Skier Invents Rear-View Ski Pole Attachment
Ideas float around the ski community like fat flakes on a powder day: flashing lights to use as turn signals on crowded trails at the resort. Beer can opener ski bindings. That sort of thing.
The latest invention? A rear-view mirror powder basket for the end of your ski pole, so you can "always see what's going on behind" you.
The YouTube channel Unnecessary Inventions explains that "it works like an oversized ski basket that attached to any pole."
Any pole? This looks like a sturdy all-mountain pole. How about ultra-light touring poles? We all know how important packing heavy, random equipment is to backcountry skiers.
But this is a new-fangled invention. It's far out. Perhaps there's something here. After all, powder skis were seen as crazy when they first came out, until they became almost ubiquitous on the slopes.
I have so many questions. Number one: is it heavy?
Number two: are you worried about what would happen if you crash? You can't look two ways at once. When skiing, looking forward is typically the priority.
Number two: does this work in deep snow? I could see this thing struggling through Sierra Cement in the trees. Talk about getting stuck in a tree well, now it's your pole to be worried about!
But good ideas are never appreciated in their time. How about the positive applications here: going across a traverse, you can see if there's a line behind you or if it's safe to stop and rest (although, it's really never advised to stop on a traverse).
Running a train on a feature is a lot more fun when you can see your friends moves behind you.
And... cool photo ops, maybe? A film made solely looking through mirrors of people skiing and spraying pow to cover them up could be an artsy, hipster-type hit.
A segment looking back into a couloir from the perspective of Cody Townsend would be pretty sweet from this thing.
The ball's in his court now.
Related: Satellite Images Document California's Rapidly Improving Snowpack
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