Pole length?

[Toadman]

It's all about the grip. Poles are worthless if you can't hang on to them.

[Dee Hubbs]

It's all about the grip. Poles are worthless if you can't hang on to them.

Whats the difference between pink and purple?
Grip strength!

[Core Shot]

Can I LURK in this thread??

[Angle Parking]

Forearm parallel / elbow at 90 degrees when grabbing just underneath the basket is the traditional way of measuring pole length. And that's about as long as I'll go. Put me in the shorter that parallel group. Shorter poles encourage an athletic stance and well.... just better skiing in general. So many skiers ski will too long poles and they just get in the way. Long poles are an impediment to good skiing.

I buy telescopic poles and lengthen them for long traverses or uphill skiing. In some conditions this becomes difficult and telescopic poles don't last as long as normal poles which means buying new ones every few years (for me anyway). But too long poles are just a mistake. Check out the rippers at your local hill versus the hacks and then corelate that to pole length.

[XXX-er]

the real reason for poles is to spear those fucking snow boarders when they get too close
so pick a set with sharp pointy bits that feels like they will make a good stabbing weapon eh

[Angle Parking]

the real reason for poles is to spear those fucking snow boarders when they get too close
so pick a set with sharp pointy bits that feels like they will make a good stabbing weapon eh

Speaking of good stabbing weapons Al, so I show up for my kids first day of ski club and my oldest has forgotten her poles. So I have some telescopic poles I shorten right down for her and she is good. But unfortunately that leaves me with my other pair, and one of those is a whippet, and not one of those fancy new ones with the removable axe head. So I'm helping kids put their skis on and such and I've got this serrated death machine in my hand. Kids take off so I pay my buddy with a cabin a visit and ask to borrow a pair. He is a tall dude and hands me a couple long pairs. I tell him thx but could I borrow his daughters instead. So me and buddy get into the very debate featured in this thread. I take off with his 12 year daughters tiny little things, which were indeed too small but I would way rather ski with those things than any of the too long pairs he offered me. Buddy is incredulous. Needless to say he is on the longer is better side of this debate.

[old goat]

Having poles long enough to skate easily on flats so you can ski 100% of the time in the backseat is not a compromise I want to do. Most skiers have poles that are way too long - go 2" shorter than 'normal' to start. Then clip and inch more when you get comfy. A few pros I've seen have wayyyy shorter poles than this - not that I have any idea what is standard with pros but I've seen a couple rock some shockingly short poles before. And they were not park skiers.

Since I use adjustable poles, t's easy to lengthen them for a long skate and shorten them for the down.

[Patarero]

Pole length isn't nearly as important as using the correct pole lube. Without proper lubrication, your pole will certainly impede maximum achievable glide speed.

FIFY and that's what she said

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[Charlie Don't Surf]

Isn't this why full grip poles have been on the rise? Long for the push, short for the steeps, multi length for the traverse.. Makes sense to me.



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[smartyiak]

It's all about the grip. Poles are worthless if you can't hang on to them.

Don’t underestimate the importance of the break away strap!


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[The Tortoise]

I wonder if body geometry plays a role too.

I'm 5'10 or so and use 50" poles. They are right about at the 90° method. They seem about perfect for me.

But I'm all torso with a 30" inseam.

[skinipenem]

Been said before multiple times, just get a set of adjustable poles then you can look kooky and old like the rest of us.

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[Angle Parking]

Don’t underestimate the importance of the break away strap!


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Breakaway straps. What an idea. I remove my straps but removable straps might spare me the occasional herring bone of shame I have to pull off in the name of pole retrieval.

[skinipenem]

Breakaway straps. What an idea. I remove my straps but removable straps might spare me the occasional herring bone of shame I have to pull off in the name of pole retrieval.

Leki makes sweet ones. Broke my leki poles and too cheap to buy another set.

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[muted reborn]

I wonder if body geometry plays a role too.

I'm 5'10 or so and use 50" poles. They are right about at the 90° method. They seem about perfect for me.

But I'm all torso with a 30" inseam.

No, that geo doesn't equal 50" poles. What we are trying to say is your poles may feel perfect to you but they are actually too long, you will ski better with shorter poles. Old habits and all though - might be pointless to try if you just ski mellow terrain or just stubborn, ha. Most of us (guessing here) switched to shorter poles as teenagers.

As for full grip poles - they seem to accentuate poor technique. Points going in all directions, ha. Looks like people are knitting massive sweaters on their way down.

[Mofro261]

1991 trip to Whistler I forgot my poles. Went into the shop and picked up the only pair of 46" Leki's with a small z-bend and the most comfortable grip evah, because all of the 48" poles were cheap garbage. 30 yrs later and I'm still rocking that same set of slightly too small poles.

[::: :::]

Not following this thread at all — you can reach down the fall line with long or short poles

[XXX-er]

Speaking of good stabbing weapons Al, so I show up for my kids first day of ski club and my oldest has forgotten her poles. So I have some telescopic poles I shorten right down for her and she is good. But unfortunately that leaves me with my other pair, and one of those is a whippet, and not one of those fancy new ones with the removable axe head. So I'm helping kids put their skis on and such and I've got this serrated death machine in my hand. Kids take off so I pay my buddy with a cabin a visit and ask to borrow a pair. He is a tall dude and hands me a couple long pairs. I tell him thx but could I borrow his daughters instead. So me and buddy get into the very debate featured in this thread. I take off with his 12 year daughters tiny little things, which were indeed too small but I would way rather ski with those things than any of the too long pairs he offered me. Buddy is incredulous. Needless to say he is on the longer is better side of this debate.

Bra you could have gone pole free and the grade 6er's would think you are even cooler than you are, for reference Angleparking is the coolest teacher at school so everyone wants to get in his class, every year they have a school outing where they do " the festival of faceplants " the whole class drops the steepest run on the hill ... might be some peer pressure there


back in the day my investment dealer ( great skier) forgot his poles so he just ripped a couple of pieces of bamboo out of the P-lot fence cuz as he said " I don't really plant them much, i just need something to carry " so i forget my poles and figure I can do the same but we are touring at hankin, getting on top using a bamboo pole/no baskette is different than riding lifts, there wasnt much of that bamboo left at the end

[LHutz Esq]

Forearm parallel / elbow at 90 degrees when grabbing just underneath the basket is the traditional way of measuring pole length. And that's about as long as I'll go. Put me in the shorter that parallel group. Shorter poles encourage an athletic stance and well.... just better skiing in general. So many skiers ski will too long poles and they just get in the way. Long poles are an impediment to good skiing.

I buy telescopic poles and lengthen them for long traverses or uphill skiing. In some conditions this becomes difficult and telescopic poles don't last as long as normal poles which means buying new ones every few years (for me anyway). But too long poles are just a mistake. Check out the rippers at your local hill versus the hacks and then corelate that to pole length.

I decided to treat myself to a replacement for the bd adjustable poles I have had for a dozen years or so. One was looking decidedly bent and worse for wear (old man pole reference!) Went to check the size and realized I hadn’t used the flic lock adjustments in probably half a dozen years.it was completely seized shut- I had the bottom come out on a trip a ways back so my field fix was to tighten the crap out of it and throw some tape around it for good measure and I just never moved it after that. I haven’t missed the adjustability.

Just bought some nice 120cm fixed poles.

Seemed simpler.

If I head out on any long approaches (Evelyn say) I may bring out the adjustable ones.

..when measuring pole length do you go from the top or the bottom?




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[BCMtnHound]

I also grew up skiing park.

Nobody who skis park ever grows up. I call shenanigans.

[k2skier112]

Leki makes sweet ones. Broke my leki poles and to cheap to buy another set.

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I just got new Leki poles, adjustable and break away straps, does that mean I'm winning?

[japanada]

Nobody who skis park ever grows up. I call shenanigans.

Thanks for making me feel 16 again.

I just got new Leki poles, adjustable and break away straps, does that mean I'm winning?

I too picked up the Leki carbon adjustable poles myself.

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[blazes_boylan]

I ventured in here expecting something radically different.....the amount of serious responses has left me massively disappointed in TGR. WhAt HaS HaPPeNeD? But on a serious note, I've been told a thorough pole grooming creates the appearance of a much longer pole. Can anyone confirm this?

[XXX-er]

I decided to treat myself to a replacement for the bd adjustable poles I have had for a dozen years or so. One was looking decidedly bent and worse for wear (old man pole reference!) Went to check the size and realized I hadn’t used the flic lock adjustments in probably half a dozen years.it was completely seized shut- I had the bottom come out on a trip a ways back so my field fix was to tighten the crap out of it and throw some tape around it for good measure and I just never moved it after that. I haven’t missed the adjustability.

Just bought some nice 120cm fixed poles.

Seemed simpler.

If I head out on any long approaches (Evelyn say) I may bring out the adjustable ones.

..when measuring pole length do you go from the top or the bottom?




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Adj poles are also good when the touring track has compacted/frozen and the snow around it has dropped several inches it could even be 1/2 a foot, also good for skating across flats. So IME if you don't change pole length then you don't change pole length but the more you change pole length the more you will change pole length so now I consciously change pole length more often, i can even multitask and do it in mid stride

I think you measure top of grip to baskette, whatever is sticking above the snow ?

[The Tortoise]

I wonder if body geometry plays a role too.

I'm 5'10 or so and use 50" poles. They are right about at the 90° method. They seem about perfect for me.

But I'm all torso with a 30" inseam.

Because of this thread I tried holding my poles about 5cm lower and I think I preferred it.