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WARNING: Keep your pole straps loose

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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
I don't know about most of you guys, but I always used to ski with my pole straps pretty tight because I normally like to keep a really loose grip on my poles. Well I learned the hard way this year that it's a bad idea. Dislocated left thumb and chipped bone/torn ligament in my right, which made me miss out on the last month of this year's skiing. Both were caused from falling onto an oustretched hand and the grip pushing into my thumb, and would have been completely avoided if I'd had them loose. So for your own safety, keep it loose.
May 18 2006 8:29PM
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ski_cartel
Posts: 6598 - Karma: 18
if you hold your poles correctly that would not have happened
May 19 2006 10:40AM
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freestyleskiin
Posts: 1598 - Karma: 9
my pole staps fall off like 2 days after i get em with the proper amount of preswasion
May 19 2006 11:00AM
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DietCoke
Posts: 1317 - Karma: 7
thats what i do too. unless im sessing the park, then i just dont use them
May 19 2006 6:47PM
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powder4breakfast
Posts: 386 - Karma: 69
My friend Keri broke her thumb at Alta a few years back. It broke in a few places and tore ligaments. She finished out the day like a trooper unable to hold her pole. The next day she went to the Doctor and had a cast put on. first thing she did after getting home with her cast was to see if it fit in her glove. It did not. So she cut the cast off and went to the store and bought a brace that would fit in her glove. Keri = HARDCORE.

If you're straightlining a chute or something sketchy and let go of a pole - hiking back up sucks. Put the strap between your palm and grip, not over the back of your hand - it gives you better control of the pole when using it and allows your hand to come off the top of the grip if it needs to.
May 19 2006 7:11PM
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7X
Posts: 2999 - Karma: 365
agreed, i had surgory on mine and i was still entering rail jams with 2 pins sticking out of my thumb.
May 19 2006 7:36PM
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fillup
Posts: 4904 - Karma: 568
ya put you hand in the strap then your hand on the pole with the strap between

like put you hand up through the hole then bring down and it will not do that
May 19 2006 7:41PM
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Denkogami
Posts: 326 - Karma: 11
If anyone could post pics of their "pole strapping" techniques... I'm having a hard time visualizing the explanations.
May 19 2006 7:56PM
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Petey.
Posts: 5736 - Karma: 4,885
i dont ride with straps half the time
May 19 2006 8:05PM
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Grimace.
Posts: 8345 - Karma: 25
i dont use straps on my poles
i took them off
and i'm happy because of it
although i might make a hemp strap
May 19 2006 8:10PM
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pmills
Posts: 7162 - Karma: 59
Click for larger image


when you drop your pole when you are holding it the correct way, you won't jam your thumb like you would if you were holding it incorrectcly


drawn in paint by me :)
May 19 2006 8:47PM
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BeLeiVeTheHyPe57
Posts: 738 - Karma: 10
ahhh another reason no poles is nice.
May 19 2006 9:02PM
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Xave
Posts: 2672 - Karma: 18
thanks for the beautiful drawing, now i understand!
and i see that i'm using the good technique so i'm okay so far
May 19 2006 9:33PM
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SmoothLikeButter
Posts: 399 - Karma: 16
Word that wouldnt stop me
May 19 2006 10:05PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,014
yo why would you even wear your pole straps in the park?
i mean if you get caught in a rail, your hand is screwed
May 19 2006 10:12PM
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afarrell
Posts: 303 - Karma: 28
yea but then you drop your poles when you fall and you look like a fool hiking to get them
May 19 2006 10:39PM
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afarrell
Posts: 303 - Karma: 28
i finally started using some this season when i remembered to put them on
May 19 2006 10:41PM
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kristie
Posts: 1667 - Karma: 214
my thumb has been broken or the past six weeks or so. had to get surgery...the whole routine. ski with one pole or no poles and don't fall on it.
May 19 2006 10:52PM
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Davevinc1080
Posts: 723 - Karma: 10
i always have my straps on i NEED them, but there as loose as they go and i ductaped them so they wouldent lossen or tighten, sometimes they fall off when i spin haha
May 19 2006 10:53PM
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spere
Posts: 6105 - Karma: 248
i dont have pole straps and i never hurt my thumb anymore. it teaches you to keep your fingers in a fist when you fall so you wont lose your poles and at the same time you dont hurt fingers
May 19 2006 11:19PM
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mckeeman
Posts: 2674 - Karma: 122
mmm. i like it loose...
May 19 2006 11:27PM
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peter.doubleu
Posts: 1167 - Karma: 13
The only problem with the "good" way is that when you let go of the pole in a fall your thumb is out of harms way, but you can get the top of the pole in the wrist.
May 19 2006 11:33PM
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stevoid
Posts: 206 - Karma: 14
i have my polestraps loose normally and i cracked my knuckle and destroyed the 1st and second joints in my thumb on sunday. the cartilege in the joints was pushed part way out of the joint. it just happens dude. it has nothting to do with how tight your straps are. it's just part of the sport.
May 20 2006 12:25AM
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CorkWormTurn
Posts: 1724 - Karma: 12
wow you continue to be the stupidest motherfucker ever with the best life in the world
May 20 2006 2:25AM
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JGP.
Posts: 2785 - Karma: 474
shitt same thing happened to me, but i keep straps loose...sprained left thumb like 4 times, chippede bone and tore ligament in right last year
May 20 2006 8:19AM
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