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Pole size question

zakyr

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Not sure how much attention to pay the the standard pole size charts out there. Want everyones 2 cents.

I am 6'3", do 80% all mountain 20% park.

What pole size should I get?
 

WoodCore

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Take the pole turn it upside down and grab below the basket. Your arm should be at a 90 degree angle.
 

andyzee

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Adjustable.

Really. I like those best, let's me choose, doesn't lock me in. I typically will get the Black Diamond Trekking poles. Great locks on them, no slippage.
 

wa-loaf

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Unless you ski moguls all the time then some short clown poles will due.
 

bvibert

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Take the pole turn it upside down and grab below the basket. Your arm should be at a 90 degree angle.

That's the tried and true method. If you're doing park stuff you may want to go a little shorter. I notice a lot of park rats have insanely short poles, I assume so that they're easier to maneuver around?
 

zakyr

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That's the tried and true method. If you're doing park stuff you may want to go a little shorter. I notice a lot of park rats have insanely short poles, I assume so that they're easier to maneuver around?

Yeah from what I have heard from people, a lot of the really good park skiers just have poles for balance/comfort. Many don't really ever have them come in contact with the ground.


Not sure if anyone watched the X Games, but one skier on slope-style dropped 1 of his poles and because of it he didn't even finish his run. The riders aren't required to even have poles, but because he was so use to having them, didn't even finish his run.
 

gmcunni

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Take the pole turn it upside down and grab below the basket. Your arm should be at a 90 degree angle.

That's the tried and true method. If you're doing park stuff you may want to go a little shorter. I notice a lot of park rats have insanely short poles, I assume so that they're easier to maneuver around?

measured as above and then i knocked 2 inches off my poles after several seasons. I use them "all mountain" with no problems.
 

bvibert

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measured as above and then i knocked 2 inches off my poles after several seasons. I use them "all mountain" with no problems.

I prefer mine a bit shorter than that method as well, mostly for skiing in the bumps, but they work fine on the rest of the mountain. I got rid of the too short clown poles a few seasons back.
 

gmcunni

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I prefer mine a bit shorter than that method as well, mostly for skiing in the bumps, but they work fine on the rest of the mountain. I got rid of the too short clown poles a few seasons back.

first few days after cutting them down was interesting but now i don't notice a difference.
 

Hawkshot99

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measured as above and then i knocked 2 inches off my poles after several seasons. I use them "all mountain" with no problems.

According to the 90 degree rule I should use a 50" pole, but I am much more comfortable with a 48" so i use those. For racing I use a 52" to give a longer push out of the gate.
 

Cheese

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Take the pole turn it upside down and grab below the basket. Your arm should be at a 90 degree angle.

Unless you're racing, I would take 2" more off this length. The reason for the grab below the basket is assuming that the pole will actually penetrate the snow up to the basket. New England hard pack skiers rarely bury the tip to the basket while skiing so 2" shorter is more relevant.
 

wa-loaf

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Unless you're racing, I would take 2" more off this length. The reason for the grab below the basket is assuming that the pole will actually penetrate the snow up to the basket. New England hard pack skiers rarely bury the tip to the basket while skiing so 2" shorter is more relevant.

You don't know Woodcore very well ...

I use the same length for racing. The only time you plant your pole racing anyway is at the start gate and maybe for a little skating to get to speed. I wouldn't want to go shorter than what I use.
 

Cheese

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I use the same length for racing. The only time you plant your pole racing anyway is at the start gate and maybe for a little skating to get to speed.

Exactly. The tip blocks for your poles at the race start gate are below the level of your skis so it makes sense to go slightly longer for racing.
 

wa-loaf

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Exactly. The tip blocks for your poles at the race start gate are below the level of your skis so it makes sense to go slightly longer for racing.

I thought you were advocating racing poles being 2" shorter?
 

zakyr

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Took the 2" off approach and over the past 2 days using my new poles agree with this approach.
 

Hawkshot99

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I normally ski with 48" poles but today I went out with my race poles. They are 50" and definitely found it alot harder to pole plant on my turns. The extra 2" made it harder to bring the tips forward without hitting the ground.
 
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