Skiing without poles - did it today and magic happened

[jellyflake]

Great topic - I think skiing without poles can help to improve skiing. There are so many drills!

Just recently when skiing with friends (2 out of 5 also ski instructors, one highest possible level in Germany) we did some fun drills without poles, i. e. we left the poles at the top station for five runs before we collected them again. And no matter how good/bad your skiing is - skiing without poles always is an eye opener.

When I ski on my own (and am not trying to do a specific training or so) I always ski with poles. I am typically skiing off piste and just need them for balance and rhythm and support.

 

[nopoleskier]

@nopoleskier do you ever ski with poles? I could kiss the ground in happiness that I got over my crutch in using them. What do you do with your hands? When I'm doing drills without poles I know what to do with my hands but I've never skied without poles and not done drills. I will be practicing this weekend that's for sure.

I still ski no poles. especially on nice groomed.. I like them in deep powder, trees and bumps.. and if I want to be lazy.. Without them I keep my hands down the hill but I also have 'tunes' so sometimes I probably look like I'm conducting and orchestra lol.. when I first started I had a bad habit (old racing days) I'd drop my left hand/arm, if your arms are dropped and behind you you are in the back seat or going to be late for the next turn. I wore Wrist weights to make my hands stay out in front! it worked fantastic. I was skiing old straight skis when I started w/no poles (a friend started it and I tried it and was amazed how much I learned about my body position)

 

[Serafina]

What's this notion that you either skate or pole? I do both, and move along at a good clip. It might be a relic of my days as an XC skier, though.

 

[ling]

What's this notion that you either skate or pole? I do both, and move along at a good clip. It might be a relic of my days as an XC skier, though.

"Skate" usually implies using pole to aid skating. Just like 90+% of skiers ski WITH poles. So those who skate WITHOUT poles make that clear.

Pole alone, without skating, is usually pretty slow, slower than skating without poles

 

[bounceswoosh]

I need to work on my skating technique. I usually pole because it's less awkward for me. Also, in some situations, it's just a little track and there's no room to skate.

 

[nopoleskier]

Skating takes balance, muscles and co-ordination. I agree Serafina I am also XC skier, xc instructor and former xc and alpine racer so for me skating is easy, with or without poles. speed is a factor skating & using poles, I like classic xc better I get too cold xc skating I can go really fast having the light weight xc skis..
Skating is skating with or without poles and in Skating XC once you get to a certain speed your timing of the poling changes (V-1-V-2 & free skate) XC ing often you do not pole for 'every' 'skate' and the same applies to Alpine. Sure if you have poles use them but use them properly..out of whack timing will slow you down and once at a high speed your legs power/propulsion is what's doing the work and poles aren't needed as much. Poles sometimes can get stuck from a hard pole push into deep powder so wear your wrist straps.. Bounceswoosh it's a lot about your stance.. don't bend too much at the waist try skating one foot (great for the narrow tracks) there are some great XC skate video's that talk about the leg bending and the 'push" all the same in Alpine..

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I am still planning on leaving my poles in the Jeep this saturday when we ski. I need to work on my skating also and like my skiing without poles my technique on skating seems to be better when the poles aren't there. Saturday will be a good exercise in all things sans poles.....

 

[Jilly]

FYI - think about how you inline skate. Now think longer skates! No toes, push from the heel.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

FYI - think about how you inline skate. Now think longer skates! No toes, push from the heel.

Thanks I will remember this. I plan on buying some inline skates in the spring for general training as well.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Bounceswoosh it's a lot about your stance.. don't bend too much at the waist try skating one foot (great for the narrow tracks) there are some great XC skate video's that talk about the leg bending and the 'push" all the same in Alpine..

Thanks!

 

[tinymoose]

A benefit to being a lightweight and losing all momentum on flats is that I've gotten lots of practice skating. lol I actually find it easier to skate without my poles.

 

[JulieT]

I always have them, but it might be a bit much to say I use them. They are pretty critical, though, for so many things - poling across flats. Holding my mittens out of the snow while I fiddle with something. Tapping people on the shoulder or whacking them in the leg ...

This makes me feel better :-) I was feeling sort of "pole inept" as a skier because I always do have my poles with me, but I honestly rarely use them for anything but poling across flats and holding a glove while I take a pic with my phone!

 

[bounceswoosh]

This makes me feel better :-) I was feeling sort of "pole inept" as a skier because I always do have my poles with me, but I honestly rarely use them for anything but poling across flats and holding a glove while I take a pic with my phone!

I should amend my statement. I use them in true steeps and in bumps. But not really on groomers. I have really short poles , so on moderate slopes it would require exaggerated movements.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I am oddly excited to ski without poles tomorrow. Kind of like when you get home and you are in for the night to relax and you take off your bra, you feel freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. That's how I look at my ski poles at the moment. I felt so good and free skiing without them so looking forward to capturing that again....................

 

[ling]

But not really on groomers. I have really short poles , so on moderate slopes it would require exaggerated movements.

That's interesting.

I shorten my pole a couple years back for moguls. It worked out fantastically!

But I'm now finding I'm having trouble with pole reach in steep'ish slope WITHOUT big moguls (i.e. steep groomers). It's causing me to break at my waist in order to reach the snow with my short poles...

So the last time out, I experimented with a lightly longer pole. Had to remind myself to stand tall (especially during the transition) while reaching down the slope with my poles also.

 

[bounceswoosh]

But I'm now finding I'm having trouble with pole reach in steep'ish slope WITHOUT big moguls (i.e. steep groomers). It's causing me to break at my waist in order to reach the snow with my short poles...

It depends on what your bad habits are. For me, it causes me to get more forward in a good way.

 

[ling]

It depends on what your bad habits are. For me, it causes me to get more forward in a good way.

It did get me to move forward -- down the hill. But not quite the right way.

 

[nopoleskier]

I now use adjustable poles so in Deep powder can be longer.. or shorter on groomers.

 

[CarverJill]

When I switched back to skiing after snowboarding from age 13-20 I didn't use poles. I had super short 120 skis also. Eventually I after a few years I got longer and longer skis but still didn't own poles. After about 5 years skiing w/o poles I started dated a guy who thought it was silly I didn't use poles. That Christmas he gave me poles and I have used them ever since. Like others have said I don't really use them while skiing, especially while carving on groomers. I think they are pretty useful in the bumps and of course on flats.

 

[ski diva]

For anyone who's interested, I wrote a blog post about ski poles today: specifically, what they're for. You can check it out here.