Up to 18 feet and counting.

This may go down as the wettest winter on record for us. We are at 18 feet
and it is still storming here in the Eastern Sierra.

In other issues: Someone commented that the most common skier injury was a
broken or "messed up" thumb. I suspect this is due to those "pistol grips".
If you guys have other info, please elucidate. I'm not talking about the new
ones with the guards to help deflect the gates--I haven't tried them, since
I'm not a racer. One of the few skiers I take serious constructive
criticism from (Richard "Dick" Williams--who must be 80 now) insisted I get
rid of mine years ago. Not only do they risk injury to thumbs but they
cause you drop your shoulder as you plant your pole--taking you off balance.
A lot of skiers I see don't have their pole straps on. I don't know if no
one teaches them how to wear them or if they like having ''yard sales".

wd

"Wayne Decker" wrote in message
. ..
This may go down as the wettest winter on record for us. We are at 18
feet and it is still storming here in the Eastern Sierra.

In other issues: Someone commented that the most common skier injury was
a broken or "messed up" thumb. I suspect this is due to those "pistol
grips". If you guys have other info, please elucidate. I'm not talking
about the new ones with the guards to help deflect the gates--I haven't
tried them, since I'm not a racer. One of the few skiers I take serious
constructive criticism from (Richard "Dick" Williams--who must be 80 now)
insisted I get rid of mine years ago. Not only do they risk injury to
thumbs but they cause you drop your shoulder as you plant your
pole--taking you off balance.

http://physiobench.com/articles/39/S...-and-Treatment

A lot of skiers I see don't have their pole straps on. I don't know if no
one teaches them how to wear them or if they like having ''yard sales".




Pole straps are a good way to cause injuries to the shoulder. Particularily
if you spend any time in or near trees. First time I cat skied one of the
first instructions the guide gave us (after the Avi course) was "No Pole
Straps".

Wayne Decker wrote:
This may go down as the wettest winter on record for us. We are at
18 feet and it is still storming here in the Eastern Sierra.

In other issues: Someone commented that the most common skier injury
was a broken or "messed up" thumb. I suspect this is due to those
"pistol grips". If you guys have other info, please elucidate. I'm
not talking about the new ones with the guards to help deflect the
gates--I haven't tried them, since I'm not a racer. One of the few
skiers I take serious constructive criticism from (Richard "Dick"
Williams--who must be 80 now) insisted I get rid of mine years ago. Not only
do they risk injury to thumbs but they cause you drop your
shoulder as you plant your pole--taking you off balance. A lot of
skiers I see don't have their pole straps on. I don't know if no one
teaches them how to wear them or if they like having ''yard sales".

I used some of those strapless poles for a bit, until I realized the extreme
pain I was getting in my little finger was caused by them.

NormG wrote:
"Wayne Decker" wrote in message
. ..
This may go down as the wettest winter on record for us. We are at
18 feet and it is still storming here in the Eastern Sierra.

In other issues: Someone commented that the most common skier
injury was a broken or "messed up" thumb. I suspect this is due to
those "pistol grips". If you guys have other info, please elucidate.
I'm not talking about the new ones with the guards to help deflect
the gates--I haven't tried them, since I'm not a racer. One of the
few skiers I take serious constructive criticism from (Richard
"Dick" Williams--who must be 80 now) insisted I get rid of mine
years ago. Not only do they risk injury to thumbs but they cause
you drop your shoulder as you plant your pole--taking you off
balance.

http://physiobench.com/articles/39/S...-and-Treatment

A lot of skiers I see don't have their pole straps on. I don't know
if no one teaches them how to wear them or if they like having
''yard sales".



Pole straps are a good way to cause injuries to the shoulder.
Particularily if you spend any time in or near trees. First time I
cat skied one of the first instructions the guide gave us (after the
Avi course) was "No Pole Straps".

Lose your poles, and you don't have a chance of performing a ski pole arrest on
icy surface falls.

"Bob F" wrote in message
...
NormG wrote:
"Wayne Decker" wrote in message
. ..
This may go down as the wettest winter on record for us. We are at
18 feet and it is still storming here in the Eastern Sierra.

In other issues: Someone commented that the most common skier
injury was a broken or "messed up" thumb. I suspect this is due to
those "pistol grips". If you guys have other info, please elucidate.
I'm not talking about the new ones with the guards to help deflect
the gates--I haven't tried them, since I'm not a racer. One of the
few skiers I take serious constructive criticism from (Richard
"Dick" Williams--who must be 80 now) insisted I get rid of mine
years ago. Not only do they risk injury to thumbs but they cause
you drop your shoulder as you plant your pole--taking you off
balance.

http://physiobench.com/articles/39/S...-and-Treatment

A lot of skiers I see don't have their pole straps on. I don't know
if no one teaches them how to wear them or if they like having
''yard sales".



Pole straps are a good way to cause injuries to the shoulder.
Particularily if you spend any time in or near trees. First time I
cat skied one of the first instructions the guide gave us (after the
Avi course) was "No Pole Straps".

Lose your poles, and you don't have a chance of performing a ski pole
arrest on icy surface falls.


I've always believed skiing should be fun. I don't find skiing on ice to be
fun and avoid it at all costs. Trees and powder on the other hand are a
great deal of fun. My likelyhood of beer before 4PM is inversely
proportional to the depth of new snow.

On Jan 2, 9:46*am, "Wayne Decker" wrote:
This may go down as the wettest winter on record for us. *We are at 18 feet
and it is still storming here in the Eastern Sierra.

I have been watching:

http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp013390.pdf

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/jspplot/jsp... val=&cookies=

I am planning a trip next week 10th-12th or more, staying cheap at
Econolodge and hitting both Mammoth and June. I haven't been up that
far for a couple of years. Any advice for a virtual newbie?

On Jan 2, 11:03*am, Richard Henry wrote:
On Jan 2, 9:46*am, "Wayne Decker" wrote: This may go down as the wettest winter on record for us. *We are at 18 feet
and it is still storming here in the Eastern Sierra.

I have been watching:

http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp013390.pdf

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/jspplot/jsp...sor_no=4166&en....

I am planning a trip next week 10th-12th or more, staying cheap at
Econolodge and hitting both Mammoth and June. *I haven't been up that
far for a couple of years. *Any advice for a virtual newbie?

SURE!!!!! Ski in UTAH!!! You can mooch a couch off your good friend
Shants Bob and show up at the Canyons.
A TWOFER!!!!!! Happy happy, joy joy. Not to worry, plenty of guys
for you to meet.
Amazing how your talk of a January Utah and Sun Valley trip vanished
the minute you heard I would be there.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHA
EMERGENCY MAMMOTH SKI TRIP!!!!!

On Jan 2, 10:46*am, "Wayne Decker" wrote:

In other issues: *Someone commented that the most common skier injury was a
broken or "messed up" thumb. *I suspect this is due to those "pistol grips".
If you guys have other info, please elucidate. I'm not talking about the new
ones with the guards to help deflect the gates--I haven't tried them, since
I'm not a racer. *One of the few skiers I take serious constructive
criticism from (Richard "Dick" Williams--who must *be 80 now) insisted I get
rid of mine years ago. *Not only do they risk injury to thumbs but they
cause you drop your shoulder as you plant your pole--taking you off balance.
A lot of skiers I see don't have their pole straps on. *I don't know if no
one teaches them how to wear them or if they like having ''yard sales".

A properly worn strap (up through the bottom, hand gripping pole w
strap supporting hand) allows one to "flick" the bottom of the pole
outward for the touch without excessive reaching and movement to the
upper body. The problem with those molded grips, aside from the thumb
damage, was that you could not "flick" them out. You had to turn your
palm down and rotate your elbow outwart to stick the tip of the pole
out at a rather akward angle.

All that is probably not a real big problem for the beginner
intermediate, back seat, can't link turns, type of skier (like YKW).
But makes a big difference when you reach the point that details
matter.

On Jan 2, 12:07*pm, pigo wrote:
On Jan 2, 10:46*am, "Wayne Decker" wrote:

In other issues: *Someone commented that the most common skier injury was a
broken or "messed up" thumb. *I suspect this is due to those "pistol grips".
If you guys have other info, please elucidate. I'm not talking about the new
ones with the guards to help deflect the gates--I haven't tried them, since
I'm not a racer. *One of the few skiers I take serious constructive
criticism from (Richard "Dick" Williams--who must *be 80 now) insisted I get
rid of mine years ago. *Not only do they risk injury to thumbs but they
cause you drop your shoulder as you plant your pole--taking you off balance.
A lot of skiers I see don't have their pole straps on. *I don't know if no
one teaches them how to wear them or if they like having ''yard sales".

A properly worn strap (up through the bottom, hand gripping pole w
strap supporting hand) allows one to "flick" the bottom of the pole
outward for the touch without excessive reaching and movement to the
upper body. The problem with those molded grips, aside from the thumb
damage, was that you could not "flick" them out. You had to turn your
palm down and rotate your elbow outwart to stick the tip of the pole
out at a rather akward angle.

Absolute bull****. Typical Bob Thompson.

All that is probably not a real big problem for the beginner
intermediate, back seat, can't link turns, type of skier (like YKW).

YKW? One thing for su showing up and spewing crap to my face is a
huge problem for YKW.

But makes a big difference when you reach the point that details
matter.

Bull****. Absolute bull****.

On 01/02/2011 12:46 PM, Wayne Decker wrote:
This may go down as the wettest winter on record for us. We are at 18
feet and it is still storming here in the Eastern Sierra.

In other issues: Someone commented that the most common skier injury was
a broken or "messed up" thumb. I suspect this is due to those "pistol
grips". If you guys have other info, please elucidate. I'm not talking
about the new ones with the guards to help deflect the gates--I haven't
tried them, since I'm not a racer. One of the few skiers I take serious
constructive criticism from (Richard "Dick" Williams--who must be 80
now) insisted I get rid of mine years ago. Not only do they risk injury
to thumbs but they cause you drop your shoulder as you plant your
pole--taking you off balance. A lot of skiers I see don't have their
pole straps on. I don't know if no one teaches them how to wear them or
if they like having ''yard sales".

wd

ski-injury.com says that thumb injuries account for 5%
of all alpine ski injuries, 3.5% of snowboarding injuries.
The also say that other studies put the rate at 10 to
15% of alpine injuries. The latter would make it close
to the what I had said earlier that thumb injury is
the most common injury a skier can expect to incur. The
ski-injury.com study does not support my statement. It may
well be that the disuse of strapless pole grips has
reduced the incidence of thumb injuries as you point out.
I never said my info was up to date.

I never use "strapless" ski pole grips. However, in certain
conditions I don't put my hands through the straps. If
I'm going in the woods never. I'd rather have my pole yanked
from my hand if it gets snagged than to leave my arm
back there. If I'm on a gentle slope where chances of a
fall are slight, I may or may not bother to use my straps.

Otherwise, I use the straps to ensure that when I pick
myself up, I still have my poles. I might need them to
ward off a snowboarder or two.

And yes, I don't think anyone teaches how to wear ski
pole straps. Hand up through the loop and down over the
strap and pole handle. I see so many that just put their
hand through the loop and grab the handle. The way I
describe is the only way a cross country pole is useful
and also helps when something yanks the pole.