All about the length of the ski poles

In skiing, the selection of ski poles of the right size is often an important issue so that it is convenient and comfortable to practice. In order to correctly determine the proportions, there are several rules.

The length of ski poles is indicated by the manufacturers, it is determined from one end to the other... But it is important for the skier to measure the distance from the sharp base to where the hand cord is attached. In order to correlate the sizes, you need to measure the height of a person. The athlete must wear special boots in which riding will take place. These few centimeters are important when choosing the right ski poles.

At the beginning of learning this sport, a child has priority to ride short skis. They generally do not require special sticks. But with age, the size of skis changes, and with this there is a need to acquire attributes for them. And it is important from the very beginning to learn how to select the sticks correctly.

Selection of ski poles is carried out for classic and skating moves... There are generally accepted guidelines for calculating the optimal size for skating. From the growth rate, you need to subtract 20 cm. The height of the ski pole should correspond to the resulting value. This formula is suitable for most skiers. For example, with a height of 180 cm, an acceptable stick length is 160 cm. But the ideal formula for calculating: height x 0.9 is the exact length of the stick.

You can choose the size in the classic move as follows - 30 cm is subtracted from the height value. With a height of 180 cm, the size of the stick should be 150 cm. The exact formula looks like this: height x 0.83. The Ski Federation has rules that limit the length of ski poles:

• in the classic course the height should not exceed 83% of the athlete's height;
• when skating the height must not exceed 100% of the athlete's height.

If you do not follow these calculations, you can do great harm to your health. If the stick is shorter, the muscles in the shoulder area will not work. With the wrong dimensions, riding will only bring discomfort. An inexperienced skier may not understand that something is wrong, and in the meantime, the condition of the muscles will deteriorate, as it will not function properly.

These tables greatly simplify the problem of choosing the right size. With its help, it is easy to avoid injury and damage from the wrong choice. There is an unspoken rule that the length indicates the rigidity of the product. Likewise here, if the chosen model turned out to be rather soft, then a longer version is clearly needed.

Often there are situations when skis were given as a gift from someone or "by inheritance." Children show a desire, and it seems that there are already skis at home, but the child's height is not yet quite suitable for the specific model available. And this happens often: it becomes necessary to change the size of the sticks. This can be done in special places, or you can do it yourself. In addition, the need to replace different parts arises in the event of various malfunctions, since they tend to wear out over time. Replacing parts seems like an easy task as opposed to resizing. But in reality this is not at all the case, resizing is also easy to implement.

You can shorten the length yourself. It is only important to take everything you need, try a little - and the result will not keep you waiting. To do this, you will need: a hair dryer (used in construction) or boiled water, a hacksaw, scotch tape and hot melt glue. You need to start work from the side on which the handle is located. You cannot start sawing from the bottom - there the base narrows, and there is a possibility that the foot will not go where it needs to be.

You need to cut once. And here the main thing is not to miscalculate, you need to measure it as accurately as possible. The handle must be on. It is important to understand how long you need to shorten. You need to measure with a handle, because they are also individual, each has its own fit, so their size has its own characteristics.

• Step 1. First, separate the handle from the base. It sticks to hot melt glue, so you need to heat it up. Then it will be easy to remove it. You can warm it up with a hairdryer, or you can put it in boiling water for 5 minutes. But in the case of water, you must put it in a bag so as not to damage the top layer of the coating. When processing with a hairdryer, you cannot linger for a long time in one place, otherwise it may melt. It is necessary to gently and evenly bypass the entire surface with hot air.
• Step 2. With the help of a hacksaw, the excess part is sawn off. The stick can be split into several layers. To prevent this from happening, masking tape is used. It must be wound onto the cutting site.
• Step 3. You can already apply hot melt glue and glue the handle. If the glue has already frozen, and the handle has not had time to attach, then you can remove it in the same initial way.

For information on how to shorten ski poles yourself, see the next video.

But it so happens that the length, on the contrary, is not enough. In such cases, people have learned to increase this length. You can also increase the length yourself. This process is a little more complicated, but it is possible to cope with it too. With children, the constant difficulty is that their growth is increasing, because of this, the sticks must constantly grow with them. This procedure can also be easily carried out on your own. You need to take a stick, more precisely, its area near the handle. Saw the place below the handle (drop about 15 cm). Insert an aluminum pipe with a suitable width into the resulting part. The entire resulting structure can be fastened with electrical tape. You need to wrap as tightly as possible. This method has been proven for years, such elongated ski poles can last for several years. Moreover, over time, it becomes necessary to increase their length again.

The ski poles are an essential element to ensure accurate balance. They make it possible to clearly push off the surface covered with snow. This is not an easy process, so the choice should be approached with absolute responsibility. If you use them correctly, you can feel all their functionality on your own. The skiing process itself is quite fun. This is a great sport and active recreation that can improve your health.

For information on how to build up ski poles at home, see the next video.