We long confessed our love for things special, novel, different – and fancy. Especially fancy.
How about $699.95 for a pair of ski poles then?
What jumps to mind immediately are those Rottefella Titan bindings for 400 bucks, give or take. What an excellent idea for a discreet yet meaningful Christmas present to your beloved boss?
Well, according to the man who makes them $700/ poles, they are not all bark but quite a bit of bite too.
Because USSPC’ Honey Badgers are different. Says Andy Liebner, the company’s founder and CEO:
” The price validates that this model pole is beyond monetary resistance and exceeds all price tags in the nordic ski poles in the world. The difference is felt when using them. The HB’s are wider throughout, designed and made for the strong and tall. So the question remains…why don’t other brands make their long poles wider to keep strength consistent?! Because they’re not pole experts, we are!”
Always a pleasure to talk to people who do not mince their words!
Actually, we profiled Mr. Liebner & his company back in the day – could only add that he’s as straightforward now as ever, nothing changed in that respect:
” …When I stood in the Olympic stadium in Sochi, Russia watching the skate sprints and saw guys so strong blowing up their poles by sheer downward force, I knew an unbreakable sprint pole was needed in the word. While we’re still working on the unbreakable part, sprint pole we’ve made. With all the history and pole brands 2-3x my age, why am I the first one to do anything about it starting 6 years ago?”
Indeed.
But back to Honey Badgers:
– Outer diameter is 17mm at the top, 13mm at the bottom. So, they are much wider than what you are used to.
– As the result, they much less likely to break, Liebner says. “Designed for the powerhouse skiers who need and demand a pole they never have to worry about exploding on impact”.
– That sort of size/stiffness has to come with a weight penalty – and it does: at 65 gr/m they are more than 10 gr/m heavier than your usual top poles. 65 gr/m is on par with Swix newest Quantum 2 ( Quantum 1 is much lighter).
– With non-standard width both grip and basket are custom-made and could be ordered in your preferred color. Heck, you could even customize the tip color ( pink included – let Johannes know, pls)!
– It follows, naturally, that the most likely intended use – sprints and mass-starts.
– If you happen to care about origins of your gear: all USSPC poles are made in Cheboygan, Michigan, USA.
– Very tall skiers, rejoice: Honey Badgers could be had in almost any length you need, all the way up to 205cm.
– Finally, Mr.Liebner wishes to convey that the astronomical price is not exactly set in stone. Get in touch and do your own bit of healthy bargaining.
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