Ski pole facts for kids
Ski poles are carried by skiers to help them not falling over. They are called "ski sticks" in the United Kingdom. In France, they are called "batons".
Description
Ski poles in alpine skiing are shorter than ski poles in Nordic skiing. Longer ski poles are used in cross country and free style skiing.
They are made from metal or composite material.
History
Ski poles have been used for a long time. People first used one ski pole when skiing. The first ski poles could also be used as a weapon. A flat circle was put near the bottom of the ski pole in the 17th century. This made it so the ski pole would not go all the way down to the ground. People started to use two ski poles by the start of World War I.
A steel ski pole was first made in 1937. It was invented by Otto Lang. Before this, some people used bamboo for ski poles. More and more people started using metal ski poles after World War II.
Lots of changes were made to ski poles from 1950 to 1975.
Images for kids
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Anna Haag using poles for cross-country skiing
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Wooden Cross Country ski poles, circa 1950.
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Ski pole grip with adjustable strap
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Note straight carbon-kevlar slalom poles with guards and small baskets
