scrutton Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 Raced slalom this weekend, in the Crescent ski cup. We use vertical poles, that have a flexy bottom. This is pretty much the first time, I've tried to 'hit' the poles to get a faster run. Results were mixed in that, of the ones I did hit, I hit some of them with my back (on heelside), most of them with my leading forearm, and one with my helmet. Obviously I'm not getting close enough to the poles yet. However, for those of you that do race slalom with vertical poles, what part of the equipment are you working to hit? Also, they are making us push off the start with ski poles, rather than rig up a decent starting gate. Does anyone sell an easy to transport starting gate? I'm thinking some large elevated hand grabs that could be drilled into the snow. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 I raced slalom in the tall pole days and we tried to get boot top as much as possible. Really, you'll be on the same line as triangular panels, but with alot more contact. A word of warning: Once you start shinning tall gates heelside, you'll be sure to get a knob-slapper. Jock up, Soldier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil sunday Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Do yourself a favor and stay away from running tall boys. More busted teeth, broken noses, and black eyes than i can remember.... stubbies came out in 1996 for a reason. we got smart! be safe. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrutton Posted March 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I hear you. In the division I'm in, we have 3 snowboarders and probably 150 skiers. So, I don't think we'll be moving to stubbies anytime soon. I think that I'm going to just buy protection for the parts that hit the gates. So, a kevlar forearm guard is being ordered up first. Sounds like a full face helmet might be the next thing to consider. Some of the div 1 racers (most probably) use a chin guard. Might be a good thing to consider adding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex1230 Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 forearm and shin guards, fullface (chinguard at minimum) I always wore a cup after the first time I took a pole to the ... err...never mind If your forearm guard doesn't cover the back of your hand and knuckles, add some padding there (actually I used to wear extra padding under the guards) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncermak Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 take an 8 foot 2x4, cut it in half on an angle, covering 1 foot (so you have 2 4.5 foot spears), drill a wide hole in the snow, and tap them in with a rubber mallet. to keep it out of the skiers way, you may need to set it about 6 inches beind the wand (I don't like the odds of the 3 of you taking on 150 skiers...) this is what we use in MA for USASA races and it works great. On the other hand, I used ski pole for a number of years, and then dropped them out of the start. It works too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coloradoking Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 better solution!! do what we do!! take a couple pieces of metal fencepost (the green kind with the little tabs on one side) and spear a couple of tennis balls (hold them on with duct tape) and there's some start gates that last Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Just remember to keep your pulls light if you have to cart them to the top of the hill. Our local hill made us some tubular metal pulls, but we hardly ever use them, as they weigh ~40lbs a piece! Yeah - T-Post with tennis ball toppers! Be careful on the full gates! Last month one of our local carvers was badly injured while racing on a ski/board race league: Bomber Thread Local news Article ~Karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gtanner Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I know sounds weird, but be sure to have an upper-back pad if you plan on taking them on the shins. I remember we used to finish a PSL race and then we'd all take off our shirts to compare bruises...essentially as you hit the pole with you boot or shin, if you have enough velocity, the pole can wrap around and hit you on the back right between the shoulder blades before whipping to the ground... ouch. -Gord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 When we did race with tall poles the idea was to shin them right about boot top level (if you get too close they can knock your feet around causing you to loose balance) and block with the front arm only (don't get into any "cross blocking" BS), but in reality SL is a fight to the finish and you WILL be hitting those things with just about any part of your body in pure survival mode, and remember that even at the pro level SL is rarly pretty. I think Booster2 posted some video of Jasey Jay at Copper this year one video is SL the other is GS and the differance between the two is worth checking out, same rider her won both events but the GS shows how you can be gracefull and powerful, where in the SL it's more of a rodeo and you better hold on. Tall pole SL is much better than tall pole GS. The tall pole SL you tend to get beat up, but I don't think it's overly dangerous. Tall pole GS on the other hand that can lead to injury easier IMO. As for starts Scuff and ColoradoKing nailed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrutton Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Thanks guys. I found the video of Jasey :- http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22945&highlight=Jasey+Jay+video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Civ Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 i love those clips. You can really see the way the decambered nose makes those direction changes easier. His nose is kind of hovering before he sets it in to carve. totally amazing riding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncermak Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 so the fencposts and tennis balls are stiff enough to get big pull? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yeah we use then all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncermak Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 cool. You gonna be at Nationals? I'm at GS this year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 I will be gone for the first part, but will be around from the 8th on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 When we did race with tall poles the idea was to shin them right about boot top level (if you get too close they can knock your feet around causing you to loose balance) and block with the front arm only (don't get into any "cross blocking" BS), but in reality SL is a fight to the finish and you WILL be hitting those things with just about any part of your body in pure survival mode...... Man I loved banging those gates. I am little bigger than .....say Graham W.( but who isn't) and I would just run over those things. Pretend they weren't even there. A buddy of John Griber's over in Jackson talked me into my first slalom and he loaned me his "guard". It was half of piece of 4 inch sewer pipe with some slots for strap to go through on the inside to the body part. I have to say it was a little heavy but worked great. Sure was fun. That day I came in 2nd or 3rd overall, not just in the old, fat class: Legend I think they call it. To the OP: I do have a pair of arm guards that I can't ever see using again I will try to email pics if you want. They were only used part of one season. The next year they went to stubbies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinecure Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Get a good forearm guard. Preferably one that covers your hand, articulates at the wrist and covers all the way to the elbow. Then add a good set of upper body armor that also has some padding on the back of the shoulders. I like a full face helmet if I think I'm going to take many in the head (like on slalom courses). I try to hit them with my forearm so that if I shin the gate (oh, you want shin guards too) it doesn't throw me off my edge too much. If you start the gate heading to the snow with your forearm, then your shin doesn't have as much inertia to deal with when it hits. With some practice, you'll get so that you don't need to look at the pole too much to hit them accurately. This is important since in racing you really want to be looking ahead at the next couple of gates, rather than at the one you're turning around. I find that I hit all the gates with my leading forearm, but you may want a second guard for your other arm just in case you need to smack one with your trailing hand in a fluky situation. Padded shorts are nice to have too. You'll hit with your hip sometimes. Racing full-on skier slalom courses is the worst. In a flush it is very hard to clear both poles simultaneously. This is when I find they hit me in the head (its f'ing loud inside a full-face helmet). Ski poles will work, although 2x4s are nicer. Just make sure you sink them in behind the 2x4 that holds the timing wand. Sometimes they pull out when you yank on them. You can ask the starter and someone else to put their boots behind the 2x4 if they are loose. I've also used the shoulders of a couple course workers as a pull-out before (just ask nicely, they'll usually accommodate you because they think its funny to watch us bashing gates with no poles for protection). You could always get some ski racing poles with guards and just ride with them. I've done this. Its weird at first, but it does work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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