December 29th, 2024: Athlete Profile
Name: Kai Glidden (@kailidden)
Age: 20
Where do you live? I am from Maine, where I have spent most of my life, but I currently live in Montana as I pursue a college education and explore a new region of skiing.
What are you studying/what do you do for work? I am studying Aeronautical Science at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. I am currently working towards becoming a commercial pilot.
Where do you spend the most of your time skiing? Most of my time has been spent skiing at my home mountain Sugarloaf and in backcountry terrain around the northeast. I now split my time between the east coast and the Beartooth and Bridger Mountains in Montana.
If you can share them, what are your ski objectives or projects for this winter? If conditions and timing work out, I would love to ski Airplane in the Great Gulf. I’ve been eyeing this run for a few years and I hope everything lines up to make it happen this season.
Are there any specific peaks or routes you dream of doing? I have always dreamed of skiing Mount Katahdin. Maine is home to such a remote, extreme mountain that contains some incredible backcountry skiing so close to home, yet I have never made it up there. This is high on my list and would be a highly rewarding trip for me.
How long have you had these Central Park Ski Club grips? I got my grips in March of 2021. These grips have traveled the world with me, from Tuckerman Ravine to the French Alps and beyond. They’ve held up very well over hundreds and hundreds of ski days.
Do you have a favorite trip or day where they accompanied you? April 2023, Iceland. It was a beautiful day, hiking above a patchy layer of clouds with stunning views of the mountains and sea below. Great turns, fabulous photos, and endless memories were made surrounded by friends and family.
Favorite ski touring snack? Salami and cheese and a Snickers bar!
What item(s) never leave your pack (besides avalanche gear)? I always carry my camera with me. I hate missing a good photo opportunity!
October 25th, 2024: Athlete Profile
Name: Alexander Dyson
Age: 32
Where do you live? Farmington, CT
What are you studying/what do you do for work?
I’m a residential carpenter. Additions, renovations, remodeling… usual carpenter stuff! White oak flooring a 2 story addition we built at the moment.
Where do you spend the most of your time snowboarding?
I’m in the Whites as often as possible in the winter, both for splitboarding and ice climbing. I sleep at Harvard Cabin on Mt. Washington quite a bit. Mohawk Mountain in Connecticut is my spot if I’m just getting an uphill workout with a quick commute. Mt. Snow if I’m on the solid board trying to hit some rails for a day trip with the homies.
If you can share them, what are your ski objectives for this winter?
Well I signed back up for Last Skier Standing! Last year was my first go at it. Made it 25 hours with 28,000ft of uphill; second to last splitboarder standing. 25 hours was my goal for that year so I was content; this year I’d like to give a more competitive bid for last splitter standing!
I’m also just still stoked to be getting better at riding and moving in consequential terrain. I only started splitting 3 years ago and seriously snowboarding 4 years ago, but I grew up skateboarding so the board always felt right. But there’s always so much to learn… from hucking 360’s, to avy skills, to first aid and SAR skills… there’s so much that goes into being a good touring partner and I want to make sure anyone who tours with me is in good hands. I place a high value on backcountry education.
What are your motivations in the mountains?
I love the freedom, the movement, the new experiences. I love pushing my limits and trying new things; from running 100 miles, to climbing gorgeous alpine rock, to pointing my board down some steeps. But most of all, I’m motivated by that feeling the mountains give you, of how insignificant we all are in this vast universe, and that we all need to cherish the fact that we’re just an array of stardust with a consciousness… and that consciousness is elevated with some jibbing.
Are there any specific peaks or routes you dream of doing?
I’m hoping to use my alpine tent to get deeper in the Whites than usual this winter. Maybe some cool stuff in Great Gulf or the Pemi. We’ll see what happens!
How long have you had these Central Park Ski Club grips?
Got them February 2023, this will be their 3rd season.
What’s your grip setup (i.e. what poles are you using them with and why)?
I’m running them on Black Diamond Alpine Carbon trekking poles. They’re a collapsible 3 section pole, perfect for packing away for when the split turns into a board. I used these poles when I hiked the Appalachian Trail southbound in 2020, they’re very sentimental. They’re also incredibly light with plenty of strength, and with a 16” touring grip they make for some lethal splitboard poles.
Favorite ski touring snack?
Snickers are the perfect backcountry snack. Widely available, great macros for endurance, tasty nougat and caramel!
What item(s) never leave your pack (besides avalanche gear)?
My little mirrorless camera, a Canon M6 Mark ii. Always worth the hassle to capture those core memories.
October 15th, 2024: Athlete Profile
Name: Thomas DiPietro (@tdipietro20)
Photo Source: Jeb Wallace-Brodeur (@jebphoto)
Age: 22
Where do you live? Burlington VT
What are you studying/what do you do for work?
I'm pursuing my master’s degree in environmental engineering at the University of Vermont
Where do you spend the most of your time skiing?
I do most of my skiing at Stowe in Vermont. While it might not be the most popular pick among certain crowds, the terrain is still some of the best in the East, and the access to side-country zones is unbeatable. The FourRunner quad is a staple of Stowe skiing and is my go-to lift. I mean 2000 vertical feet in less than 10 minutes!? Nowhere else on the east coast can you find that. When I can, I do a fair bit of backcountry skiing. Vermont’s Green Mountains and New Hampshire’s White Mountains are home to some of the best backcountry skiing around. If you know where to go, there are some amazing zones.
If you can share them, what are your ski objectives for this winter?
My main ski objective is to ski as much as I can. That’s always the main objective, right? For me, I just want to get on snow as many days as school, the weather, and my body will allow. Aside from that, learning a proper 360 is on tap for this year.
Are there any specific peaks or routes you dream of doing?
One line that I dream of doing is the Legends Couloir on Mt. Xalibu in Quebéc. Last year my partners and I had to bail after finding instabilities in the snowpack. That line may be one of the coolest in the east and I plan on a second attempt this year.
How long have you had these Central Park Ski Club grips?
I’ve had the CPSC grips for a year now. I absolutely love them. I put them on some light nonadjustable poles, and they are perfect. For backcountry skiing they are great because you just adjust your hand position instead of adjusting the pole. Admittedly, they’re much more durable than I would have guessed. After a year of whacking the bottom of ski boots, hitting branches out of the way, being tossed under skis in the car, and close to 75 rough days on the hill, they have nothing more than cosmetic blemishes. I am super stoked to use them again this year!
Favorite ski touring snack?
My favorite touring snack hands down is pocket pancakes. Make some Kodiak Cake protein pancakes with chocolate chips that morning or the night before and throw them in your bag or jacket. It is perfect for a yummy and efficient snack in the backcountry or even the resort when it’s just too good to stop.
What item(s) never leave your pack (besides avalanche gear)?
Two items that never leave my pack are my Leatherman and a couple Heli straps. The Leatherman is so versatile for so many issues you may run into. Heli straps are like reusable duct tape. They are good for anything from a broken skin clip, broken ski boot buckle, to a snapped
February 28, 2023: DO NOT USE HOT GLUE OR SUPER GLUE
Not a lot to say on this other than do not use any fast stetting glue: being super glue, hot glue gun, or fast stetting epoxy. It will set too fast and it won't allow to to position the grip correctly.
January 26, 2023: Costs Increases - Grips
To be completely transparent with the $5 increase in the price for ski pole grips, I thought it would be helpful to explain the increase, in case anyone has been looking to buy grips. Historically, we've shipped grips with plastic end caps, which had negligible costs per pair. In the past few weeks -- and after a lot of work -- we finally sourced metal end caps with self-expanding washers. These are a more robust and durable product and will have better applications on the hill. The convex metal end-cap feels better in the palm of your hand if you prefer the "walking cane" (if you see it you'll know what I'm talking about) style when ski touring and will be more durable if you flip the poles upside down as an impromptu ice axe when boot packing. As expected, with a more engineered product comes higher costs, and that's what is reflected in the $5 price increase.
BUT WAIT THERES MORE... we have become "more intelligent" with our shipping costs for regional zones (think Northeast, Midwest, Central, West Coast, etc.) and have reduced the price of shipping. The reduction in shipping GRIPS ONLY almost or entirely offsets the price increase of the grips for most shipping locations.
November 2, 2022: Shipping Costs
It is no surprise to anyone that they've heard the "cost of shipping" has gone up in the last two years. Personally, I hadn't noticed it and only heard anecdotal evidence that prices "have increased". That was until April of 2022. The most noticeable impacts came after changes to shipping policies by USPS. Starting April of this year, USPS has instituted new fees for packages of "nonstandard" length and/or density (cubic feet). Specifically, how it relates to ski poles is that "For packages over 30 inches in length, the fee goes up to $15.". On average, this increases prices for us to ship 3x what it costs previously as our packages are typically 50 inches long. So given everything that I said, what are we going to do about it... the short answer is nothing. We've always kept a flat price for shipping based on regional averages and the plan is to keep those prices consistent. For the time being, we will eat part of that shipping increase until we deem it unsustainable. At that point we will post here to the change.
To stay competitive in the market and continue to grow I think the best thing to do is be transparent about the pressures we are facing and keep prices separate so customers can understand the breakdown for what they're paying for. We'll continue to monitor prices, absorb the prices where we can, and be as transparent as possible with the goal of offering high-quality ski poles at a competitive price point.
USPS Will Add New Shipping Fees, Starting April 3 — Best Life (bestlifeonline.com)