For decades, these poles were made of bamboo which varied in length according to the various techniques of the day. Early bamboo poles were equipped with large, floppy baskets usually made of woven leather.

In 1938, due to unprotected cane’s tendency to split, the trend shifted towards coated cane poles. Some new types to emerge included a shaft of cane which was protected by a color coated fiber husk. Most of these were made in Europe such as the Austrian Ingab. However, a pole of this same type called the GB Texoid shaft was manufactured in the United States.

Some manufacturers utilized a process of dipping the cane in a plastic type paint. This was called Duraloid. The dipped canes were more economical but not as durable as the fiber coverings. Metal shafted poles were also becoming increasingly popular following their advent in 1937.

By 1940 there were a great many types of poles on the market ranging from the ordinary cane pole at about two dollars a pair to the latest steel shaft poles at about six dollars and fifty cents a pair. Every pole had a leather wrist strap properly designed for the correct hand grip.

Otto Lang’s Poles of Steel
Otto Lang first came to the United States in 1935 as a ski instructor fresh from Hannes Schnieder’s Arlberg School in St. Anton, Austria. After instructing for a short time with Sid Buchmayr at Peckett’s on Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, Lang decided to head west to Mt. Ranier where he established his own official Arlberg ski school at the Paradise Lodge.

Being an entrepreneur, he soon began to work with ski manufacturing corporations in an effort to establish his name. After designing his first successful ski for Anderson and Thompson, the early ski equipment firm in Seattle, Lang suggested that A&T sell a steel pole designed to his specifications.

Having grown frustrated with splintering bamboo poles Lang became inspired by a set of True Temper golf clubs with stepped steel shafts. After bending and manipulating the steel golf club shaft Lang was convinced that the steel material would make the ideal ski pole.

When A&T gave its approval, Lang went to the golf shaft makers, American Fork and Hoe in Cleveland, and contracted with them to make the shaft with a special curved tip. The prototype succeeded in meeting Lang’s expectations. It was incredibly strong yet remained flexible when pressure was exerted upon it.

Wendell Trosper, a Mt. Ranier climbing guide who worked for A&T, was given the responsibility of individually assembling the shaft, grip and basket on every Lang pole sold. Unfortunately, A&T’s experimental product budget was limited and they were unable to properly market the new design. As a result, sales were slow.

Following the outbreak of World War II in Europe, American Fork and Hoe acknowledged the great demand for steel and responded by converting their factories into war production facilities. This put a halt to A&T’s production of the Lang pole.

Following the war, Lang returned to Sun Valley to head the ski school there. He spent his summers learning to direct Hollywood films with the legendary Darryl F. Zannuck. Between his two busy careers, Lang had little time to pursue any further interest in equipment design. Other metal poles were developed after the war but A&T never revived the Lang Pole. Nonetheless, Otto Lang had made his mark on ski equipment history. According to the currently available historical record, his pioneer steel ski pole, introduced in 1937, was the very first of its kind.

"Ski poles should be sturdy but light. The material which fills both these requirements best is hollow steel. Aluminum, though not as resilient as steel, stands up a lot better than bamboo which cracks and splinters in quick temperature changes. Pole shafts ought to be of tapered design, narrowing towards the rings; this is important for the sake of correct balance, since ski poles are used less and less for propulsion uphill and cross-country, and more and more only for aiding balance downhill. Watch that the snow rings are of light metal with oiled leather lacings solidly attached to the rim; that pole grips are of genuine rubber, or of strong, pliable leather sewn tightly around the shaft with tough twine; that the wrist sling consists of a reversed leather loop widening to a minimum of 7/8 of an inch at the wrist, with a total circumference of 15 inches."

Of the steel shafted poles, the European made Tangval pole was the most popular. Several American manufacturers designed poles that matched the Tangval’s properties. One of these was the GB steel shafted pole which featured the new Flexo-Ring. Prior to this, all ski pole basket rings had been made of rattan or light metal laced with leather. The Flexo-ring was the first rubber basket ring to be manufactured in the United States. Rubber rings had considerable advantages over rattan and were also made available in lower priced poles.

Aluminum, though widely available and considered a step up above bamboo, was thought to be of a secondary quality compared to steel. This would change in 1959 when Ed Scott of Sun Valley introduced his revolutionary aluminum alloy poles. Scott’s poles were lighter and had a much better balance than either bamboo or metal. Since then, lightweight metal poles, utilizing material from the war era to the space age, have become the industry standard.

Along with breakthroughs in materials, refinements have also been made in pole shaft design. These include curved shapes for the aerodynamic and swingweight efficiency commonly sought after by racers, built-in shock-absorbers for mogul skiers who make aggressive pole plants, and adjustable poles which can be shortened or lengthened depending upon the changing needs of the skier.

The companies currently manufacturing ski poles in the United States include the following:

Allsop • Life-Link • Atomic • Reflex • Goode • Scott • Ice • Smith • Kerma • Swix • Leki • Tomic