Good karma gear

[Tricia]

Back in 2006, when I did my first ESA clinic at Stowe, I was using ski poles that were too long (48"). I was encouraged to get shorter poles, something more like 44" or 46". I was planning on going back home and start my research on new poles, but alas, on my last day at Stowe, I found a pair of Kerma poles, sort of beat up, but cut down to just about the right length for me. Evidently, someone left them behind in the parking lot. Having some experience with stuff that sits in lost and found forever, I went to lost and found, told them about the poles, gave them a description as well as my contact information with the disclaimer that I would happily ship these poles to their rightful owner at my expense if they contacted the resort to find them. If I didn't hear from them then I'd assume that these poles were meant to be mine. (keep in mind that they were pretty beat up)

FF a 4 years later, I was enjoying the Kerma poles, but I wanted something that wasn't so beat up, so I bought a pair of Goode carbon composite ski poles, which I quickly fell in love with. I skied with them for a couple hears, when I traded them with a woman At Copper Mountain who was skiing with an original pair of TheSki poles. I knew @Philpug had to have these to go with his TheSki.

A year later, Phil bought me a replacement pair of Goode poles, which I also loved, but in the mean time, I skied with my old Kermas, which felt soooo right.
Within a year I forgot my Goode poles at a ski test and knew they were gone forever, but I went back to my Kermas which did the same as they always did.

Last winter Phil bought me a pair of Goode ski poles to replace my beloved carbon composite poles that I'd left at the ski test. First day out with them, the strap fell off. When I got it back on, it felt off. There is nothing different from my old Goode poles that I liked so much, and I'll probably give them another try soon, but...They weren't the same.

I ended up going back to my Karma poles and felt like they are just good Karma for me.

I have quite the pole quiver at this time, some of which are throwback poles from Scott for TheSki and K2, but I always seem to go back to my Karmas.

Do you have a piece of gear that keeps coming back to you with good karma?

*sorry for the tedious post, but there is a 12 year time line here.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

My friend Tracey has lost her ski helmet several times and it always seems to find its way back to her. She's been skiing her whole life and only started wearing a helmet in recent years to set a good example for her daughter. She's left it behind either intentionally or subconsciously on more than one occasion in the last 7-8 years I've known her and people either know its hers and they grab it for her or it winds up in lost and found and she get it that way.

Not sure if this counts but we just find it funny. I just tease her that couldn't lose the helmet if she tries since it seems to have some boomerang mechanism attached to it.

 

[graham418]

Talk about a pole quiver!!

 

[Tricia]

Talk about a pole quiver!!

Right???

 

[Bad Bob]

Kerma has made a good ski pole for a long time. Gear like that is just fun to have around.

Have a pair in the Strato 102 color scheme I have been using since Jesus was in short pants. One of the baskets was melted years ago and could not find a replacement set so they got some powder baskets. After 50 or so years of use they are still kicking, today I will normally take out a pair of Scotts because I just don't trust the shafts that much anymore.

Also have a red & blue Head 1/4 zip nylon hooded shell, bought it for like $20 in about 1990. It has been lost and found MANY times. Found most recently last week unpacking a box after a couple of years of much needed rest.. It gets a new waterproofing and goes back into the rotation this winter.

Think I will write into my will to bury me in that thing, with my Kermas.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

while it's not actually "in" the will, everyone in my family and all my ski buddies know the kermas go with me.

using them since the early 70's -originally the handles and baskets matched the banana boots.
sadly the first year the original baskets were melted by a VW van heater on a road trip and one of the break away straps jumped off a chair into a powder field at Baker.

I've found the remaining strap still helpful in determining which way is left on those low light days.

a couple of times I've spent longer looking for those poles than i ever would for a ski .

 

[Tricia]

Well, there is more to this continuing saga of my good Karma Kermas...
I gave away my K2 poles to a friend who broke her ski pole last winter.

Going into the ski season, @Philpug insisted that I get some LEKI poles since I had the mittens with the loop and he wanted to see me with something more current.
He purchased a pair of the WC SL poles in pink. The learning curve of using LEKI Trigger Grip poles was short but I was having a hard time getting used to the weight of the poles.
A week ago, LEKI sent me a set of poles and gloves to write a review about the Carbon 14 Elite Lady pole/Glove combination. (Look for the review soon)

We have a winner! I have finally found a pole that can (and has) replaced my good Karma Kerma.

FF>> @Toni, the friend who I had given the K2 poles showed up at our house to pick up her skis, which Phil had waxed for her, told us she lost her K2 poles during a move. I have passed the Good Karma Kerma to her. I hope she finds as much good karma with them as I did.

 

[DanoT]

My Goode poles are the strongest, lightest, longest lasting poles I have ever owned and after thousands of days I literally wore the rubber off the hand grips.

While I couldn't find a retailer that stocked replacement grips, they were available on line but with a shipping to Canada cost that was slightly more than the grips themselves. So when we had the Pugski Gathering in Utah a couple of seasons ago, I went to the Goode factory in Ogden. They do not normally sell to the public out of the factory so their was no receptionist and no public entrance and all the doors were locked.

I went around to the back of the factory and knocked on a door. I told the guy who opened the door my story and he lead me to one of the office people who wrote me up a bill for the grips plus a pole tip and basket for a friend.

I was also offered a mini factory tour and found out that not only do Goode make skis (I knew that but had never seen any before) but they also make water skis.

I also had to ask: Goode is named after the founder and is pronounced "good" but they don't mind if you say "goody".

 

[Bad Bob]

My Goode poles are the strongest, lightest, longest lasting poles I have ever owned and after thousands of days I literally wore the rubber off the hand grips.

While I couldn't find a retailer that stocked replacement grips, they were available on line but with a shipping to Canada cost that was slightly more than the grips themselves. So when we had the Pugski Gathering in Utah a couple of seasons ago, I went to the Goode factory in Ogden. They do not normally sell to the public out of the factory so their was no receptionist and no public entrance and all the doors were locked.

I went around to the back of the factory and knocked on a door. I told the guy who opened the door my story and he lead me to one of the office people who wrote me up a bill for the grips plus a pole tip and basket for a friend.

I was also offered a mini factory tour and found out that not only do Goode make skis (I knew that but had never seen any before) but they also make water skis.

I also had to ask: Goode is named after the founder and is pronounced "good" but they don't mind if you say "goody".

EXCELLENT IDEA! I should go to the Kerma factory in France for new baskets. I like that idea.

 

[Tricia]

I was also offered a mini factory tour and found out that not only do Goode make skis (I knew that but had never seen any before) but they also make water skis.

I'm a little surprised you didn't know they made waterskis. That is where they started and have been strong in that department for years.

 

[crgildart]

I used the same pair of poles from 1982 until about two years ago in spite of having way too many other options. Rossi badged Kermas with the detachable strap. They were the 2nd place prize in a matched GS race my best high school ski buddy and I entered spring of 82. He got 2nd (Kerma Poles prize), I got 3rd (Smith Goggles prize). He said I did better head to head against the ringer who won than he did.. not sure that was true but I really wanted the poles hahaha. I still have them. The soft leather straps are probably about to totally turn to dust. That's why I went to modern carbon poles.

They're the blue and red ones on the right..

 

[Yo Momma]

Mismatched poles for Life on my end! One is Kerma and the other is LEKI. One set was free from when working at a ski shop and the other set I got for $19. One of each died a noble death and they found each other through me. That is the set I use on a regular basis. It keeps things interesting! Kerma from 2001 for the R hand, LEKI from 1989 L... Yes I have a "normal" set but they are boring........wishing I still had my Look poles from Andorra circa 1978

 

[Uncle-A]

I had a pair of Scott poles that lasted and lasted until the day I sold them. I purchased them in January 1983 for a trip to Austria, they were in good shape until a long weekend trip to Loon, NH that is when the first basket cracked but with the help of a little epoxy I managed to keep it alive for a several more seasons. The second basket broke in the mid 90's and I just had to replace both, easy I thought, well I was wrong the ski shops in my area wanted to sell new poles and didn't carry the replacement baskets for my poles. As many of us know broken ski poles litter the parking lots of ski areas all over, so one occasion I grabbed a broken pair of Scotts from a trash barrel and ended up with a pair of Scott baskets and one good grip that was similar to mine. This set me up for many seasons to come. Every now and again I would see other skiers eyeing my poles because they looked so beat up so I took a can of black spray paint and gave them a good coat of paint. Around that time one of the grips cracked, but I had the one spare so no big deal for that repair. When I started to ski with a coworker that just loved my Volant skis and offered to buy them from me I also sold him my Scott poles. As far as I know they are still going strong to this day. I am generally not too hard on my poles so it was not a surprise that they lasted as long as they have.

 

[Uncle-A]

Kerma grips are the most difficult to remove of any brand I have had to deal with. In fact I have a set of black Kerma grips that just seem impossible to remove. The straps were shot and they came off easy just by taking the center screw out but the grips are just stubborn and don't want to move. Any thoughts people?

 

[Pequenita]

Do you have a piece of gear that keeps coming back to you with good karma?

Does lip balm count? Not sure about the good karma, but I sure lose and find a bunch of lip balm in random pockets throughout a season...

 

[crgildart]

Kerma grips are the most difficult to remove of any brand I have had to deal with. In fact I have a set of black Kerma grips that just seem impossible to remove. The straps were shot and they came off easy just by taking the center screw out but the grips are just stubborn and don't want to move. Any thoughts people?

I think I put mine in boiling water for a few minutes to soften them up first when I removed the grips to cut them down years ago.

 

[MarkP]

I'm amazed that so many people can remember what year they got their gear. For me it's "it's been ages," "a while ago," or "within the past couple of years."

 

[Uncle-A]

I'm amazed that so many people can remember what year they got their gear. For me it's "it's been ages," "a while ago," or "within the past couple of years."

Sometime you make purchases for trips and you remember what year you took that trip. That is one way I can keep track of some of the dates. I also remember what shop I was working for when I made the purchase that is a big help for me. You also have to realize that you do have a bunch of gear heads in this community.

 

[Yo Momma]

I bought that Kerma pole in the pic, in New Mexico when I was stationed out there in the Indian Health Service, north of Santa Fe. I remember bec it was the first time I had ever seen a bin of ski poles on an endcap of a food supermarket aisle... WTF...VERY weird!

 

[Chef23]

My Goode poles are the strongest, lightest, longest lasting poles I have ever owned and after thousands of days I literally wore the rubber off the hand grips.

While I couldn't find a retailer that stocked replacement grips, they were available on line but with a shipping to Canada cost that was slightly more than the grips themselves. So when we had the Pugski Gathering in Utah a couple of seasons ago, I went to the Goode factory in Ogden. They do not normally sell to the public out of the factory so their was no receptionist and no public entrance and all the doors were locked.

I went around to the back of the factory and knocked on a door. I told the guy who opened the door my story and he lead me to one of the office people who wrote me up a bill for the grips plus a pole tip and basket for a friend.

I was also offered a mini factory tour and found out that not only do Goode make skis (I knew that but had never seen any before) but they also make water skis.

I also had to ask: Goode is named after the founder and is pronounced "good" but they don't mind if you say "goody".

I have a Goode water ski they are some of the best made. I am glad they treated you right.