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Central Park Ski Club Pole Grips, and Other Musings on Ski Poles

By

Gavin Hess

adjustable poles

Morgan McGlashon, skiing better than I can with her poles adjusted appropriately short.

We tested the Central Park Ski Club pole grips, and in choosing a pole to pair with the grips, had some deep thoughts on ski poles.   I will admit some level of absurdity here… I spent excessive time thinking about ski poles while waiting for the snow to fly this fall/early winter. I have…

Responses

  1. Ethan Ayer

    I assumed that ski poles would be the one gear item that I would never need to update. I’ve been using BD Traverse Whippet Ready Ski Poles because every once in a while during high alpine ski objectives I find having a whippet ready can be useful. Not anymore. I swapped poles with a partner and tried his Les batons d’alain and I was sold after a day. The seamless shifting hand positions on uphill switchbacks or adjusting to a long length to skate out a long flat area increases just enough efficiency to keep pace with my strava bro friends. The lower swingweight is also a noticeable difference. Essentially, it’s one less thing I need to fiddle during a tour and they all but disappear from my conscience. Its worth considering what pole will work for you.

  2. Alex Hatcher

    I’ve been using the CPSC grips on my retro-fitted Oxus poles for about a season and a half (I came to the same disappointed realization that Black Crows changed the grips). My two cents:
    -long grips are nice for me. My hands are sensitive to cold (Reynauds Syndrome), and I enjoy being able to choke up on foam while skinning
    -this might be obvious, but if I’m planning on bringing a whippet pole, I can’t pair that with my long grip. It feels asymmetrical, given that my gripped poles are longer, and I often choke down.
    -the durability of the foam and the caps is pretty average. I think they’re moreso meant for resort skiers. The foam gets a chunk or two ripped out each month, and the caps have nicks and cracks on them. For the price, it’s fine. But I don’t expect these grips to endure year after year. Especially with how frequently I do the “upside down pole” technique in firm snow.

    1. Central Park Ski Club

      Hey Alex- We are so sorry to hear you’re having an issue with the grips. Sending you an email now

    2. Alex Hatcher

      I stand corrected. My Oxus black crows poles broke before the CPSC grips I applied to my other poles. They’ve probably lasted 2 seasons now. Let their longevity be a testament to their quality, compared to the poles.

  3. Will Tabor

    I can echo the sentiment of long poles with long grips. Skiing with 135cm poles is funky, but sure is nice on every other aspect of a ski tour. I have used the CPSC grips on a pair of goodwill poles for a hot minute now that are the exact length I like to ski with and do alright on the flat walk out. My reservation towards going back to adjustable poles is the fact that I’m pretty hard on stuff; either the adjustable clips stop working or I bend the lower. Gavin, have your adjustable poles been magically shortening at all? Or is that just a thing of the past?

    1. Gavin Hess

      Magic shortening, unfortunately, remains an issue. I continue to forget to tighten up the flicklock mechanism, as I reckon that would sole the issue. The adjustable poles certainly feel less robust than a fixed aluminum option, but I have been enjoying the adjustability enough to stick with it, for now.

  4. Slim

    I am planning the same set up. I got my youngest kid some cheap, light, carbon 3 piece poles from Amazon, 3 years ago, that have worked well for her, but the foam grip loosened and tore, so this was a great replacement option (although it cost the same as the entire poles, )

  5. Slim

    For myself, I have been very happy with my ~10 year old pair of 2 piece Komperdell Carbon poles. They have full carbon upper and lowers, but the bottom ~10” of the lower is covered in an aluminum sleeve. Does negate the swing wight advantage of carbon, but has also kept them in good shape, despite summer and winter use in rocky terrain.
    I am tall, and an XC skier, so I can not bear to use short poles on flat skins. For me, that ,eans the 145cm is the absolute minimum length.
    But, for steep descending, I ski at ~132cm.
    I have considered finding a rare 145cm baton, but between price, plastic caps, and a good experience with my 2 piece poles so far, it seemed that I’d be better served with the Central Park grips on my current pole, because they address the one thing I don’t like about them: fat grip means hard to plunge into snow.

    I am still debating between the fixed wrist loops like Gavin, or a slider loop.
    Last March I skied spring snow in Italy, and our guide suggested using wrist straps, reasoning that the risk of loosing a pole was (much) bigger in the firm spring snow, than that of avalanches. Makes sense to me.

  6. Alex Reed

    Can folks share their thoughts on grip style? During the last few seasons i’ve found myself unconciously shifting towards gripping my adjustable poles below their handle , as if they are magic wands, instead of holding them by their hand grip. I’ve noticed this grip style appearing elsewhere here and there…whats up with that?

    1. Jason Albert

      Hey Alex…regarding the elongated grip, they allow for the user to choke up or down on the ~top 1/3 of the ski pole while still allowing for proper grip (meaning no magic wands as you noted). When side hilling, we often choke down on the pole (uphill side pole) and the extended grip makes it easier to adjust your hand up or down the pole so your shoulders remain level (read as comfortable). These aftermarket grips are a good option, while most, if not all pole companies, sell some iteration of an extended grip. Let us know if this does not answer all your questions or you need some specific pole recommendations.

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