(Pole) Size Matters...

If you cross country ski, you know that it is important to have the right length of pole. And, of course, there is some variation, based on personal preference. This article gives a general guide. According to that guide, I "should" be skating with 145cms. Right... When I am on snow, I prefer a longer pole. I tend to swing my arms higher and really dig into the snow. However, that being said, terrain has something to do with it, too. I can get away with 150cm+ on a flat course, since I have pretty good technique on the snow for V2. But, on hilly courses, shorter is definitely better; I am doing way more V1, and steep hills make using long poles a beast.

Then we have playing on the road. Things are a little different on roller skis, in my experience.

In the first place, there is the issue of wheels vs. snow. If you are skiing on "real" roller ski wheels, you are more likely to emulate real snow conditions. In this case, the "normal" to longer pole length is fine. However, I prefer to use inline hockey wheels most of the off-season, for a number of reasons (which I will enumerate in a later post relative to wheels). This means I am going faster. This also means I want more control.

If you are new to roller skiing, the balance on the wheels--even real roller ski wheels--is a little weird, compared to snow. Hence, I really recommend using a shorter pair of poles. You won't have these long things flailing around, with the potential to get caught in A) your skis or B) a passing cyclist's wheels, a dog's leash, or the eye of an unsuspecting runner. But there are benefits to a shorter pole for me, when I am using my inline/polyurethane wheels.

Since I get going up to speed pretty fast, it starts to outpace my roller ski technique. I said I was good on the SNOW. I never said I was as good on the asphalt. The shorter pole keeps me from getting so much power out of my upper body--and, for a girl, I have a lot of power to be had from said upper body. In addition, this lesser speed + more control means it is a lot easier to do V2 on the asphalt. I may not look like this guy...

...but I look a lot better than I otherwise would, trying to move with longer poles. And, there are times when I need to use a shorter pole; I have occasionally problematic shoulders from a genetic abnormality, so using even normal length poles causes pain. But, using the short poles keeps the tendons from pinching too much, and I can rehab and ski all at the same time.

So, when it comes to working on technique on the asphalt, do one of two things: stick to real roller ski wheels and correct pole length, or if you want to use inline wheels, go with a slightly shorter pole. That's my two cents on the topic.