well a friend of mine one landed switch on a jump with his pole in the ground n it got him right in the nose, breaking it and making him bleed all over the landing, thereby causing the loon mountain park staff to shovel the bloody snow off of the landing, forcing other skier not to use the feature and making the park less efficient.
short poles offer better olfactory sensations for those directly involved in their use, and a more enjoyable park experience for those indirectly associated with them!