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Riding with poles - A backcountry experiment

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  • Riding with poles - A backcountry experiment

    I have spent two seasons in the backcountry always descending with my collapsible climbing poles stowed on my back pack . At the ski area I always skiboard without poles in all conditions . To me much of the skiboard ethos is the ability to ride without poles , turning , skating and getting around is easy without them . But in the backcountry, I am always in the company of two guys who always ride with poles . Billy who is on Hagan 130 and Michael on Icelantic Scout . Yesterday , I decided to ride with poles all day on our backcountry tour both climbing and descending to see if there was any benefit to using poles on the down that I was missing out on . I told Billy who was shooting video to not shoot any video of me , as I would be riding with poles and that was sacrilege in skiboard circles. He did anyway .. and if he gets the video edited.. I will post the evidence of my straying from the poleless path .

    First what I realized is that I was constantly stowing and unstowing my poles for the descent and the climb and if I just grabbed the poles and went it was one less thing to do . ...
    Second , I realized that at ski areas , runs are designed to go straight down to a nice lift and then haul you right back up .. yes there are flats but those can be skated.. in the backcountry on a powder day exploring new terrain, there is always times when you ride down then need to climb back up a bit or traverse a bit to take a look at your next line , or pole out along flats...
    In all those situations it was a pain in the a** not to have poles or to have to stop and retreive the poles from my pack ...
    Third ..in backcountry skiboarding you are dead tired from climbing , and when you come to a stop on a steep slope with a heavy pack on your back it is pure heaven to be able to lean on your poles to rest.
    Fourth , poles are super nice to probe the snow and check out of if that bridge of snow across the gully will support your weight or if you ride over the damn thing you will fall into a sink hole
    Fifth as a former life long skier . I absolutely know what to do with poles in my hand , I can use them as triggers to get my turns going , they are not a hinderance ...
    So in the backcountry ... I think I will be climbing and riding with poles on my Condor .. but please don't tell anyone .. you will never see me with poles at the resort .... and on Shredfest backcountry days when I am leading .. please , please if anyone is going to shoot video of me descending , please warn me so I can put the damn things away ..

    Because as anyone knows... poles are for skiers and not for skiboarders , the only use of poles for skiboarders should be on the climb , and are totally unnecessary for the descent ...
    Boards :
    Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
    Boots
    K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
    Bindings:
    Zero Pro Non release Binding
    Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
    Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
    Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
    Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

  • #2
    Hey Jack,

    Cindy and I used them in Utah for the powder, gasp, at Resorts. I don't feel guilty one bit. It actually was nice to use them. We took our godson , Jonas, 5 years old, out last night and while Cindy and I were poleless, his parents wanted them as a security blanket. I used one of those backpack harness things and found it to be very useful as Jonas has no fear of speed. He at first wanted poles but then it was cool not to have them as Cindy and I didn't have them.

    As for being sacrilegious I really don't care what others think as no one really knows what skiboarding is anyways and we as skiboarders should be the least judgmental as to what equipment others are using to get down the mountain. I really like having them in Utah and I may experiment in Cali here with them as I feel it helps me get a rhythm in quick turns and in moguls. Maybe another spin off, Park, Backcountry, and now poling skiboarders. bad thing is it's one more thing to carry.

    Chad
    64 CM Bigfoot’s
    100 CM '15 Blunt XL 2 pair
    110 CM Rockered Condors
    130 CM Spruce Osprey prototype

    Comment


    • #3
      As a pole user in the lift lines, you'll catch me resting on my poles a lot whenever I'm standing around anywhere. For those that know how to use them, poles like Can says can provide a nice tool to intiate turns. This is a skier type turn which I feel is different from a poleless riding turn which is a hop and edge rather than a reach, plant and skid. I usually am more upright and have my weight back more riding poles. The reach and plant puts the weight forward for an instant to initiate the turn. Using this technique can be fun to feel the rythm of fast turns. I especially like this when I'm riding my Hagans or atomics which are short skis.
      Now: 08 Sherpa's (2), Atomic 120's, 2013 125 Protos, 125 LEs, 2014 Sherpas, Osprey protos, 2015 Blunt XL's, 2016 Ospreys, Ethan Too twintip skis,2017 Shredfest One of kind Spliffs, 2018 Crossbows
      Bindings: Spruce Risers and Tyrolia LD12's
      Boots: Full Tilt Booters, Tecnica Agent 110
      History: Atomic shorty's, Sporten, Groove Taxis, Head 94's, ALPs, Spruce 120 Blue boards, Custom Lacroixs, Rocker Condors, 08 Summit 110's, Hagan offlimits 133's, Rossi 130's, 2011 Summit Marauders

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by CAN View Post
        Hey Jack,

        I really don't care what others think .............as skiboarders should be the least judgmental as to what equipment others are using to get down the mountain.

        Chad
        Now that's what skiboarding is all about.

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks rg,

          Wendall I brought them back out the first day in Utah with the scouts and liked them. I mat even sport them at Shredfest! What a rebel!

          Chad
          64 CM Bigfoot’s
          100 CM '15 Blunt XL 2 pair
          110 CM Rockered Condors
          130 CM Spruce Osprey prototype

          Comment


          • #6
            Now CANTOO Pole Dancin.....THATs what Im talkin about
            Crossbow (go to dream board)
            Most everything else over time.
            Go Android

            Comment


            • #7
              BAAAhaaa! Not enough Blue Moon in all of Tahoe...
              Nobody needs to see that
              I'll be sticking to the gym and the mountain bike for MY ski legs, thank you very much, but the younger, more coordinated set can do their thing...
              Yup, in my reality poles are for fishing, flags, firemen, and--when necessary, god forbid--skiing.
              '07 "soft" ALPs
              Eyeball DLPs
              125 LEs
              Ospreys mounted bindings
              Crossbows
              Spruce riser release bindings
              Sometimes borrower of Chad's spare Blunt XLs

              Comment


              • #8
                sacrilege!!!

                as promised the evidence is presented . !!!!
                michael in red jacket skiing the icelantic scout ...

                followed by some dude in a blue jacket riding Condors with poles and with snowboard boots and hybrid ski cuff snowboard bindings , carrying a pair of snowshoes .... what is the world coming to?????

                Boards :
                Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                Boots
                K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                Bindings:
                Zero Pro Non release Binding
                Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Yup... very clear how the poles are spoiling your rhythm.
                  Crossbow (go to dream board)
                  Most everything else over time.
                  Go Android

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    well when i went to Utah last year for the first time, i also used poles for the first time. They really helped on flats and in some deep powder.

                    Since then i used them a little the 1st 2 days i skiboarded this year. Part of skiboarding to me is the ability to carve without poles like skating but regardless of what anyone says or thinks they are reallllly nice to have on flats and lift lines and on those 2 preseason days i went im glad i had them with me. And with a messed up foot still its nice not having to push off skating.

                    I think they could come in handy SOMETIMES but during the season on the east u wont find me using them they get annoying, i use my hands to carve hard not poles

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      OK, back to my senses, I went to the local resort last night sans poles and it felt great. I'd been teaching my Godson how to ski , but last night we just took his mom and dad who"thought" they needed poles for balance. After a little talking to, they both abandoned them and are poleless and loving it. I still like them in powder though and will probably pack them when we go to Utah.

                      Saw Levitation and his wife last night but only got to ski one run with them. Hope to meet up again!
                      64 CM Bigfoot’s
                      100 CM '15 Blunt XL 2 pair
                      110 CM Rockered Condors
                      130 CM Spruce Osprey prototype

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by CAN View Post
                        OK, back to my senses, I went to the local resort last night sans poles and it felt great. ....
                        IMHO .. to me the really cool thing about skiboarding is that it is a snowsport without rules or conventions .....
                        whether you choose to ride with release bindings or non release skiboard bindings or soft boot snowboard bindings , whether you ride with ski boots , hardshell snowboard boots, or soft snowboard boots, and whether you ride with poles or without is up to you ... our tool is the MOST versatile of all snowsports tools .... do whatever you want!... there is no one correct way .... dogma is the antithesis of skiboarding , we are and should always be the snowsport that defines freedom and liberation from the set way of doing things. .. no matter if other folks heckle us or make fun of us .. ... the most important thing is that like CAN says is that how you skiboard feels great TO YOU . and who the heck cares what anyone else thinks ... try out and mix and match the various variations of skiboarding and find out what works best for you in what conditions and with the other riders you are with and have a blast !,,,
                        Boards :
                        Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                        Boots
                        K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                        Bindings:
                        Zero Pro Non release Binding
                        Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                        Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                        Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                        Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Great video, Jack! You're all so graceful! Looks like a lot of fun I'm jealous after riding on ice at Mountain High last night. Makes me want to go back to Alta...
                          '07 "soft" ALPs
                          Eyeball DLPs
                          125 LEs
                          Ospreys mounted bindings
                          Crossbows
                          Spruce riser release bindings
                          Sometimes borrower of Chad's spare Blunt XLs

                          Comment

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