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ski poles — sports equipment that is used to maintain balance and speed up skiing. A ski pole consists of a shaft, a handle, a hand loop, a foot and a tip.
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ski poles
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ski poles
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ski poles
Kind
Ski — are used both for repulsion at the start, and for maintaining balance when cornering. There are both straight and curved poles (slalom and downhill).
For cross-country skiing — are used to repel the skier and accelerate when moving. For this type of ski, only straight poles are used (for example, in biathlon).
Telescopic — poles with variable length (folding), designed for climbers, and also used in freeride and skitouring. The length is adjustable within 110-145 cm. Compared to the previous types, they have less rigidity. Such a stick is convenient to transport, but each time it will have to be assembled and disassembled, and its weight is greater than that of ordinary sticks.
Shaft material
Aluminium alloy – the strongest and most durable, but heavier than plastic ones. When a skier falls on them, the sticks do not break, but they can bend. Today they are rare.
Fiberglass sticks are usually (Fiber Glass) — combine a small price and lightness, but they can break. Used by both amateurs and professionals. A good option for beginner skiers.
Carbon fiber (Carbon) – the lightest, well springy, which ensures riding comfort. Their price is higher than aluminum and fiberglass. Widely used by professionals.
Composite — a combination of glass and carbon fiber. «Golden mean» for price, weight and strength.
Handle
The handle is most often made of leather, plastic and cork. Amateur sticks are equipped with plastic handles, and professional models are made of more expensive materials — cork and leather. It is important that the handle is comfortable and non-slip. A good option is an anatomically shaped handle with recesses for fingers. The handles of children’s and women’s sticks have a shortened length.
Handle loop
This device allows you to reduce the load on the muscles of the hands, since the hand rests on the loop, and not on the handle. In addition, it allows you to control the movement of the stick. Pen loops are mostly made of leather or synthetic leatherettes. It is better if the loop can be unfastened from the stick, otherwise, if you fall, you can injure your hand.
Foot (socket)
Paw — a device in the form of a ring, mounted on the lower part of the stick, preventing it from falling into loose snow. The most common are plastic paws. The diameter of the paw depends on the condition of the snow cover. The best option for a dense cover is 4-5 cm, and for a loose one — 10 cm. A paw diameter of 7-8 cm is considered universal.
Tip
The tip is designed to fix the injection on hard snow and ice. It is made from steel (cheap option) or hard alloys (tungsten carbide or titanium).
The shape of the tip is different:
- cone — rare, traumatic;
- reverse cone — the most common and safest option;
- «toothed crown» — Good for icy slopes.
For safety reasons, tips for children’s sticks are made of plastic or other non-metallic materials.
Length
The length of the stick depends on the height of the skier and is determined by the formula: human height minus 20-30 cm (for cross-country skiing) and minus 40-50 cm (for alpine skiing). This formula is suitable for both adult and children’s sticks.
Important: ski poles should be comfortable and convenient, for this they need to be tried on in the store.
Manufacturer
When choosing ski poles, you should be guided by your personal comfort. There are not many stick manufacturers. If you are a beginner skier and your weight does not exceed 75 kg, then you can buy cheaper fiberglass poles. Otherwise, with proper riding experience, choose poles according to your height and weight from brands Fischer, Head, Rossignol, Atomic, Elan, Fizan, Anxieties, Line Skis. These are the most famous and reputable brands of ski equipment. Sticks are made of fiberglass (cheaper) and carbon fiber (more expensive). The most important selection criterion is suitability for height and riding experience.
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