If you are a parent of a young child, then I guarantee they are bugging you for ski poles. Unless your child is 7, do not relent! Let’s dive into the right age for Ski Poles.
Why is 7 the right age to get ski poles?
Well, let us first explore what a ski pole is:
A ski pole is a really helpful tool in more advanced skiing, and it helps with turning mechanics and propelling skiers around on the mountain both up and downhill. Poles are also used by skiers to push themselves upright after a fall. To support the weight skiers put on poles, manufacturers typically make poles out of metal tubes. To ensure ski poles can bite into icy snow, manufacturers ensure poles have a tapered tip with angular edges.
Why are ski poles dangerous?
If you have seen a kid running with a stick, you know instinctively what some of the problems are right off the bat:
- Kids have a hard time thinking about their movements and how they impact others, particularly when their movements are extended beyond their normal range by sticks, shovels, or other long implements. I often see kids in a lift line turn to talk to someone and have their poles swing to hit someone near them.
- If provoked, a young kid will lash out with whatever is in their hand without thinking of the potential harm they can do. Doing this with a metal tube with a sharp tip can create a lot of pain.
And, while you and I might see a ski pole as a very useful metal pole with a sharp tip for navigating through crusty snow, I have seen children think:
A ski pole is a spear
A ski pole is a sword
A ski pole is a bat
A ski pole is an M16A2 service rifle with an RPG, bayonet, grenade launcher, and laser gun attached
Kids, and especially boys, love to play with ski poles. I will not hypothesize here about why the shape of ski poles are so appealing to them, but they are irresistible toys that ultimately turn into weapons in the hands of young kids.
So, why is 7 the right age to get ski poles?
At age 7, kids generally seem to have better body awareness, and understand some of the ramification of swinging things in their hands and hitting someone accidentally. They also have developed the ability to think through the consequences of hitting someone with a ski pole before whacking someone with it. Finally, they have a limited ability to not sword fight or otherwise use their ski poles as a play weapon.
You will know your child best, but in the hundreds of kids I have seen on the hill, age 7 seems to be the right break point. When you do give your child poles, be clear about these rules:
- If a pole is used as a play weapon, it is taken away for the rest of the day
- If a pole is used to hit someone else, it is taken away for some longer amount of time and accompanied by some other restriction
What ski pole should I buy for my child?
Many poles come with a season rental, so only buy poles if you are also buying skis and boots. When you choose a pole, I strongly suggest getting something adjustable, to make sure you can use your poles over multiple seasons. Here’s one we recommend:
If you are looking for other great tips on kids ski gear, you will find more on our Gear Recommendations site.
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Thank you for this carefully considered recommendation! I also appreciate the pole rules with natural consequences.
Question: if you have a 7+ child who has not yet mastered skiing, would you still recommend giving him poles? Or are poles only useful for skiers who have a certain level of proficiency?
Great question and it is a nuanced answer.
Poles will not be a big help for your child when they are first learning to ski, but there is a lot of social pressure to get them early in the learning process. Plus, if all the other kids have poles, it can be hard to keep up. So, here’s my recommendation:
1. Definitely get poles from the rental shop if you are renting — your child will want them sometime through the season and poles come free with a season rental.
2. If you are sending your child into group lessons, follow what the instructor or ski school program want to do. At Sky Tavern, every kid over 6 gets poles on day 1, mostly for standardization, so I would follow their lead.
3. If you are teaching your child yourself or using a private lesson, then I would set a goal of independently skiing down your mountain’s equivalent of the green traversing run across the mountain — a.k.a. ‘Easiest Way Down’ or ‘Around the World’ — before introducing poles. This way you do not have the distractions of poles while learning early ski technique, and you have a clear goal your child can achieve to ‘earn’ poles. Be ready to ski with them without poles on some of these early runs to help make them feel comfortable.
Does that help?
That is incredibly helpful! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. Very much appreciated!