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March, 2024

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Short poles, long poles, stylish poles, sloppy poles?

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Moses
Posts: 1849 - Karma: 564
I have a quick question about the length of people’s poles. Skiing the past weekend I was just dicking around and riding sans poles. Yeah, I made a few pole-less runs in the past couple of seasons but I didn’t really think much of them. It was different this time around because I went without poles the whole day. For last run I put them back on and I was like what “the hell is a matter with these things”, they felt so long. Having my poles back sure made my slower speed turns a lot cleaner, but when I went for a spin off a roller it felt like my poles were throwing me off balance. Maybe it was just that I got a little used to skiing w/o poles and when I slipped my hands back into the grips I was just a little rusty, but I was so moved by my awkwardness in the air that I watched some old vids of myself skiing and I paid close attention to the length of my poles and pole placement. Maybe I’m just naturally unstylish, but my poles looked so long and out of place.

So, If my stupid little story didn’t help you understand my question I just want to know if many people ski with short poles for air style reasons or do good jibbers just pay close attention to how they hold their poles along with other things such as grabs, spins, baggy clothes, keeping the hands low, keeping the upper body low, and other steeze related issues?
Dec 11 2006 11:53PM
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ajax
Posts: 2850 - Karma: 1,236
That was a long ass question, but I have shorter poles just because they haven't broken for about 3 years and I don't want to buy new ones.
Dec 11 2006 11:55PM
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Billiards.
Posts: 6853 - Karma: 816
oh my lord. Poles are poles. Use a stick and it wouldnt make a difference.
Dec 11 2006 11:55PM
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johanblaze
Posts: 4987 - Karma: 343
no poles?
Dec 11 2006 11:56PM
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Greenish
Posts: 2047 - Karma: 367
def fun. hurts knees on occassion though
Dec 11 2006 11:57PM
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jKutcher
Posts: 3936 - Karma: 4,260
^agreed
Dec 11 2006 11:59PM
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bigwhite.steeze
Posts: 8227 - Karma: 1,030
my poles are huge on me but makes em way more steezy then shorties
Dec 12 2006 12:02AM
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BRMN
Posts: 439 - Karma: 14
i have armada poles, and im 5'7'', and when i was done cutting them down to where i liked them, they were shorter then this girl racer poles and shes about 5' 2'
Dec 12 2006 12:06AM
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Albino
Posts: 1400 - Karma: 123
i reckon shorter poles (for park) are fkin heaps better. u get ur hands lower, shoulders relaxed.
textbook length would be a horizontal forearm - 90 degrees at the elbow, i ridem a good 15 degrees below that.
Dec 12 2006 12:07AM
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doGelyst
Posts: 2491 - Karma: 508
6'1".......34" poles. Good for lift lines, flats, and moguls. Don't pole plant when I'm skiing anything else. They stay out of the way when I'm in park & pipe, and short enough that I dont break them.
Dec 12 2006 12:10AM
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ride_on
Posts: 317 - Karma: 33
a pole is a pole damn it i sdont really understand how people can ski properly with out tho
Dec 12 2006 12:12AM
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eric@jerzy
Posts: 285 - Karma: 9
thats ligit i fell slopy with poles that fit me "right" i like poles shorter then a normal skier would use
Dec 12 2006 12:13AM
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Andre.B
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 155
yeah i cut my poles down to 95cms and im 5'10
Dec 12 2006 1:29AM
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mattster
Posts: 4120 - Karma: 41
short poles man
Dec 12 2006 1:34AM
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feezy
Posts: 2022 - Karma: 23
wow.
short ass muthafuckin poles.
Dec 12 2006 2:45AM
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FERREZZ
Posts: 2234 - Karma: 19
i just use poles that fit me
Dec 12 2006 2:48AM
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pommes_vertes.
Posts: 1260 - Karma: 10
just ski without poles. it's what all the cool people are doing now.
Dec 12 2006 2:57AM
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Holte
Posts: 10730 - Karma: 7,743
I like (slightly) shorter poles, but it's because I have a lower and more aggressive stance for blasting through crud at high speeds and I don't skate enough for long poles to be an advantage. It really has nothing to do with jibbing. I don't think a few inches would make much difference for spinning.
Dec 12 2006 3:11AM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,845
Gots to have poles for hiking, so I keep mine at the 'norm', which in todays world is long. Short poles are shit in the BC. No pole runs can be fun, but I always feel off balance, and grabbing is always a little weird.
Dec 12 2006 3:31AM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
amazing idea.

i do that too.
Dec 12 2006 3:41AM
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(Jonesy)
Posts: 2594 - Karma: 20
i don't get it. how does it hurt your knees?
Dec 12 2006 3:47AM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
whoa whoa whoa

short poles are the shit in BC, steeps, big mountain, etc, and are a joy in the park.

I use about 38" poles (cut down from about 55"), perfect for anything. I see people rocking longggg ass poles (~60") and its whack, when they are crouched, those poles are so much taller than they are, akin to mentality of people using a 70mm waist ski and considering it a "midfat." fuck that
Dec 12 2006 4:17AM
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shralpingthegnar
Posts: 379 - Karma: 17
I'm almost afraid to say it, but I've got two different lengths of the same pole for this year.....one for park SHORT, and one for everything else Average FIT. I'm curious to see how they will work out, but what made me what to try them was a friend who absolutly kills it saying you can throw tricks easier off jumps with the short ones.....we'll see
Dec 12 2006 4:17AM
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TAK
Posts: 5007 - Karma: 14
Short answer:
Use what best suits your skiing.

Long answer:
The new(est, that I know) standard among racers for measuring poles is with all gear on; boots skis and risers included, they should extend from the ground to your sternum (sp?). But, and this is key; that's for racers, who use their poles to catapult themselves up and over a neutral position. If you're skiing steeps, you'd want something much shorter as that would force you flex deeper and would allow you to use the pole plant for stabilization and rotation while in a crouched and poised position; that is without returning to neutral. Mogul skiers use short poles not because they're homosexuals, and like to take it up the ass from other men, but because where they plant them is elavated in relation to their feet. Jibbers use them because they've probably always skied with poles and likely haven't critically examined their use, and long poles offer no advantage has such skiers focus on things other than well executed turns on snow. Big mountain skiers use rental poles with big baskets as they don't sink as easily in pow and allow them save money, which allows them to work less, which allows them to ski more. Ski instructors su exspensive space-age technology articals of ski industry scamery with "Trigger-Action Grips", "Aerodynamic Shaft Profiles", and other bullshit because, like mogul skiers, they're same-sex having, deviant lifestyle-living homosexual ass-pirates. Basically, there is no "proper pole length", only a proper pole length (and shape) for you based on what kind of skiing you do, and how you do it.

What TAK uses:
Being 6'4", TAK uses 135, 130, 125, or 120 cm poles, and wouldn't pay for a pair in my life, except maybe for some of those Armada poles, those are pretty cool.
Dec 12 2006 4:17AM
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TAK
Posts: 5007 - Karma: 14
Alot of people out there are "whack".

And 70mm is midfat; its too wide to be narrow, and too narrow to be wide.
Dec 12 2006 4:21AM
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Billek
Posts: 5665 - Karma: 98
I am 5' 10" and have 36 inch poles, and I never want another size.
Dec 12 2006 7:33AM
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nothanks
Posts: 13551 - Karma: 31
I had one 44 inch pole and one 46 inch pole last Sunday. I'm 6'1. Then I dropped them all together for no poles.
Dec 12 2006 8:15AM
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AKoblitz
Posts: 1201 - Karma: 113
shorter poles for park, medium poles for powder... long poles break and are akward
Dec 12 2006 9:34AM
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MadMaxamas
Posts: 182 - Karma: 15
I use my brothers used racer poles. there pretty short and pretty stylish. lol. They work
Dec 12 2006 9:42AM
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SKISUS
Posts: 867 - Karma: 9
I got my poles @ canadian tire on sale 2pairs for $10 so that way I don't give a shit if I break em, they're pretty solid tho, I'm still on my first pair and I bought them like 3 years ago.
Dec 12 2006 10:31AM
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kepler.
Posts: 8761 - Karma: 139
steal a pair of rental poles. paint them. get the tech shop at the mountain to cut them down for you. (or do it yourself if you don't see the irony)
Dec 12 2006 10:42AM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
I prefer my poles short. I feel like they are less in the way that way, when carving. I only pole plant if I'm making short quick hop-style turns.

I think it all comes down to personal preference.


And you know you loved the pole-freedom this past weekend Brad. It's fun to just screw around without them on days like that.
Dec 12 2006 10:44AM
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PhilBenjamin
Posts: 346 - Karma: 10
I beleive a comapny called Joystick makes these poles and If i'm correct, they even come in different sizes.
Dec 12 2006 11:13AM
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grapesoda
Posts: 999 - Karma: 31
just hold the poles in your hands and ski with them. you should be used to skiing with poles unless your what 5?
Dec 12 2006 11:23AM
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TimothyLord
Posts: 2114 - Karma: 568
medium
Dec 12 2006 11:46AM
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CEDARIMAGE
Posts: 1428 - Karma: 257
its all personal reference
Dec 12 2006 11:53AM
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madtownfreestyle
Posts: 841 - Karma: 53
same....i definatly like short poles better
Dec 12 2006 12:38PM
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bret
Posts: 2845 - Karma: 833
i use short poles for park and normal length poles when it snows.



Dec 12 2006 1:43PM
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snarky
Posts: 498 - Karma: 13
i like my poles on the long (read recommended) side, but i have a racing background so i always poleplant on my turns, but shorter ones are really nice for jibs and going switch
Dec 12 2006 3:23PM
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lyndon
Posts: 7266 - Karma: 127
im like 5'7 and mine are 40"???
Dec 12 2006 3:28PM
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issdawg
Posts: 89 - Karma: 10
well in general a freestyle pole (which is where the original newschool skiers came from) is tiny and when you hold them ur elbow is at more than a 90 degree angle. Racing poles are complelely different and can be around chest height to shoulder height so r poles should be shorter
Dec 12 2006 3:56PM
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Black-Bandanna
Posts: 6680 - Karma: 1,601
46"
Dec 12 2006 3:57PM
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Black-Bandanna
Posts: 6680 - Karma: 1,601
errr 46cm
Dec 12 2006 3:58PM
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The_Oakley_Kid
Posts: 3128 - Karma: 179
style wise, it looks so much better when you have shorter poles, they don't get in the way and, most jibbers of today don't really use their poles. ever. I use normal length poles, or no poles, it just a style preference. But when ur poles are massively long, it distracts from what you are actually doing, especially on film.

shorter the better, only go no poles if you have Cosco style, or are super super super rediculously good looking.
Dec 12 2006 4:07PM
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jonkreation
Posts: 197 - Karma: 18
lets face it, we're all just following trends and eventually the trend will be no poles and we'll all get used to it and it'll be fine, and then maybe the trend will shift back, who knows. mark my words kids.

shorter and shorter poles are just them evolving out of existence, like our tails or fur, haha.
Dec 12 2006 4:12PM
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Black-Bandanna
Posts: 6680 - Karma: 1,601
i will never ride with no poles
Dec 12 2006 4:13PM
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jonkreation
Posts: 197 - Karma: 18
well man, just like some people are still born with tails or with fur, there will always be some people with poles.
Dec 12 2006 4:25PM
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grams.
Posts: 7406 - Karma: 186
a kid at my home mountain has poles that are seriously no more than 2 feet long, its ridiculous haha
Dec 12 2006 6:25PM
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psychkub
Posts: 1788 - Karma: 16
I'm 6'2" and ride on 48" poles and find them to be fine. They don't get in the way and don't seem overly awkward.
Dec 12 2006 6:41PM
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wilson.
Posts: 138 - Karma: 25
long question
but definetely going with the short poles
they are dnak
Jun 4 2007 7:38PM
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splooshie
Posts: 644 - Karma: 8
im 5'6" and use 44"'s.....perfect size
Jun 4 2007 7:40PM
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