Ski pole length; pointer.

[Harris]

MikeK... Yeah, if the hands are down and pole tips are back and single pole plants are made to initiate turns it really doesn't matter exactly how perfect the whole thing is. I used to race, and was later a competitive mogul skier, so yeah, I'm kinda anal about pole planting. But... My point was trying to discourage stabbing, which I see a lot. I think it hurts people's ability to progress.

[MikeK]

Well bumps require everything to be very tidy or it all goes to shit real quick.

I've never been a good bump skier but I know my main flaw - my stance. Never tight enough. I also think I used to get in the backseat too, which I never actually realized until recently.

I don't have much interest in that those these days. My knees just cry when I see people pounding moguls.

[Harris]

MikeK... I noticed you are from NY, and being that you are probably primarily an East Coast skier I can fully understand having little interest in bumps. My sister lives in Bridgton ME. Once a year I go out there to ski for a week with my niece and nephew, usually at Shawnee Peak, Sunday River or Loon. The first time I went out there I was totally put off by the ice, in fact was intimidated by it, coming from skiing the Rockies and Wasatch, but I learned to love it. It is a different and more community vibe. For example my sister knits in the lodge with all the other Lodge Moms while the kiddos ski. Her boyfriend ski races club at night. And even though the runs aren't double diamond steep, or 1 mile zipper line bump runs, they are steep enough that when combined with grooming, and the usual icy nature of it all, makes for some seriously fun skiing. Now that I'm out here on the west coast it is the polar opposite, but just as much of an acquired taste. For example, I had never skied a run where for a quarter of it it was deep and stupid steep turnable mash, the next half was unturnable, fogged-out and chaos bumped bottomless sludge crap, and the bottom quarter was setup so solid in a cement state that every divagation in the snow would launch you. But... That upper quarter was awesome. And the usual good days have moderate runs that are slushy but well-groomed and rarely see ice spots. For the Rockies and West Coast having good bump management skills is a requirement if you want to step off the blue runs. Out East you need good edge skills and probably ski rabidly high speed. But back to it, I've never seen a bump run or conditions out East that would seem fun to bump ski. I know those days occur, but it is not the usual fare as far as what I've seen. Frankly though if I had my choice of place to live if I could swing it work-wise it would be in Maine. I love it out there.
And I'd be fine with never skiing bumps again.

[lowangle al]

Harris I agree with you about pole length. The thing that gets me is when people with adjustable poles do it.

I disagree with learning on low angle slopes. It's easy to keep a tight stance and to keep your balance ski with an open stance. I think it's easier to put it all together if you don't have to control your speed.

The other thing I disagree with is leading with your shoulder. I love it and I get more control of the lead ski when going fast. You can alway square right before your next turn. I started doing it after watching Powder whore movies and seeing them doing it on big lines. I even like doing it on my XCDs.

One thing I realized is that there are many way to make t turns, and as long as you have the control you want and it feels good it's got to be right.

[Harris]

Harris I agree with you about pole length. The thing that gets me is when people with adjustable poles do it.

I disagree with learning on low angle slopes. It's easy to keep a tight stance and to keep your balance ski with an open stance. I think it's easier to put it all together if you don't have to control your speed.

The other thing I disagree with is leading with your shoulder. I love it and I get more control of the lead ski when going fast. You can alway square right before your next turn. I started doing it after watching Powder whore movies and seeing them doing it on big lines. I even like doing it on my XCDs.

One thing I realized is that there are many way to make t turns, and as long as you have the control you want and it feels good it's got to be right.

Pow skiing is a different animal, especially with surfy skis we have today. But on the skied out stuff I still think that keeping the shoulders somewhat square to the fall line is necessary to keeping the tails biting. IMO.

[lowangle al]

Both ways work and as long as you keep your skis somewhat parallel to the fall line your tails won't dig in.

[Woodserson]

FWIW Harris' first post on this thread pretty much sums up Allen & Mike's Telemark Tips in one paragraph. Credworthy.

I'm off to go try some of this right now!

[Woodserson]

I just shortened my poles way up and had a great day!

I took one digger though, coming around a corner all low and speedy and hit some stop-'em snow-- went over the handlebars and left a face-trench any kid would have been proud of. Glad I had my helmet- though enough snow got packed in it I got an ice-cream headache. Pretty sure I hit my knees on the ski tips, they are whacked a bit. Good times!

[jyw5]

I am late to this discussion. I prefer short pole lengths however, I think pole length is personal style and preference. Steve Barnett used long poles and he is the xcd master skiier. So I think you guys should look at his book and photos again before telling everyone that short poles is a must. I have seen expert skiiers, AT and telemark, decend on various ski setups with all kinds of pole lengths.

I have seen an (Alaskan) Olympic skiier come down a steep icy slope with skinny skate skis with long poles making incredible turns at high speed. There is a video of pro skiiers in Alaska that have done the Eklutna Traverse (usually a 4 day hut to hut trip with an AT or approach ski setup) in 12 hrs with classic skis and they are gliding across 4 glaciers just fine with long poles.

[Woodserson]

So I think you guys should look at his book and photos again before telling everyone that short poles is a must.

This thread was more of a discussion than a mandate, to each their own, everyone was expressing an opinion, no one was passing must-be-followed decrees, here.

I have seen an (Alaskan) Olympic skiier come down a steep icy slope with skinny skate skis with long poles making incredible turns at high speed. There is a video of pro skiiers in Alaska that have done the Eklutna Traverse (usually a 4 day hut to hut trip with an AT or approach ski setup) in 12 hrs with classic skis and they are gliding across 4 glaciers just fine with long poles.

???
This is a totally different style of skiing than what the thread was discussing. The thread was about downhill skiing with a traditional tele rig... Obviously no one is going to use their 115cm mogul crushing poles when they need 155cm poles to skate ski (like me, for instance).