Skiers then preferably hang on to their ski poles, supported by their arms.
Using props such as sticks or ski poles is generally discouraged as they hinder balance and create dependence.
Early ski poles were usually made from bamboo, but this was superseded in the 1960s by aluminium or fiberglass construction.
But it is easy to climb up with just boots and ski poles on the south side of the mountain in the summer.
Early ski poles were simply sticks, then bamboo (1930s), then steel (1940s and early 1950s).
In teaching skiers with cerebral palsy, instructors are encouraged to delay the introduction ski poles as skiers may overgrip them.
Mono-skiing is similar to skiing for able-bodied however, athletes sit on a single ski with crutch-like ski poles using their hips to make turns.
These included a series of fibreglass ski poles, which were relatively new at the time, and a new ski binding design.