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Ski Poles
Ski poles are poles with handles on one end and a powder basket on the other to prevent the pole from sinking too deep when planted. Early poles were made from pieces of wood and bamboo was valued for its strength to weight ratio and look. Then along came cheap aluminum poles which are basically all that are now used. They are light, cheap and difficult to break.
Ski poles should be sized with the pole grip on the ground and the basket pointed in the air. The skier should stand next to the pole and grip it just underneath the basket. This is about where the pole would be when it is stabbed into the snow. When the pole is the right length the skiers arm will be at a 90 degree angle when they are standing up strait. Too short and the skier will ski hunched over, too long and they will be leaning back.
There are many different ski poles to choose from, but don’t get conned into buying expensive carbon fiber poles. They aren’t any better than an aluminum one and they are much more expensive to replace when they break which is not uncommon. Baskets and grips are easily interchanged among aluminum poles and they can be made incredibly light with thin walls of incredibly strong with thick, heavy walls.
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