Ski poles help you maintain balance, initiate turns, ski uphill and establish a rhythm. They're also handy for clicking out of ski bindings, or for knocking the snow off your boots before you click into the bindings. Choosing the right ski poles and learning how to use them properly can help you to ski better, whether you're a downhill skier or traveling cross country.
Size: Downhill
To find the proper length pole for downhill skiing, turn the pole upside down and grasp it under the basket. If the pole is the correct length, your arm should be bent 90 degrees at the elbow and the top of the pole should rest on the floor.
Size: Cross Country
Poles for cross-country skiing need to be slightly longer, since you use the poles to push you along, especially when traveling uphill. When the tip of the pole rests on the ground, the top of the pole should come up to the level of your armpit.
Material
Ski poles may be made of aluminum, fiberglass, graphite or other high-tech materials. Aluminum poles are the least expensive and the ones most often used by beginners. Graphite and other types of poles are more expensive, but they're also thinner and lightweight. As your skiing abilities improve, you may want a more expensive, lightweight set of poles. These poles are easier to swing back and forth and help you establish a skiing rhythm.
Straps
While older poles and some racing poles feature molded plastic grips, most ski poles feature nylon straps attached to the tops of the poles. Slip these straps around your wrist when you're skiing. If you fall, the pole will stay on your wrist instead of ending up down the slope, or behind you up the hill. You can use the pole to pull up.
Leave the straps off your wrists if you're skiing in trees or an area with a lot of obstacles. If your pole's basket or tips catches on an obstacle, you could be yanked off your feet if the pole is strapped around your wrist, which could result in injury. Also, remember to remove your wrists from the pole straps before you board the ski lift.
Use: Downhill
Use your poles to reach out in front of you and initiate your turns. This pole plant helps you maintain proper downhill form by facing your body downhill, in the direction you want to travel. Establish a rhythm by alternating pole plants and you'll carve smooth, regular turns all the way down the slope. Pole plants can also help you negotiate a mogul field or a narrow tree run.
Use: Cross-Country
In cross-country skiing, planting the poles and pulling yourself forward will help propel your forward smoothly and keep you skimming up inclines without wasting energy.
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