Ski poles

Tinga

Tinga

Active member
any one else think there should be a company that just makes cheap as shit poles with solid colors?

I know some people like the nice expensive ones but I know there are a ton of people that regularly ski with stolen rental poles, bent poles poles that are missing the basket and sometimes even mismatching poles. they could cut costs by not even painting them, just making one size and market them as cheap customizable (cut it yourself). super simple rubber grips and baskets.

why does every pole company think they need the best aluminum and composites with the most ergonomic grips and the most advanced basket system ever? park rats go through a couple pairs of poles a season so I think someone should just make super cheap poles.

 
Good thoughts here!

5000 grade poles are only a few dollars less a pair than 7000 grade poles.

Printing is cheap but it is the set-up time that takes a lot of labor and money along with the screen printing/ sublimation forms. So their is not a huge difference in price between 1-3 colors and really no difference between plain colors or a pole that's graphics are complicated and even have a mixture of matte and gloss.

But I totally get what you mean by going through a few pairs per year and not wanting to spend much.

 
I like this idea! long poles that can be cut down to any preferred size, come in only one size/colour(or no colour) and have simple, fairly thin/grippy grips would be sick! Maybe even make them available for purchase of single poles (instead of in pairs) if you break just one.

 
These grips

SPBLK.jpg


I use junior poles. They bend a ton and gets tons of dents, but they haven't snapped. They have gone through so much abuse. Dear companies, don't make your poles with such large diameters, it makes them more likely to break, no matter what the aluminum is.
 
i found a pair of shitty scott poles with these grips on them at the ski swap for $5.

i cut the scotts in half, sprayed them flat black, and shoved the grips right back on them.

it was the best $5 i've ever spent
 
all thrift stores in my area have a shit ton of poles for like 2$ go look at thrift stores and take off those grips and make duct tape ones
 
Gonna have to travel back in time, Armada doesn't make them anymore. If you want some, try searching in the trees at Sugarbush haha, my buddy snapped a pole and left them up there last year. Good luck trying to buy some off anyone, no one will sell them. I rarely use mine because kids will straight up steal the grips when I'm in the lodge. Gonna have to glue them on.
 
poles im using this year came outta a dumpster... an i doubt ive personally ever spent a dime on poles.. if you dont hav em dont use em.. or go to your loc rental shop and take the janky ones..
 
I remember when armada first came out with these grips and everyone at the shop would bash on them.

Now everyone wants them.
 
I found my poles in my grandpas garage. Old head racin poles. They're the right length (for skiing), have good grips, and the orange matches my pants.

Ppl who pay $50 for poles are dumb and/or rich
 
I brought some scott poles on REI clearance for 10 bucks and cut them down. They are soooo bent, but they work and I won't replace them til they break.
 
I've got some poles from salomon that broke last year and I machined a fix for them. I made a sleeve over the broken section and placed a pin inside the pole. I then drilled four holes through the sleeve and pin and put four screws into the drilled holes. Took half an hour and saved money. Won't have to buy pole for a while.
 
i rock some random rental poles that i am 'borrowing' and cut down. they are surprisingly solid and haven't bent after a few seasons
 
How hard would it be to make poles? Im guessing you wouldnt be able to make any and sell them for less than $20, otherwise you would just lose a lot of money. Would be sick to see a company like this develop though.
 
We did more than a year and a half of research discovered your not going to be able to produce poles anywhere in the world for under $15. Then you have to distribute your product to make any money. Which means you have to make money on your wholesale price and allow attractive margins to allow a retailer to make a profit and want to carry your brand.

You still have all of your fixed costs, marketing, R&D, etc... to pay for.

So when you see poles selling direct on clearance those brands are trying to make their money back on that years inventory and are not making shit.

 
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