ABOUT
Tim, the founder of SUP, has had a fast-paced life full of fun and adventure. Born and raised in the South Island of New Zealand, he always wanted to travel and ski in as many countries as possible. His skiing life began with friends and family in the small club fields surrounding South Canterbury. Tims love of the mountains and winter has taken him all over the world. He has skied in France, Italy, Austria, Australia and Canada. He qualified as a Teacher from the University of Otago and after spending some time exploring the world he settled as a teacher in Australia and then moved to England. However, being the free spirit that he is, Tim wanted to continue travelling so set out to combine his teaching experience and love of skiing by qualifying as a ski instructor.
In 2015 Tim won a scholarship to study as a ski instructor in Vancouver, Canada. His unique drive, passion and personality has accelerated the learning curve of novice skiers helping them gain confidence on the slopes. During this experience he encountered problems fixing students din settings quickly when they were having issues ejecting at the appropriate times. The idea then kicked in... "How awesome would it be if the ski pole tip could be a screwdriver?"
In 2015 Tim set to work on making his own home-made Screw U Poles and put them to use on the slopes. The enthusiasm from other instructors asking him to make them a set triggered him to start testing the demand in other resorts. Tim spent the 2016/2017 ski season instructing and spreading the SUP hype in the French Alps. In early 2016 Tim's mates Pete and Tom joined SUP and since then the company and the brand has developed. The 1st generation of the 'Screw U Poles' have been produced and are now available this season. Currently based in Morzine, the SUP team are continuing to build the brand and the team, including their very own SUP riding team. Together SUP are working towards making 'Screw U Poles' the Swiss Army Knife of the skiing world.
THE SUP STORY
Being able to adjust the skis set-up on the mountain has heaps of benefits including:
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Preventing the skis coming off in inappropriately, which creates a hazard ultimately hurting the rider and potentially other people.
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A positive effect on the rider's confident on their skis during that crucial first part of the learning curve.
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Allows the instructor the have more control of the skiers din settings to allow quicker learning.
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Helping your fellow boarding friends and family who will no doubt adjust their bindings more than you do.
THE ANATOMY OF THE POLE
Screw U Poles innovative design all comes down to the tip- what we consider to be the most important part of your pole. Our tips are gold-coloured, industrial strength steel. Why? Because we believe in being able to last
However, there would be no tip without a shaft, which we've named the part between the handle and the basket. Skinny and durable, our Screw U Poles shaft is made from a medium form of aluminium, making it a light weight but reliable way to screw your way around the mountain.
Finally, we here at Screw U Poles appreciate a good, strong grip, which is why we've made our handle nice and spongy, and our wrist strap adjustable to ensure you get the right fit every time.
