How to choose ski poles?

Someone on winter snow days prefers to stay at home in front of the TV with a cup of hot tea or coffee. But for others, such a pastime is not to their liking. Many children and adults enjoy skiing on their day off. Often travel with whole families, with children, so it is important to choose the right and high-quality equipment. At the same time, the choice of ski poles, which are the main equipment of the skier, should not be underestimated, because the entire pace of the athlete’s movements is set by hands. Therefore, the weight and balance of the inventory are so important. How to choose ski poles - we will deal with this in this article.

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What material are sticks made of?

Sticks can be made of different materials.

Aluminum

Such sticks are lightweight, quite tough and reliable. For beginners, such equipment has a huge advantage: if you accidentally mounted on it or fell unsuccessfully, the stick does not break, it bends.

Fiberglass

These sticks have the lowest cost, respectively - their quality leaves much to be desired, they break quickly. When repelled, they bend strongly.

Important! The weight is about the same as that of inexpensive aluminum ski poles.

Composite

They incorporate fiberglass and carbon composite in different proportions. Accordingly - the larger the latter, the sticks are harder and lighter.

Important! They break down in much the same way as fiberglass models.

Carbon composite

Such a stick is the top dream of any skier. They are tough and light, except that they also break well, but mainly from side loading or impact.

Important! Carbon composite is the main material of ski poles for sports and the highest sports achievements.

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What are they made of?

Since we are choosing ski poles, it would be nice to know what parts they consist of.

Pole

A shaft or rod is its main part. With the help of a pole a hand push of a skier takes place.

A pen

A handle is needed to make it easier to hold equipment in hand. Therefore, the handles are most often made anatomically shaped with recesses for the fingers. Sometimes in the lower part they make a small emphasis or ledge, which removes a certain amount of load from the fingers.

Lanyard

Otherwise, it is called a strap or loop. When pushing, the hand rests precisely on it and only partially on a stick. The task of the lanyard is also to keep his hand on the handle during the push. Well, do not lose the ski stick after the push, when it practically hangs on the hands.

Foot

Once upon a time, rings of various materials were used to support a stick on snow. Today, rings are used only in cases where equipment is used in soft snow.

Tip

The tip on modern models is often combined with a foot. His only task is to hold the stick during the push in one place. To do this, the tip is made sharp and metallic. The task of the tip is to hold the stick in any conditions.

Important! The tip is very sharp, so you need to use the equipment carefully, this will help avoid injuries.

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How to hold ski poles?

For those who decide to try skiing, it will be useful to learn how to hold sticks in their hands:

• To hold the stick correctly with your right hand, you need to take it with your left hand just below the handle.
• The right hand from the bottom up must be inserted into the loop of the handle strap.
• Then grasp the palm of her hand.In this case, the handle strap will be under the palm and around the wrist.

Important! This way of holding the stick is most optimal. When pushing, the hand will rest on the strap and the fingers will not strain too much. After the push, the stick will remain hanging on the hand and not be lost - you just need to adjust its length.

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How to choose the length?

The key parameter when choosing such an inventory is length. If they are too long, they will have to raise their hands above their normal position, which means that there will be no set bend at the elbow, and with it the necessary impulse for the correct entry into the turn will disappear.

Important! Using too short models, the skier simply reduces the time he needs to enter the turn, deprives himself of support, thereby forcing himself to lean more.

The conclusion is simple and obvious - equipment must be selected according to height. Everyone can see for himself. Just ride with sticks of different lengths. It is inconvenient to push too long or too short products.

How to choose ski poles for height?

Classic move

The size of the equipment for the classic course is chosen depending on the height of the skier:

• A skier in full gear and boots puts sticks next to him. With the correct length, their upper part should be flush with the shoulder of the skier.
• If you hold the equipment in your hand vertically, while putting it aside, then the hand should take a horizontal position.
• If there are skis, then stand on them and put the poles next to you. They should with little effort enter under the shoulder (in the armpit). It is allowed to raise the shoulder a little, without rising to the socks.

Skate course

How to choose skate sticks? Their length should be slightly higher than for classics:

• A skier in boots puts sticks next to him vertically. Their height should reach the earlobe or tip of the nose.
• If there is already an optimal length of equipment for the classics, then the task is simplified. It is enough to add 10 cm to their length. We get the size of the equipment for the ridge.

We select by height according to the table

To simplify the task, they have long been using the experience gained in the selection of equipment gained by many years and generations of athletes. This experience will be especially useful for beginner skiers, as it will not be easy for them to determine which stick length is better. There are tables that show the size of the inventory for the ridge and classic move, depending on the height of the person. Although in some cases they take models longer than indicated in the table:

• For children of primary school age who usually do not push off with sticks at full amplitude.

Important! If you want to instill in your child a love of active walks, then the selection of all equipment must be approached very carefully. The child does not have much strength, and if the model is chosen incorrectly, he will certainly not like riding.

• When skiing mainly in flat areas.
• With frequent pain in the lumbar spine.

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Helpful hints:

• Choose sticks, considering your height - too long and too short will only interfere.
• Pay attention also to the style of skiing. In the end, you need to focus on convenience - all recommendations are universal, which means that they do not always suit certain people.
• For beginners, it is advisable to choose the lightest models, but to avoid fragile carbon fiber and carbon fiber - by evening, even the lightest products will seem to the tired beginner an incredibly heavy burden.
• The stick can be straight or narrowed to the bottom. The latter will be easier than the first. They are no different in strength.
• If you have been skiing for a long time, then choose models with small paws, but for beginners - on the contrary, it is better to purchase with large ones.
• The hinges must be made of kapron or belt. Put your hand in the loop - it should not rub your hand. The length of the loop should be such that the palm rests on it, and not on the handle of the ski pole.

Important! After riding, just wipe the equipment with a damp cloth or cloth and then wipe it dry. But washing them under running water or trying to dry at a heat source is undesirable.

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Do not deprive yourself of the pleasure of active entertainment in the cold season, because the more interesting and rich your pleasant experiences your life, the better your mood and health!