Using a correctly sized ski pole is imperative to successful skiing. An ill-fitting ski pole will offset your skiing stance, and can also jeopardize your safety. Once you ski with a ski pole that fits you well and feel how a well-fitting ski pole improves your stance, you will realize how important sizing ski poles really is. Here's how to size a downhill ski pole.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varies
Here's How:
- Place your arms at your sides and hold your elbows at a 90 degree angle.
- Make sure that your upper arms are touching your sides, and your lower arms are out in front of you, as if you were holding ski poles.
- Make a fist as if you were gripping imaginary ski poles. Be sure to check that your lower arms are parallel to the floor - glance in a mirror, or have someone check for you.
- Have a friend measure the distance from the top of your thumb to the floor.
- If you don't have someone to measure this distance for you, then repeat Steps 1-4 facing a wall. Whether you use a pencil or a piece of tape, lightly mark the spot where the top of your thumb is. Then, measure from that mark to the floor.
- The measurement that you come up with is the length of your ski poles. It is important to add two inches to this length, because the combination of your ski boots and skis will make you slightly taller.
Tips:
- Ski poles are measured in both centimeters and inches, so use a converter to find your size in both types of measurement.
- Ski poles are sized by every two inches and every five centimeters. So, if you need to round, it's smart to round UP, because ski poles can always be cut down, but never extended.
- A too short ski pole will force you too reach out too far forward and thus tire you, and a ski pole that's too long will feel awkward and unwieldy. If something doesn't feel right about your ski pole, don't hesitate to take it to a ski store where it can be adjusted especially for you.
- Reference the size you determined with a ski pole measuring chart. Enter your height (add two inches if necessary), and see if the size you determined matches the standard size for your height.
What You Need:
- A measuring tape, either in inches or centimeters.
- A friend will make the process a lot easier!
- If you're measuring solo: A mirror to check if your arm is parallel.
- If you're measuring solo: Something to mark where the top of your thumb is.
- If you're measuring solo: A wall to measure against.
