feel they make a big diff to me..

so in the end use what you feel comfortable in!

and ger: another good accessory for powder runs is the catch-band for each ski wink can't count the times I'm glad i had that on hehe..

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Originally Posted By: Hotaka Scott

And as for usefulness, they can be quite good at swatting snowboarders who sit in the middle of the run smoking or screwing around with their iPod.


Do you not hate them!!

I have, many times, had to stop in the exit from a lift because the whole exit was blocked by these eejits whose only thought (if any at all) was to get strapped in and to hell with the rest of the world! Their need to get in the board overrides every other thing that could possibly be happening!

Worst I've seen was on the exit to Ruined Castle at Falls Creek (Aus) where the run out of the lift was about 3m wide and they were in two rows right across, boards almost touching, nowhere for me to go!
hijack
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Catch bands used to be the norm for skis. The consensus were that when you fall you can get tangled with you own ski and hence injuries..like ski hitting your head, cuts from edge..

After changing to step-in stoppers, I still got cuts and hitting my head. Those days no one wore helmets other than DH racers. Yeah, I lost one ski in pow and couldn't find it in summer. Catch band in pow saves money !

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yup,actually just recently got a really nice cebe helmet..found out later it was a test winner in tons of magazines..lol..got it dirt cheap after xmas sale biggrin always been riding with a back protector and sometimes kneepads on the telemark..but helmet? Now i'd never go without cause a) You look sooo much more badass on shots of you in deep powder and that black helm sticks out B) warmer.. c) ohh..and i guess safer aswell ?? not sure about that last one..havent had to many chances to try it razz

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