Skiing without poles?

[RampagingMullet]

I always thought chinese downhill was when a huge group of people race down a bowl at the same time bumping shoulders, smacking poles, and much carnage ensues

[warthog]

WTF is chinese downhill? Do I even want to know?!?

Really? I think your membership card is in jeopardy. Look it up- Not on Zis side, not on Zat side, but right down Zee Meedle!!!!

[jibco]

WTF is chinese downhill? Do I even want to know?!?

That's rough.

Poles are great for leaning on when standing around.

[watanabee]

If i didn't ski with poles what the hell would I bang together to let people know I was about to pass them on narrow runs?

Calling out only seems to confuse them. Clapping my hands with gloves doesn't seem like it would be loud enough.

[samuelf]

[samuelf]

Skiers thumb is an injury to the collateral ligaments of the thumb and is one of the most common ski injuries and is caused by the pole straining the thumb during a fall. If pole use is discontinued; the percentage of skiers thumb injuries will be greatly reduced if not done away with all together.

[Orphic Seth]

Well, here's a somewhat serious response to this thread...

I never learned to ski with poles, it was probably 3 or 4 years until I actually started using them, maybe even longer. Since then, I have not used poles only when looking to improve some balance and change it up a bit for a day or so a season, but when I was growing up and didn't have any, I didn't know the difference....

However, last year I met and skied with a dude who rips incredibly hard. He skis fast, goes big, is undaunted by any terrain, skins into the backcountry, and does this all without any poles... and he's tele. As far as he is concerned, this is a sport of motion, and poles are nothing but a crutch. I agree with him, that poles are a crutch, though I never think I will/can give mine up. But after watching him ski as fast and hard as he did, especially in the type of Adirondack backcountry terrain we were in, and never miss a beat, it made me reconsider, or at least dream. His skiing was fluid, powerful, it complimented the natural contours of the mountain, and it was beautiful to watch.

I would be interested to see if this grew a bit more. I don't know if it would look as good or be as practical on fixed-heel skiing, but this dude made it look like it was cake on his free-heels. It was awesome.

[minddoc]

I remember training for bumb skiing without poles, but it's faster with.

[irul&ublo]

Andy Mahre can ski switch without poles faster than 95% of this message board can ski forward. Math? But then again, he's Andy Mahre, and he can do whatever the fuck he wants.

I bet he won't be able to have most of his own hair past age 25.

[TurxSki]

Skiing without poles is like getting a blow job from a guy. It feels great till you look down and realize you're gay.

Bwa-ha-ha

Skiers thumb is an injury to the collateral ligaments of the thumb and is one of the most common ski injuries and is caused by the pole straining the thumb during a fall.

No, not the poles fault.
Just don't do the old strap over your thumb/index joint, to get the swing going, thing. That'll tear at your thumb if the pole gets stuck.
Wear the strap loosely over your wrist and hold the pole grip.

And SERIOUSLY skiing without poles does feel fine.
Trying to manuver through the lift corral, and get up to the lift sucks big-time.
So, maybe BC no poles makes sense

[summit]

<epicski>
These dudes don't need poles


How else could they do this?




teaching pole plants is one of the best ways i've found to teach advanced/intermediates to get out of the backseat, get their stance forward, and their body into position for a turn on very steep terrain... but then i'm no psia</epic>

I"m sure you don't need them inbounds... but they are damned useful. And anyone who says they aren't needed for touring... have you never been on a sketchy skin or traverse where the poles gave you the extra stability or balance you needed to keep on the traverse... or on the slope? Or fel the niceness of being able to quickly adjust your bindings with pole instead of having to bend down with a heavy pack on your back?

You don't need poles for backpacking either but they make things so much better.

I bet Kye brings poles when he is earning his turns instead of being towed/flown to a BC jib session.

[rideit]

^^^^^What, pretend they are snowboarders?

[grskier]

Ski with poles because I say so.....


End of story.


I'm thinking that poles only get in your way when you don't know what you are doing, help with balance, feel of the slope, etc.

That being said, I know I trained a lot with out them at times (but there is a reason why we raced with them )

[hutash]

You all have missed the most important use of poles.................................


































To smack snowboarders

[Phill]

might be a technique problem but when i am skiing crud at higher speeds having poles does wonders for keeping me centered over the skis

[icanseeformiles(andmiles)]

a chinese downhill is a skintrack. since china's on the other side of the world, and most skintracks go up, they have been half-jokingly referred to as the chinese downhill. from a chinaman's perspective in china, dontchaknow?

You're giving the hillbillies of the Fraser valley a really bad name.

[T-Boz]

Skiing with out poles is for chimps, neadrathals, snowbladers, snowboarders and pre-schooler.

[Lone Star]

You're giving the hillbillies of the Fraser valley a really bad name.

unfortunately this valley is going to get less and less hillbilly.

[StumpJumper]

A chinese downhill is what we now refer to as skiercross. Before there was ever such a thing we would say "lets have a chinese downhill" and everyone would start at the same time, bmx style, to race down a trail. First one to the bottom won.

[buckethead]

doubly fun on a bump run...more falling bodies to dodge!

[BigDaddy]

WTF is chinese downhill? Do I even want to know?!?

Rent the movie "Hot Dog". Lots of good stuff for all to learn there....

[freezorburn]

I heard Kye Peterson is doing this. He is so hot right now! Any anyone else doing this? I don't understand why you need poles. I can't believe i never thought of skiing without them before.

Oops I ment "Detected SOYness"

[quebecfreestyler]

I like doing that, makes you look better when you have some.
Carazy usefull when you wanna get a park trick realy dialed.
if you can do something and look decent with no poles, you can do it with poles better then you could before doing no poles style.

[Split-It]

a chinese downhill is a skintrack. since china's on the other side of the world, and most skintracks go up, they have been half-jokingly referred to as the chinese downhill. from a chinaman's perspective in china, dontchaknow?

nonsense! a chinese downhill is a racist term given to people from iowa who have neither chinese people nor hills, yet seem to always run as if they are being chased by the po-lice. check the wikipedia.

also see http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=72577 by samuelf for more clarification

[jrbd]

To smack snowboarders

Pointing your pole at a too-fast incoming snowboarder when you're waiting for the lift helps him slow down better.