you pretty much need them to pole plant, but I guess you don't NEED them to hop around. It'll just be alot harder on steep exposed lines and you'll look like an idiot. Ski all the lines you want without poles, I don't give a fuck, it's just a lot harder and unnecesary. And you can't use skins without poles and what happens when you get to flats. Everyone can ski no poles all they want, I encourage all of you to actually, you will be slower to get to the good spots and you will probably fall more which leaves more tracks for me.