EpicSki › The Barking Bear Forums › On the Snow (Skiing Forums) › General Skiing Discussion › Ski Poles, a valuable device, or unnecessary?
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Ski Poles, a valuable device, or unnecessary? - Page 5

post #121 of 166
4/20/12 at 12:08pm
Thread Starter 

My my, this little thread that could survives.

 

Thanks for your reply, a preacher needs to preach to sinners.words.gif

 

FWIW, I like all conditions and all terrain.

 

Shredding is shredding, turns back into the fall line, repeated again and again is my style.  I like round turns, they may not come as hard and fast as a WC bumper, but their turns are rarely round anyway.  If I want to do that, I'd bring the poles.

I may have been trolling for a bite, and you took the bait.  Sorry, duel.gif

 

Perhaps you project your shortcomings and it is not me that sucks, but your closed minded assumptions that suck.

 

I skied 118 days on the local hill, it is big, it is western, and it has plenty of the double black EX diamonds too.  It would mosdef not classify as suck if you were to come ride here.

 

PS, my instructor buddies always have better smoke than I.  You might like them, most are just as stodgy and as prejudicial as your post.

 

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by alexzn View Post

Well, I am not as polite or as nice as BobBarnes, so here you go: Buttinski- you suck as a skier, or your mountain sucks, or likely both is true. Yeah, you can cruise the groomers with your hands in your pockets and feel like a million bucks. Well, I got need to you: it ain't all that skiing is. Next time, come to a big western mountain, try to ski a steep bumpy run sans poles and after you faceplant on a third turn, your understanding of the role of poles in skiing will reach a new level. Now go back to cruising groomers on your local hill. Oh yeah, and your instructor buddies are either smoking the same weed as you do, or they think that keeping you happy is cheaper than therapy.
BTW this thread ranks high in the entertainment value up there with the "why powder skiing" thread.

 

 

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post #122 of 166
4/20/12 at 1:09pm

Well now that Buttinski has copped to trolling (and got some live ones to bite), this thread is bound to crap out, perhaps someone will start a thread on skiing with no gloves, I hear it's all the rage among the park sprouts these days. smile.gif

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post #123 of 166
4/20/12 at 1:17pm

How about a no panties skiing thread!

 

That would be way more fun!!!

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post #124 of 166
4/20/12 at 1:26pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Buttinski View Post
I may have been trolling for a bite, and you took the bait.  Sorry, duel.gif

 

 

Well, dude, it's not clear to me at this point who took the bait...tongue.gif  

 

118 days is nice, probably enough to get bored and start skiing w/o poles, huh?  I only manage 50, (but with a full-time desk job...)

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post #125 of 166
4/20/12 at 1:27pm

A-man, have you indeed skied without panties?  Or do you always wear them? wink.gif

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post #126 of 166
4/20/12 at 1:49pm
Thread Starter 

LOL, I was think exactly that as I typed.

 

Skiing is not boring, not skiing is, hence this thread.

 

Only 231 more days until the bullwheel spins again.

Quote:
Originally Posted by alexzn View Post

 

 

Well, dude, it's not clear to me at this point who took the bait...tongue.gif  

 

118 days is nice, probably enough to get bored and start skiing w/o poles, huh?  I only manage 50, (but with a full-time desk job...)

 

 

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post #127 of 166
4/20/12 at 2:07pm

Only since my wife found a pair in my pack!

 

I said they were mine!redface.gif

Quote:
Originally Posted by DesiredUsername View Post

A-man, have you indeed skied without panties?  Or do you always wear them? wink.gif

 

 

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post #128 of 166
4/20/12 at 2:56pm

Did anyone mention Andy Mahre yet?

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post #129 of 166
4/20/12 at 3:41pm

Why, does he ski with panties?  Or without them?

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post #130 of 166
4/20/12 at 4:48pm

Anybody done any frog-gigging with their ski poles ?  Those Southern folks do love the frog legs.

 

 

What else can we use our ski poles for  ?

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post #131 of 166
4/20/12 at 4:49pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomicman View Post

How about a no panties skiing thread!

 

That would be way more fun!!!

 

We'll be needing pictures. This concept needs to be inspected

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post #132 of 166
4/20/12 at 5:43pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by GarryZ View Post

Anybody done any frog-gigging with their ski poles ?  Those Southern folks do love the frog legs.

 

 

What else can we use our ski poles for  ?

 

I used my beater poles to stir a bonfire on the last weekend of season. They're a little more bendy now, and missing baskets.

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post #133 of 166
4/20/12 at 5:47pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by DesiredUsername View Post

Why, does he ski with panties?  Or without them?

 

No, he skis without poles.

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post #134 of 166
4/23/12 at 11:06am

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by telerod15 View Post

Did anyone mention Andy Mahre yet?

 

I skied with Andy about 4-5 years ago when he was sans-poles.  Then we skied with him again last April.  He gave up his rebellious youth move of no poles and is back among the rest of us.  Here's a clip from last year with Andy:

 

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post #135 of 166
4/23/12 at 11:42am

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by GarryZ View Post

Anybody done any frog-gigging with their ski poles ?  Those Southern folks do love the frog legs.

 

 

What else can we use our ski poles for  ?

 

You can make a chair out of them.  Stick you ski tails in the snow, (unless you have twin tips), put your ski poles across the rear binding and you have a chair in the BC. Although it's not real comfortable....   

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post #136 of 166
4/24/12 at 10:37pm

I have determined that poles are unnecessary.

 

 

iPhone video from Crystal Mt, Sunday 4/22/12

 
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post #137 of 166
4/24/12 at 10:59pm

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by DesiredUsername View Post

I have determined that poles are unnecessary.

 

 

iPhone video from Crystal Mt, Sunday 4/22/12

 

As much as I enjoyed the post I think you proved the opposite. There's a lot of sideways skiing going on there. Using some kind of movement to get yer mass moving down the hill certainly wouldn't hurt 

 

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post #138 of 166
4/25/12 at 9:42am

correction:  I have determined that poles are absolutely necessary. wink.gif

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post #139 of 166
4/26/12 at 5:50am

Didn't read all the posts in this thread but I'll share my pole experience. This year on Outer Limits at K, I planted my pole, it got stuck in the ice behind me, my arm overextended and pulled my bicep tendon off my bone ending the season early. Surgery fixed it all up but now I'm trying to figure out best thing for next year. I'm thinking about not wearing straps, or getting breakaway straps. But even then it won't do much good if I don't let go, seems I have this habit of having a sort of a death grip on the poles and hold them very tight when I ski. I've been skiing a loooong time and don't plan on trying to ski without them now, I ski moguls a lot and definitely need them to navigate through the mogul fields, any suggestions ?
 

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post #140 of 166
4/26/12 at 6:15am
Yes--Breakaway straps, AND remove them in hazardous situations.
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post #141 of 166
4/26/12 at 6:28am

I just don't put the strap around my wrist, or past my thumb, when I am in "interesting" conditions, or trees. (Well, if I remember to move it.)  I drop my poles too often to go without straps ... using straps like this will keep my poles from leaving me when I drop them, but if they need to leave me, they will. Breakaways are great, of course, but this is cheaper. Here is an extremely fancy, precise diagram I drew to illustrate:

 

 cressida-sp-as-grip.jpg

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post #142 of 166
4/26/12 at 7:46am

Isn't that a classic way to get skier's thumb?

Quote:
Originally Posted by segbrown View Post

I just don't put the strap around my wrist, or past my thumb, when I am in "interesting" conditions, or trees. (Well, if I remember to move it.)  I drop my poles too often to go without straps ... using straps like this will keep my poles from leaving me when I drop them, but if they need to leave me, they will. Breakaways are great, of course, but this is cheaper. Here is an extremely fancy, precise diagram I drew to illustrate:

 

 cressida-sp-as-grip.jpg

 

 

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post #143 of 166
4/26/12 at 9:25am
What this does is allow me to drop the pole if I need to, simply by opening my hand, or if I accidentally let go and don't want to drop, I can still grab the strap. I don't often ski like this, never had skiers thumb (at least from skiing), and usually use my straps in the correct way( hand up through strap). I would most likely do this in conditions where skiers thumb is the least of my worries, anyway. I just find it impossible to ski without straps.

(It's not a good drawing... It looks like the strap is farther onto my hand than it really is. It's just around my fingers. )
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post #144 of 166
4/26/12 at 9:45am

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by my poor knees View Post

 seems I have this habit of having a sort of a death grip on the poles and hold them very tight when I ski. 

 

If that's the case, I'd suggest just not using the straps at all.

 

I don't like the idea of pointy sticks flailing around me in a fall, so I just don't use straps.  I use my poles with a light touch just fine, but evidently like you, my hands tighten up on them when I start to go down.  I seldom lose one in a fall unless I land weird or unusually hard, and then it just gets knocked out of my hand with what I figure is much less risk of an injury.

 

I usually lose one by getting it hooked on a tree branch or scrub, but I'd rather have it yanked out of my hand than be pulled down backward by it.

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post #145 of 166
4/26/12 at 9:54am

Another thing you can do with poles--while riding chair lift loop straps around tips and slide back to a bit in front of toe pieces. Lay the poles horizontally and parallel on the seat on either side of you. Pass the basket ends under the back rest. The poles are now a foot rest.  I saw some guy doing this the other day.  First time I've seen this in 35 years of skiing. Is it some East coast thing?

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post #146 of 166
4/26/12 at 10:56am

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by segbrown View Post

What this does is allow me to drop the pole if I need to, simply by opening my hand, or if I accidentally let go and don't want to drop, I can still grab the strap. I don't often ski like this, never had skiers thumb (at least from skiing), and usually use my straps in the correct way( hand up through strap). I would most likely do this in conditions where skiers thumb is the least of my worries, anyway. I just find it impossible to ski without straps.
(It's not a good drawing... It looks like the strap is farther onto my hand than it really is. It's just around my fingers. )

 

I've been skiing with my straps removed and don't like too much entanglement of my body and the pole in a fall. This looks like a good way to moderate my concerns and still have a last chance to pull back a pole when the basket was caught.  . When I fall i prefer to let them fly. i'll find them ..  I'll have to play with this.  It takes years to recover from a good thumb joint injury  and I don't know if you ever completely can recover. You're just a little more broken


Edited by GarryZ - 4/26/12 at 12:50pm
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post #147 of 166
4/26/12 at 11:09am

I'm another fan of not using straps for skiing. Or if you do, use good break away ones.

 

Straps are mighty handy on the uphill while skinning though.

 

Regarding poles - I use 'em. But they really have nothing to do with the skiing part of my day. More the getting back up and/or crossing flats part of my day. Or poking the snow part of my day.  The folks I know who used to ski without them generally use them now - but again, not for the skiing per se. And these are folks who have skied some crazy lines sans poles. Very cleanly. In the end it seems that switching between poles and no poles is a bit of a PITA (as in what do I do with these strange things in my hands...)- and there are times and places where having them makes significant sense, so...

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post #148 of 166
4/26/12 at 11:10am

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by DesiredUsername View Post

I have determined that poles are unnecessary.

 

 

iPhone video from Crystal Mt, Sunday 4/22/12

 

 

I've determined that skiing with iPhones is even more unnecessary.

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post #149 of 166
4/26/12 at 11:12am
I don't fall as much as I used to and sometimes I forget to take the straps off when I go in the trees, and being I hold them so tight and rarely lose them, I think my best option is to ski without the straps. I wish they would make grips like they dd in the old days, they had more defined finger grips that the smoother straighter grips they make now. The choice of losing a pole once in a while or a tendon makes the decision a no brainier .
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post #150 of 166
4/26/12 at 12:31pm

 

 

Quote:
Didn't read all the posts in this thread but I'll share my pole experience. This year on Outer Limits at K, I planted my pole, it got stuck in the ice behind me, my arm overextended and pulled my bicep tendon off my bone ending the season early. Surgery fixed it all up but now I'm trying to figure out best thing for next year. I'm thinking about not wearing straps, or getting breakaway straps. But even then it won't do much good if I don't let go, seems I have this habit of having a sort of a death grip on the poles and hold them very tight when I ski. I've been skiing a loooong time and don't plan on trying to ski without them now, I ski moguls a lot and definitely need them to navigate through the mogul fields, any suggestions ?

 

frown.gif This sounds like it was really painful!  Definitely breakaway straps and pull them off in tight conditions (trees).  However...this could hardly be anticipated..that must have been one rock, solid mogul of ice at Outer Limits..I remember those growing up skiing at Killington.  Brutal. 

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