Skiing: How to Pole Plant

Pole planting is a useful tool anywhere on the mountain, but it’s especially helpful for maintaining control in off-piste skiing. In this Expert Advice video, Mac Lyon, from the Professional Ski Instructors of America, shows how to do blocking pole plants to negotiate steep slopes.

Transcript:
I'm Mac Lyon from the Professional Ski Instructors of America. Pole plants are really useful tools everywhere, but they really shine in off-piste skiing. In off-piste skiing I'm going to use a blocking pole plant. What that's going to do is I'm going to plant my pole at the same time as I set my edge and that's going to keep my upper body from accelerating down the hill. It's going to give me added control and it's really going to let me dictate my turns on steep terrain.

What that looks like is as I'm skiing I want to take my downhill hand and plant it at about a 45 degree angle in relationship to my skis. I really want that to be timed with my edge set. As I plant my pole and my edges are set, I want to slowly push my hand down the hill and ski around the pole so that I'm ready to be able to plant my other hand with my other edge set on the next turn.

Blocking pole plants are awesome to be able to use repetitively as you see fit for whenever you feel like you really need to dictate your turn shape and turn speed.

[jamesdunn]

A blocking pole plant increases your base of support.

[Crazy-Roland-vDrums]

THANKS 4 Video... sometimes you let the poles DRAG on the snow... why does no one discuss this?

[micwell]

would have like the vid if you would had given money takers, money grab, scammers call psia recognition