Hi everyone,

My school team is creating a pole for snowboarders to have when they hit flat trails and don't want to unbind and rebind or to duck walk. Basically it's a pole that extends and can be used to push yourself through the snow. It is collapsible to the width of your board and is stored by clipping it into a plastic clip on the snowboard. Please tell us what you think about it by taking our survey. It would be a great help!!! Thank you very much!!

Survey link: http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=1152123

Our website is: http://www.s09x04t05.info/

BU grad here... i remember my roommates killing themselves over this project.

in all honesty, the pole doesn't seem too practical... aluminum clips will not hold this thing in place through the rigors of actual snowboarding... you'll clip it in, and after a run, look down, and it will be gone... could pose some safety issues as it will be loose and can become dislodged... it seems like it would also take too long to extend and then get it back to its 9 inch size and clipped back in... actually reaching down and unstrapping your backfoot to skate then strapping back in seems more practical and quicker... plus this thing has got to be strong... you have to realize that a rider will be pushing him/herself off with this thing from most likely a dead stop... that's a lot of stress you have to apply to this telescoping pole... better make sure that whatever this thing is made of can withstand a lot of pressure; the less the amount of joints and moving parts, the better... will be a difficult thing to accomplish since this thing has to collapse to 9 inches and be able to be virtually unnoticeable when clipped in... small/thin enough to be light and unnoticeable? but burly enough to push a rider around? tough sell man...

the only place i can see this working and selling in is ski resort rental centers, for use on their beginner rental boards... and at the prices you want to sell this thing at, i don't see rental centers buying these things in bulk... the only riders who will really see the need for this type of 'helper' gizmo is a beginner... all other riders know how to hop across the flats, unstrap and skate, or just unstrap totally and walk... i understand the convenience angle you're going for, but in terms of practicality, ease of use, quickness of use, it just doesn't make sense to me, an experienced rider... it seems to me like a 'step-in binding' type of idea; a product meant to make snowboarding easier, but ultimately doesn't take off because it turns out it's easier to do it the old fashioned way... the way it looks, it sort of reminds me of something a backcountry rider would use (they love collapsible stuff); something you'd find at EMS or REI... however, an experienced backcountry rider wouldn't need a product like this... therein lies your conundrum... who is your target snowboarder? no need to tech it all out and sell it at ridiculous prices if you're going for beginners and rental centers... however if you do decide to tech it out and sell it at a premium, what experienced rider is going to buy it? hmmm...

anyway, i know how hard SMG core is though, so i wish you and your teammates lots of good luck... follow through on your project regardless of how crazy the idea is and you'll do fine... i mean my roomates that year came up with some ridiculous baby toy, but totally immersed themselves in it, and they ended up doing great

projects like this were so much easier in my advertising program...




[Edited by MelbaToasted on 3/18/2009 at 5:14 AM]

I'd prefer to carry around a battery powered jig saw to cut my board in half and ski across the flats

...or...you could just get up a ton of speed before the flat spot a ride through it (if you're afraid to go fast, then you should have to walk)

walking is actually good for your feet and gives them and the specific snowboarding muscles in your legs the kind of break riding on the lift can't.

Anyway, a pole is only going to be good on hardpack...anything deeper and your walking anyhow.  Not saying a pole is a horrible idea (better than "flincerts" or "storm" boards)...but it's just too lazy for me. 

Strapping the pole to the board is no good though...that's what backpacks are for.  Or, make it so collapsible, it fits in a jacket pocket

you can also try learning to duck walk.

1st time i saw pole use while snowboarding was in this vid, looks silly ... i dont want to carry one, you lose some freedom i feel, pushing with one arm is awkward, your better off challenging yourself to build speed and maintain it, pump your legs, hop around, stay on edge, switch stance

I noticed some boarder stuck in some powder with a pole the other day... I dunno if it was actually his or the skier that was near him gave it to him. Either way it seems kind of pointless if you ask me.

I used poles the other day... they were my friends who is a skier and only reason I used them was because there was an inch of water at the bottom of the hill and pushing would have taken about 5 minutes and gotten my foot completely soaked and ruined my  day.  Other than that though walking or pushing is usually a lot easier.

i think even by just unstrapping and pushing with one foot it will still be faster and less awkward than using a pole. i would never use one or encourage anyone to buy one, as you get better your chances of getting stuck in flat spots decrease and you wouldnt want to carry the exess baggage around with you.

ski pole + avy probe

boom, done

there if you want it, out of the way if you don't

oh look these already exist


[Edited by legallyillegal on 3/19/2009 at 11:06 PM]

Posted by windonfire

Retractable pole came with my snowshoes, but I still don't use them

 

Or you can get one of there silly fuckers!

Any good snowboarder doesn't need a pole. If it's enough of a flat to need more momentum than you can possibly gain, you may as well walk it, because talking out of experience here, a pole and a sideways stance do not play nicely.

Posted by murray_p

Posted by windonfire

Retractable pole came with my snowshoes, but I still don't use them

 

Or you can get one of there silly fuckers!

 

i remember something similar to that years ago, it was in a mag back when shorty's had a team, it was called a crosscountry snowboard and it had a chainsaw motor with a hand controler this one looks more bulky and harder to use than the one that was made 10 years ago.

Posted by windonfire

Posted by murray_p

Posted by windonfire

Retractable pole came with my snowshoes, but I still don't use them

 

Or you can get one of there silly fuckers!

 

i remember something similar to that years ago, it was in a mag back when shorty's had a team, it was called a crosscountry snowboard and it had a chainsaw motor with a hand controler this one looks more bulky and harder to use than the one that was made 10 years ago.

 

That was the board I was looking for murray_p, I remember see it in shed mag ads back in the day, but that other one was the only one that came up in my searches. I would buy one of those other one right now if I could find it

I usually just steal one of my brothers poles when i get to a flat area because he skis so its all good ^.^

Years back, my brother and I got into an argument.

He said skins and splitboards were stupid; why don't people just walk.

I believe I won that argument.

these have been made, marketed, and failed many times. look into the history of the product, you might not want to try it...

yo tuukaa, dont be tryin to leave this thread with your dirty 1st post so you can send lame msg's to all of us about how we can make 30% of your 50 billion 

taken back

pole poll?

When riding slackcountry/sidecountry with my solid board, I more often than not have a pole or two with me (flicklock Black Diamonds), attached to my pack. They weigh nothing, don´t get in the way, and the pack is with me at all times anyway (avy gear). When I do find use for them, they´re neat. When splitboarding, they´re always with me for obvious reasons. I sometimes ride with one pole collapsed for braking a fall in gnar places, if such should occur.

stupid idea.