Most ski enthusiasts have a favorite shop from which they purchase their gear. Others take to the vast internet to hunt down the best prices and niche brands. Then there are the crafty and handy folks who enjoy the challenge of making their own gear. While building skis is incredibly difficult and designing a binding or boots would be even more difficult, we are left with an easy target: ski poles.

Swedish company Rimfors sells custom poles. They also provide detailed instructions on how to build your own bamboo poles.

Bamboo is the material of choice given its strength to weight ratio. This flexible material can bend extremely far without cracking. In addition, it is a very sustainable material as it grows extremely quickly. When bamboo is harvested, a new “shoot” replaces the section that was cut. Bamboo produces more oxygen than trees and can thrive in many areas. In other words, it’s a magic material.

Fashioning ski poles out of this magic wood is relatively simple. Find some bamboo canes at a hardware store, cut to length. Affix some grips and baskets you robbed off a broken, battered, or retired pair of poles. Add some metal pointy bits and boom. Homemade ski poles that are eco-friendly.

Images from: Rimfors Website, Fabian Rimfors Facebook Page, Bamboo Growers Facebook Page

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