J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Iceman

Hmmm, what Leki do is EXACTLY what I had in mind :twisted:

2 questions

1. Do you have to have a special pole of can the Iceman Strap be fixed to traditional pole handles?

2. Do the poles have straps that clip in or is it straight onto the glove?

Glad someone else is with me on this :thumbup:

I see their 14S poles with trigger clip are over £100

Mine will be significantly cheaper :shock:

Hmm, Ally Good points there - especially getting your pole stuck in something (no comments please,wibble free zone)

How about, if it was developed so it had a quick release on it so if it gets stuck at speed or on a chair left it would simply release? But dragging along the floor it would not.

It is important to remember that the current design for ski poles is not so they have a quick release mechanism. The awful accident that you had Ally would not be made worse by the Iceman Clip.

I know one of the first pieces of info an instructor gives beginners is how to hold a pole so you dont break your thumbs!

Building in somekind of release mechanism would actually take it past the needs of the current pole.

I appreciate all of your points here (apart from the northern monkey ones....)

Snapzzz - with these straps you dont need to unclip all of the time. opening your hip flask as an example you can simply let go of your poles and use your hands while they hang down?

You know it's all true and you love it ;)

Snapzzz wrote:I may be the only one here with this thought but......in all honesty i don't really like the idea of tumbling with a metal spiky pole attached to me.
Like my skis, if i fall (especially violently) i would want all my kit detached from me.

Skiing deep powder is obviously less risky and i wouldn't want to loose my poles so i would prob be a little happier there.

But thats my point. They would not be near you. When you fall over and are in danger of losing your poles you are usually sliding. It is this motion that makes the poles come loose and stay at the top of the hill. If you have the 'Iceman Clip' they will simply drag behind you. The current design strap does not have the same effect as a binding.

Andy - The Northern lad is "up" from you, not "down" :)

Edited my initial post now to include another development

Hear what you say Snapzzz, but in my experience even when the straps are loose I still struggle to get my hands through the straps. You know how quick it is to undo the clip on your helmet, I imagine that unclipping a pole is just as quick? It is just the same as faffing about when you have your hands through straps?

Ian - this is one of my more serious posts and you have just wibblised it ;)

Ok, off to the Patent office.

I will give you all reduced price version if you want it!

When I went skiing in January I thought of an invention,it seems such an obvious thing I am sure there is a reason why it is not invented already?

The situation:

1. Skiing down a run (applicable at all levels of skiing), you fall over at quite some pace. Skis & poles flapping around everywhere. When you stop at the bottom you realise that your poles came out of your hands just as you fell over - 50m up the slope.

2. Putting all your gear on at the start of the day, or after a rest. With bulky gloves/mittens it can be difficult to get your hands up through the straps on the poles. A general pain.

Solution

A different type of strap for the poles. Why is there a need to put your hand up through the strap? Why not have a simple strap that clips onto the glove. Imagine the type of clip that is on the chin strap of a helmet, that could then clip onto the gloves. That way, when I fall over I naturally open my hands and dont have to worry about the poles falling off. Also, when I start off I just clip on my poles and off I go!

They could be designed so they can replace current straps so they are not confined to the existing pole. There could be special gloves or possibly an add on to existing gloves that work with the poles. The gloves are the main challenge as far as I see it. But I am pretty sure there is a way round that and selling a package. If someone has the gloves required they can still hire gear and use their gloves/straps package with those poles.

As far as I can see something like this does not exist. Is there some kind of reason - say a safety reason?

I have drawings and everything :)

I find mittens make things difficult - unzipping things, taking top off hip flask, unbuckling lid, tightening lid, opening sweets etc