What does everybody have against pole straps?

i've always used them for some reason, mine are huge loops so i just can slide my hand through easily with my gloves on
 
I think pole straps are a great invention and can save a lot of skiers from going down the hill just to get their pole because it fell off the lift. Whoever has something against them should be ashamed haha
 
i like them when hiking rails so i can just pop my skis up and pick them up and don't have to worry about holding poles, just let them dangle. other than that i think they're pretty useless
 
quality thread, making me feel good about myself. Haven't used pole straps since I raced over a decade ago. Basically fucked my thumbs a half dozen times due to pole straps, but shit you can skate and pole faster so it was worth it right? Probably dropped a pole 10 times in the 10 years since and twice were because of poles stuck in trees I wasn't expecting to "investigate", definitely been worth that 40-60 seconds of gathering those 10 poles and not impaling myself or fucking my thumbs again or detaching my fucking arm. Have fun with your straps, good luck and godspeed.
 
haha, double post but forgot to point out: I leave the straps on my poles even though I don't use them because how else can you put together your texas briefcase?
 
has anybody here actually dislocated their shoulder because their pole got caught skiing trees? I hear about it all the time, but baskets and grips come off of poles, and I feel like that would happen first.....
 
i feel as though some people don't know how to hold the poles correctly with straps on

if you hold them properly ie hand through the loop let them drop and put them up into your hand then you are safe from dislocated thumbs etc, however if your hand is through the loop and the pole strap is between index finger and thumb then kiss goodby to your thumb

(i hope that made sense)

if not, this should clear it up, this is the correct way

dd89a231_ski-pole-grip.jpeg


i dont use straps in park, just a habit from not having straps from the first pair i was given
 
Not that anyone's obligated to use their straps at all obviously. But having to trudge 30 feet back up a run in deep pow to retrieve a dropped pole, or interrupt a flat cat track coast, is such a pain in the ass.
 
This!! I usually wear mine but sometimes I just forgot to and I have ate shit while doing so and I still didnt lose a pole, to be honest I didnt even realize my straps weren't on till I got to the lift
 
Thumbs get injured because you people are opening your hands when you go down. It's a natural reaction. If you get used to keeping your hand tight around the pole grip, your thumbs can't get hurt. It has absolutely nothing to do with pole straps. Learn how to use your equipment properly.
 
Wrong.

The strap has been the reason 100% for my tendon damage/broken thumbs...

When you do it, you'll know.

Everyone can stop tellin me their harmless if used properly, because I'll never believe you
 
in 22 years of skiing I have broken 1 thumb, and that was on dendix.

I do ski in europe though where there isn't a lot of tree skiing... but even then I have broken enough poles to think that the pole would shear or you'd lose a basket before really doing any damage.

as for stabbing yourself with a pole... use a proper length pole and hold onto it and I can't see the problem

In fact, if you don't have straps you might ditch the pole while eating shit and then land on it.

Personally I won't stop using them
 
yeah, because every fall is a totally controlled, graceful experience, right? Fuck outta here, can't count how many times I've seen skiers better than you or I murk themselves with their poles. Ahmet in Realtime comes to mind.
 
always use mine, but really loose. i dont use them in trees tho.
My brother has to hike for his poles erry run, so annoying
 
I always have straps and i take good care of my straps and put new ducktape on them like once every two weeks.

i do however made ski poles for when i go out west that have little straps that will come apart if their is enough tug to them, pretty nice.
 
great! you can break your thumb masturbating. Whenever I see anyone not using pole straps, or using them in an uni tended way, my opinion of how good of a skier they are drops 15 points.
 
Fuuuck pole straps- When I fall (Which is often) I have a tendency to just throw my poles mid air. Fight me.
 
I don't because I tore ligaments in both my thumbs last year. I believe it's called skier thumb. A big occurance with ski injuries if I'm not mistaken
 
Because I don't use poles, I have talons. My talons being childrens' poles from a ski swap that have been forged through many trials (falls) into menacing (bent) talons. When people ask me what's up with my poles I tell them I prefer to ski like a velociraptor. And velociraptors don't need straps.

 
I have those line poles that look like the strap is bolted in at the top with a fake shiny plastic bolt. Well one day I looked at my poles while skiing adn realized one of the bolts fell off and my strap was gone, so I took the other bolt off with a wrench. Probably gunna make some makeshift straps so I have them when I need them but for now, no straps.

In generaly though for me:

Groomers/bumps/general cruising= straps

Powder= straps

Trees= no straps

Park= no straps
 
I use pole straps but i hate those fucking things. I'll spend half a run sometimes trying to fit my mitten through the damn straps.

All to avoid having to hike back up the hill or dig em up though the pow.

But fuck straps, i never drop my shit.

 
When used correctly pole straps give you a ton of support. Great for pole planting and skating. You basically don't need to grip them any more than to keep the pole in your hand, the strap does the work
 
pole straps are just not trendy anymore. youre clearly a ns noob if you havent used the searchbar on this topic. i made a thread about this way back in 09
 
no i think hes just butthurt. personally i never use pole straps. i see no point to it, seeing as i have a death grip when i fall, and here in minnesota there is zero powder
 
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