When you first start skiing, a good ski pole as part of your ski gear is one that fits, but as you begin to ratchet up the days, personal preference comes into play. How they feel in your hands and weight become a factor. We take a deep dive on the LEKI Spitfire 3D Pole along with the Patrol 3D Glove.
Trigger 3D Pole/Glove Combo
Instead of just a strap on a pole, LEKI has designed a seamless connection between your glove and the pole. A small loop within their gloves lock into the pole’s grip. At the same, it has a safety release in case your pole or you get caught on something, protecting you against injury. Even if you don’t own a pair of their gloves, the Trigger 3D System Poles come with a strap mesh that you can put on any glove and still use their system.
Designed For Those Who Care
Photo by: Jaime Pirozzi – Local Freshies®
Our friend Darin Haworth, a sports chiropractor and an avid skier in Lake Tahoe, pushes himself on the slopes but at the same time takes calculated risks. One of those things is to NEVER use poles with leashes that don’t detach. What if he was bombing a chute and the pole got caught on something? He could tear out his shoulder, or worse, prevent him from working with his clients. No Bueno. The LEKI Spitfire 3D Pole got him curious since it’s designed to release if you do fall awkwardly.
Like A WWII Pilot
Throwing the mesh loop on his trusty gloves, in a quick jiff he hit the trigger on the pole and locked the gloves into them. And then he dropped into the first run. I slid up to him at the bottom and noticed he had a big grin on his face. He then proclaimed about the LEKI Spitfire 3D Pole…
These make you feel like a race car driver. Even if you aren’t going fast, you will feel like you can.
Having a trigger mechanism gives you this feeling of being a professional racer or fighter pilot. That you’re locking yourself in before taking off.
Like A Good Pair Of Slippers… On Your Hands
When he tried them with the Patrol 3D Glove, the well stitched cozy gloves made it an even more seamless connection. Right off the shelf, the glove’s lining felt soft and luxurious like a fancy pair of slippers. And the exterior looks the part as well.
Solid Construction
Another positive attribute of the LEKI Spitfire 3D Pole is that the grip construction is where your fingers should be. You would think a ski pole grip would be designed to fit your hands comfortably. You’d be shocked to find out that this isn’t the case a lot of times.
Things To Know
As with anything, even the best designs can’t cover EVERYONE’s needs or situations perfectly. Darin pointed out that on a deep powder day when you must push from the top of the pole, it unlatched a few times. And in the Sierra Cement, on one occasion he had to bang it to release. These were minor inconveniences for the safety release working appropriately in case of a crash.
Are The LEKI Poles Worth It?
Out of all the dozens of poles Darin’s tried, these are some of his favorites. The race car driver feel along with the correct grip mold make for a fun experience. Although they are on the heavier end weight wise for an aluminum pole, he’d rather have a bomb proof pole than one that could snap at a moment’s notice. The way to really go though is to buy both the Trigger 3D pole/glove combo from LEKI so you don’t even need the mesh strap.
