Ski racing

[wwwon]

Some more training shots. SmartWombat wanted to see some after the pole was knocked to the ground.

C and C welcome.

[SmartWombat]

Again the first one I think is the best, with the head up and a great reflection of the right hand/arm in the goggles. I can see more snow spray now, that's good, and the snow coming up from where the bottom of the pole was ripped out - that's what I was hoping to see.
I think you've been caught out by a stray pole though, the right pole is cut off on the left of the image.

These are good, now can you get it as the pole hits the ground?
I am hoping that the bend/whip of the pole will show up as the angle of the lower leg pushes the pole down the shinguards towards the boots, just before the pole escapes and flips back up (or lays on the deck if hit hard enough).

I'm thinking back to Ski Sunday on BBC 2 where they did some fantastic slow motion and I was thinking "I'd want to shoot then (your fist shot as the pole starts to bend) and ooh, now now now !" as the pole was at its maximum bend and about to spring back.

My only time on skis was a dry slope, and I fell over at the bottom doing a balancing exercise - not a good sign and I think a hint that I shouldn't try it with a camera !

I can vaguely remember slalom on black & white TV (405 line, yes I am that old!) and thought the poles were rigid then. What brought about the change to these flexible poles ?

[wwwon]

Here is one with the gate laying almost on the ground before it comes back up.

I used to race with the non-hinged poles (I am that old also). They went to the new gates because:
- they lasted longer without breaking.
- the old gates were always falling out.
- the plastic ones came in colours where the old bamboo gates just used coloured tape.
- they are safer if you are sliding along the ground and hit one (it will lay down so you can slide over it)

[SmartWombat]

Thanks for the explanation.

I guess that one must have come off the pole and not the leg, by its position.
I like the angle of the ski poles here, going across the diagonals with the gates vertical, nice image !

Though I'm not sure I'd want to do it open face, if you get it wrong and don't catch the gate with the pole then it must hurt ! The helmet with the face guard looked like a good idea.

This one looks like it's been hit hard before, yet the bend in that first photo in the other thread I thought was just from the impact and it would straighten out.
Are the gates stiff enough to stay bent then?

So many questions from a few photos, I'm enjoying this !
Hope I'm not bugging you ...

[wwwon]

The kid in the other photo put the faceguard on after a bloody lip and a chipped tooth.

The strange bends in this picture are from the impact, they always return to be pretty much straight. They occasionally will snap in two, but not very often.

The portion of the pole that goes into the ground looks like a giant screw.We just drill a hole in the snow and then screw the base of the pole into the ground.

Also,Ask as many questions as you want. I don't mind at all.