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  1. #1
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    Review: LEKI Spitfire 3D Vario Poles



    Link to full post:
    https://www.exoticskis.com/Forum/def...?g=posts&t=595

    Manufacturer:

    LEKI

    https://www.leki.com

    Suggested Retail Price:

    $149.95 (usd) - Model#: 65067101



    Introduction:


    Back in 2018, we published a somewhat unusual summary of heavily skiing the same LEKI poles for 24 years without any breakage, bending, defects, hiccups, lost parts or foul language:

    After more than two decades abusing the same poles without incident, we thought skiers should know that yes, some things do last longer than you expect and it proves the old adage: "you get what you pay for". LEKI provided us with some new 2021 poles and gloves to support out ski tests and asked for our reviews of the new gear.

    Manufacturer's Description:[/b][/u]

    [i]The SPITFIRE VARIO 3D is the go to pole for all mountain freeriders of all ages. A team favorite, there is nothing this pole can't handle. This sturdy aluminum pole adjusts from 110-140cm thanks to the lightweight, reliable Speedlock+ locking system. Featuring the NEW TRIGGER 3D ProG grip. An innovative multi-directional release mechanism that expands the release range for greater confidence and security. The Trigger 3D system features LEKI's Mesh Frame Strap, providing comfort and control allowing for a close grip with any glove or mitt. Two interchangeable baskets for all conditions. (USA)

    Watch out freeriders, your wishes came true: with the Spitfire Vario 3D, there is now an adjustable version of the successful Freeride pole. With its variable length of 110 to 140 cm, you are immediately safely on the go in any terrain and can very easily adjust it, even with thick gloves, thanks to the Speed Lock + adjustment system. The new Trigger 3D System offers more control through a direct connection between the gloves and poles. In addition, the ease of use has been improved for quick, simple click in and out and a larger release range through an innovative, three-dimensional triggering in which the triggering spectrum has been expanded four times. (UK)

    Construction: Adjustable

    Grip: Trigger 3D ProG

    Adapter: Adapter Cap

    Strap: Trigger 3D Frame Strap Mesh

    Segments: 2-pieces

    Shaft Diameter: 16/14mm

    Shaft Material: Aluminum HTS 6.5

    Upper section: Aluminum HTS 6.5

    Lower section: Aluminum HTS 6.5

    Locking System: Speed Lock +

    Basket: Cobra + BMB

    Tip: Carbide Flex Tip

    Length/Size: 110 cm - 140 cm

    Adjustment Area: 110 -140 cm

    Weight/pole: 289 grams / pole (262g and 261g / pole measured... 269g w/powder baskets)[i]

    Summary:

    At 261-262 grams each (269 g w/powder baskets), the well-balanced, adjustable 2021 LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D freeride poles with the upgraded Trigger 3D Pro-G grip and multiple baskets pretty much ticks all the boxes on what a modern adjustable pole should be for a whole lotta skiers on and off the mountain. With an MSRP price point of $149 (usd) backed by LEKI's long history of quality product manufacturing and excellent customer service, we found the Spitfire Vario 3Ds pretty compelling and quickly became a favorite among our testers who fought for first-dibs on taking them out each day. The Trigger 3D Mesh Frame glove wraps (LEKI calls them "straps") (included) allow a non-LEKI glove to interface with the Trigger 3D system and take advantage of the hook attachment feature of the grips really well. Some testers prefer the feel of the LEKI Trigger 3D glove straps on any glove or mitt (LEKI or not) to the built-in hook of the LEKI Trigger system gloves and mitts...it's really personal preference.

    First and foremost, the Spitfire Vario 3D has a pretty light feel for an adjustable pole with a high-tech grip system, and feels nicely balanced, highly accurate, quickly responsive and secure. Secondly, the Spitfire Vario 3D feels stout enough to rely on when terrain and posture requires a forceful pole plant...even a pole plant with too much body weight on it when things get a little "less elegant" during especially awkward or simply dumb moves on-snow throwing the skier out of balance way too far to the downhill side...requiring a bit of a crutch-like strut to stem the tipover fall down the fall line. Thirdly, adjusting the length for different situations was fast and easy with all the but most clunky cold-weather mitts. Once the SpeedLock+ adjusment cam mechanism was used a few times to strech/wear-in with slight tightenings of the thumbscrew to snug the tension down again, the mechanism worked flawlessly without further adjustments. Lastly, Spitfire Varios 3Ds look very cool with a great color/graphic combination... several testers thought they were probably one of the most understatedly handsome looking poles in recent memory and immediately caught peoples' eye on first sight. Fit and finish of the poles and their components was top-notch, and the inclusion of both powder baskets and the tiny disc "Cobra" baskets makes for a pole system with great appeal, especially for $150 retail pricing.

    Adjustablity:

    The adjustable length is formidable with a 110mm-140mm range to cover not only aspring uphill, sidehill and downhill adventures, but covers the needs of growing kids (an often overlooked market for adjustable poles with a long lifespan...buy 'em once and forget it). Fully extended, the Spitfire Vario 3Ds still feel solid since a good portion of the lower shaft remains inserted within the upper shaft for strength and flex control (the pole does not get wobbly in full-extention mode...but then again I don't know anyone who skis a 140mm pole other than nordic skaters who will have their own fancy nordic skate poles...[check out the LEKI HRC line of nordic poles to see some pretty exotic ski poles https://leki.mwrc.net/en/product.php?product_id=71406]).

    The SpeedLock+ adjustment cam mechanism can exert an impressively secure grip on the shaft with little pressure. Don't overtighten the clamp...it just stresses the plastic housings unnecessarily, and you don't need a super-tight lock to keep the shaft from moving since LEKI's fit tolerances are high-quality, making them nice and tight. While you can release and lock the SpeedLock + mechanism and ajust pole length while wearing most gloves and mitts, you need a bare-hand to spin the little locknut tension adjuster accurately. In real-world usage, once you get the SpeedLock+ adjusted and the cam broken-in after a few lock-unlock cycles, we found further adjustment of the locknut unnecessary.

    Feel and Responsiveness:

    Part of the accurate feel and responsive nature of the Spitfire Vario 3D is the 3D Pro-G grip with rubberized coating along its entire contact surface with the glove. Rather than rubberize just the finger or palm contact surfaces...LEKI rubberized the entire grip surface for grippy feel, so it responds really quickly to hand movements without having to put a death-lock on it. The glove-grip interface is non-slip, even in cold weather and with somewhat frosted or snowy gloves, which is a good thing. Flick your hand, the pole follows your direction without lagtime or sloppy response. For people coming off poles with somewhat slippery, hard-surface grips, the rubberized 3D Pro-G grip is a pretty eye-opening experience, letting you control the pole without having to really exert a strong grip on it. Like all LEKI grips, the position of the grip on the shaft is angled forward 8 degrees for ergonomic performance.

    The balanced feel of the Spitfire Vario 3D comes from a good choice of Aluminum HTS 6.5 material for the upper and lower shaft segments of the pole and the ability of the grip to control the entire shaft easily. When adjustable poles first appeared on the ski scene, they often felt oddly balanced. LEKI's research into modern materials engineering has allowed them to develop adjustable poles with naturally intutive feel and balance approching the seamless feel of modern one-piece pole constructions. The carbide tip in a semi-flexible plastic stem provided really rock-solid grip and totally sharp, secure point-of-contact in eastern boilerplate conditions.

    The feel of Spitfire Vario 3D rigidity is impressive for such a light pole, delivering a confident, strong feel you can depend on, yet on boilerplate surfaces we often find in Vermont, shock absorbtion during abrubt hits into the surface is excellent, with the shaft and grip dispersing a great deal of the harshness without loosing the feel for the density of the snow under the carbide flex tip. We suspect the flex-tip feature may have something to do with the damping of the shock of jamming the pole into rock-hard snow surfaces. In the early days of pure carbon poles, while being very light, they could often transmit the shock of a hard pole plant into boilerplate snow abruptly to the hand and wrist. The Spitfire Varios seem to dampen contact with harsh surfaces nicely, which is a welcome thing toward the end of a long day on hard snow.

    Ditch the Cobra disc baskets and mount the powderbaskets right away.
    Mass-Produced Skiers Use Mass-Produced Skis
    Rip it up with something different.
    Support small and independent ski builders
    http://www.ExoticSkis.com
    .
    .

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Vermont USA and France
    Posts
    438
    Pics:


    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D Tip Detail (with Cobra baskets)



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D Carbide Tip Detail



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D Upper Shaft Joint

    Showing Closed SpeedLock+ Cam Mechanism



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D Retail Packaging

    With Trigger Alpine Straps & Powder Basket Holder



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Cobra and Powder Baskets (included with poles)



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D Cobra Baskets



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D SpeedLock+

    Adjustable Cam Locking Mechanism



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D SpeedLock+

    Adjustable Cam Locking Mechanism - Open Position



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Lower Shaft Separation



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Lower Shaft Overlap Inside Upper Shaft At Full Extension



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Length Range



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Lower Shaft End Plug Detail



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip with Trigger Alpine Mesh Strap



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip with Trigger Alpine Mesh Strap



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Rubberized Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Rubberized Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Trigger 3D Closed Position



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Trigger 3D Open Position



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Trigger 3D Alpine Mesh Strap



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Trigger 3D Alpine Mesh Strap



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Trigger 3D Alpine Mesh Strap



    LEKI Spitfire Vario 3D

    Trigger 3D Release Button Open/Closed



    LEKI Trigger 3D World Cup Grip (top)

    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip (bottom)

    Finger side

    LEKI Trigger 3D World Cup Grip (top)

    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip (bottom)



    LEKI Trigger 3D World Cup Grip (right)

    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip (left)



    LEKI Trigger 3D World Cup Grip (top)

    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip (bottom)

    Palm-side



    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip

    With LEKI Copper-S Glove

    w/ Built-in Trigger Interface Loop



    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip

    With LEKI Copper-S Glove

    w/ Built-in Trigger Interface Loop



    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip

    With LEKI Copper-S Glove

    w/ Built-in Trigger Interface Loop



    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip

    With LEKI Copper-S Glove



    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip

    With LEKI Xplore S Gauntlet Glove

    w/ Built-in Trigger Interface Loop



    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip

    With LEKI Xplore S Gauntlet Glove

    w/ Built-in Trigger Interface Loop



    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip

    With LEKI Xplore S Gauntlet Glove

    w/ Built-in Trigger Interface Loop



    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip

    With LEKI WC Race TI S Speed System Mitt

    w/ Built-in Trigger Interface Loop (Yes.. the armored mitt is super-handy when crashing

    through Eastern trees... race gloves are not just for racing!)



    LEKI Trigger 3D Pro-G Grip

    With LEKI WC Race TI S Speed System Mitt

    w/ Built-in Trigger Interface Loop
    Mass-Produced Skiers Use Mass-Produced Skis
    Rip it up with something different.
    Support small and independent ski builders
    http://www.ExoticSkis.com
    .
    .

  3. #3
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    Are the pole straps releasable?
    j'ai des grands instants de lucididididididididi

  4. #4
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    Apr 2007
    Location
    Vermont USA and France
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    ml242... if you mean the straps you wrap around your non-LEKI gloves to get the loop thingie to click into the Trigger grip... they are velcro'ed on. The Trigger grip can release the loop thingie during hard crashes (LEKI says 220 degree release range in the new 3D version)...but we have not come out of the grips yet in our basic crashes....no major yard sales yet with the trigger grips. Some people like the trigger grip setup...others prefer old fashioned straps attached to the pole.... I don't think people NEED the trigger grip...my regular strapped poles work just fine too... but the gadget-factor is high with these things so it attracts gadget-heads... I've got a 3 year old set of original Trigger grips with a ton of miles on them...no failure of the mechanism or little loop thingies yet...
    Mass-Produced Skiers Use Mass-Produced Skis
    Rip it up with something different.
    Support small and independent ski builders
    http://www.ExoticSkis.com
    .
    .

  5. #5
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    Nov 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by seldon View Post
    What a time to be alive.
    ...

  6. #6
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    Jan 2011
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    Winthrop, WA.
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    I use Leki triggers for nordork skiing. Super handy strap system. If you tried them you's like them

  7. #7
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    Aug 2006
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    Rosebud Lake BC
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    740
    I see you’re not into the whole brevity thing.

  8. #8
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    Ski poles cost $150? We are doomed.

  9. #9
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    inpdx
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    Did anyone test these at the extent of their available length, ie 135 & up?
    How durable when used over time at that length?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    Quote Originally Posted by ml242 View Post
    Are the pole straps releasable?
    If I ski these on a 45% slope, will you give me $1,000?

  11. #11
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    Only if you ski without stopping or falling. I think that is part of the deal. But you still need to pay for the poles. So net $850.

  12. #12
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    Oct 2012
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    No one care, takes your leki and exotic ski add and GTFO

  13. #13
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    Aug 2018
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    beaverhead county
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    can i double pole plant with these?
    swing your fucking sword.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    in the shadow of the white rocks
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    Quote Originally Posted by madriverfreeride View Post
    No one care, takes your leki and exotic ski add and GTFO
    Drinking hard in quarantine much?

  15. #15
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    Sep 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by ExoticSkis View Post
    ml242... if you mean the straps you wrap around your non-LEKI gloves to get the loop thingie to click into the Trigger grip... they are velcro'ed on. The Trigger grip can release the loop thingie during hard crashes (LEKI says 220 degree release range in the new 3D version)...but we have not come out of the grips yet in our basic crashes....no major yard sales yet with the trigger grips. Some people like the trigger grip setup...others prefer old fashioned straps attached to the pole.... I don't think people NEED the trigger grip...my regular strapped poles work just fine too... but the gadget-factor is high with these things so it attracts gadget-heads... I've got a 3 year old set of original Trigger grips with a ton of miles on them...no failure of the mechanism or little loop thingies yet...
    thanks... seems like a little too much tech for me even if i dislike the bd swing. i'm not on the ski-off circuit in 2021 so i'll make do for now.
    j'ai des grands instants de lucididididididididi

  16. #16
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    Now, for $37....

  17. #17
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    fine, WHERE
    j'ai des grands instants de lucididididididididi

  18. #18
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    Top of High Rustler?

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by iriponsnow View Post
    Drinking hard in quarantine much?
    Not even a little bit, this is a pole, you hold it in your hands and do pole plants. Eventually it will break or you’ll lose it in a fall, what more of a review do you need? This is obviously just an add that nobody should care about, this website isn’t for advertisements in the forums.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by madriverfreeride View Post
    Not even a little bit, this is a pole, you hold it in your hands and do pole plants. Eventually it will break or you’ll lose it in a fall, what more of a review do you need? This is obviously just an add that nobody should care about, this website isn’t for advertisements in the forums.
    I think you mean ad.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by madriverfreeride View Post
    Not even a little bit, this is a pole, you hold it in your hands and do pole plants. Eventually it will break or you’ll lose it in a fall, what more of a review do you need? This is obviously just an add that nobody should care about, this website isn’t for advertisements in the forums.
    i was making a joke earlier but tech talk used to be full of cool reviews for products you wouldn't find much information about.
    j'ai des grands instants de lucididididididididi

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    660
    Bumping this thread, looking for more feedback on the Leki system. I haven’t used ski straps in a couple of decades, but I have a condition that is making it increasingly difficult to hold onto a ski pole with one of my hands.

    These seem slick, while a bit gadgety. How’s the functionality and durability of the quick release mechanism?

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by greasyslope View Post
    Bumping this thread, looking for more feedback on the Leki system. I haven’t used ski straps in a couple of decades, but I have a condition that is making it increasingly difficult to hold onto a ski pole with one of my hands.

    These seem slick, while a bit gadgety. How’s the functionality and durability of the quick release mechanism?
    I use them occasionally with non leki gloves. Overall they work very well. The mechanism has frozen up a couple times in certain snowy conditions. Main complaint is that the glove strap attachment makes hands cold. If I was using them all the time I would purchase Leki gloves.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
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    5,522
    Quote Originally Posted by greasyslope View Post
    Bumping this thread, looking for more feedback on the Leki system. I haven’t used ski straps in a couple of decades, but I have a condition that is making it increasingly difficult to hold onto a ski pole with one of my hands.

    These seem slick, while a bit gadgety. How’s the functionality and durability of the quick release mechanism?
    I have Leki’s with the trigger release and really like them. No issues with icing or cold hands for me, but Tahoe doesn’t get real cold.

  25. #25
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    Can i stab attacking cougars to death with these?
    watch out for snakes

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