Skiing And Snowboarding Equipment: The Benefits Of Composite Ski Poles

With advanced skiers, poles are used for turning and carving the mountain. To "pole plant" is quickly to peg one pole in the snow immediately before making a turn. This action gives the skier more stability and stronger form, in addition to adding power to the turn. Because pole planting puts a significant amount of pressure on the poles, skiers have been creating ways to make stronger poles since the genesis of the sport.

Though similar in function, 20th century poles differ greatly from today's 21st century gear. Initially made with bamboo and leather, the first poles could not withstand the intense pressure of the sport. Manufacturers even tried dipping the bamboo pole in plastic paint only to have marginal improvement. The 1940s saw the advent of metal poles, which, at the time, were a significant improvement over bamboo. Inspired by a golf club, an Austrian skier made his own pole from a steel shaft, probably creating the prototype of the aluminum pole used today.

Today's skiers can choose from two types of poles. Aluminum is sturdy, cost efficient, and similar in composition to the poles made in the mid-twentieth century. Recently, however, advanced and professional skiers have begun to prefer a new type of pole. Composite poles are self-described - manufacturers use various materials to create the pole. Examples of common materials are graphite, carbon, glass fiber, and even Kevlar. Combinations can be 90% carbon and 10% glass fiber, 60% carbon and 40% glass fiber, or any other construction the manufacturer thinks would be beneficial to the sport.

The benefits of composite poles are all intrinsic to a skier's performance. Not only are they generally sleeker than their old-fashioned cousins, but they also are much lighter. Although ski poles have never been considered heavy, professional downhill racers need even the smallest advantages. Like many other sports, what the professionals find advantageous eventually trickles down to the rest of the population. In this instance, a lighter pole creates less drag when skiing, increasing the speed of a downhill racer incrementally. In this way, racers use composite poles for the same reason they wear skin-tight suits - the less resistance, the faster the speed.

Another advantage of composite poles is the strength and rigidity. Composite poles strength-to-weight ratio can be six times greater than aluminum poles. While the majority of skiers will never break a pole while skiing, professional and extreme skiers demand more from their gear. For example, the steeper the incline, the more the skier needs to use his poles to keep momentum when turning. Combine this need with faster speeds and more extreme terrain (moguls, trees, rocks, and deep-powder snow), a stronger pole adds not only performance, but also confidence. Aluminum poles, on the other hand, can give a slight bend under pressure and are not as shock-absorbent as their composite cousins.

Composite ski poles have come a long way from when Howard Head made his first composite gear in 1947 - a ski that was a combination of plastic and metal. He admitted that they all broke soon after. Today, however, composites are the most durable and high-performance option on the market. These benefits, however, don't come without a price. Although they are becoming more reasonable with each ski season that passes, composite ski poles are still significantly more expensive than aluminum poles. The cheapest composites can be about double what standard poles cost. For this reason, most knowledgeable retailers do not recommend composite poles to beginner or intermediate skiers. It is always possible, however, to find pre or post-season deals on winter merchandise.

In sum, composite poles have given professional and extreme skiers another slight edge in the sport. With stronger construction, composites are more durable in intense situations. Additionally, the reduced weight of a composite ski pole is another asset in the potential speed a skier can achieve. Even something as seemingly simple as ski poles are subject to technology, and composites are the latest innovation for the sport.