When it comes to chosing an adjustable ski pole for backcountry skiing, one can hardly go wrong with the Black Diamond’s FlickLock® series, the most popular adjustable pole seen on skin tracks throughout America. In recent years a number of competitors have come up with some worthy alternatives, but the flicklock concept is a significant part of their appeal. Although the FlickLock® mechanism is more reliable and easier to use than twist-lock adjustable poles, even BD’s FlickLock® concept could be improved upon (see K2 & Leki), so they did.

It must be with some measure of relief that Black Diamond introduces their second generation of FlickLock® poles for this season. The new FlickLock® Pro clamp is leaner, 20% lighter, and meaner, with twice the gripping force of the original design. Instead of a bulky plastic housing that squeezes the outer shaft on to the inner shaft, a svelte stainless steel ring is pulled tight to constrict the circumference of the outer shaft. The result is clamping force applied throughout the perimeter, not just tangentially across the diameter. Think of it as a clamping force that is applied over roughly 360° instead of maybe only 90°. In addition, the FlickLock® Pro uses a dual-axle design to increase the clamping force, without increasing the thumb force needed to latch it tight.

That’s the most significant improvement. Then there are the incremental improvements to the features that BD’s ski poles have already earned a solid reputation for quality with. Aside from easy adjustability that you can count on to not collapse, the most noticeable feature of BD’s poles is the grip for their FreeRide poles. It has a nice contour that your hand naturally wraps around when skiing, and a comfortable top for palming when skinning. This upper platform comes with a solid lip for easily switching modes on a Fritschi Freeride, flipping up the climbing post on most telemark bindings, opening the clamp on NTN binders, or opening a boot buckle.

The webbing straps for the Touring or FreeRide series have a wishbone configuration that naturally opens to make it easy to fit your hand through. The straps are 30mm longer, and easy to adjust. The webbing for the FreeRide series is beefier than for their Touring poles, but either is sufficient. Personally I avoid using straps except on an icy traverse when I don’t want to risk dropping a pole, so my sense is the wishbone configuration makes ’em easier to put on, but causes ’em to get in the way for normal use when I’m not using them.

There are seven FlickLock Pro models to chose from. Three FreeRide poles, and four Touring poles, including the Z-pole technology that compacts down super short, perfect for splitboarders. The FreeRide poles have larger diameter poles, a grip with the larger lip mentioned above, and a thick, wide webbing. By contrast the Touring poles have a lighter weight grip, the lip isn’t as thick, the strap is a thinner, lighter webbing and there is a grippy material on the upper shaft for choking up on the uphill pole while traversing.

Besides those upgrades, the Whippet will be sold as a single pole this season. In theory you only need one, so why pay for two?

Black Diamond
FlickLock® Pro Ski Poles

FreeRide Poles

Model	Adj. Length	Collapsed	Weight	Comments	MSRP
Carbon Probe	100-125 cm	95 cm	610 g	18mm Al upper shaft, 16mm carbon lower shaft. Lower shafts combine to form 182 cm probe.	$ 130
	115-140 cm	110 cm	625 g
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Expedition	57-125 cm	57 cm	615 g	3-section, all Al, 18mm upper, 16mm middle, 14mm lower.	$ 90
	62-140 cm	62 cm	630 g
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Boundary	90-140 cm	90 cm	620 g	2-section, all Al. 18mm/16mm	$ 80

Touring Poles

Model	Adj. Length	Collapsed	Weight	Comments	MSRP
Compactor	105-125 cm	38 cm	625 g	All Al 3-section, Z-pole with FlickLock® adjustable upper shaft.	$120
	115-135 cm	40 cm	640 g
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Razor Carbon	100-125 cm	92; cm	580 g	14mm Al upper w/11mm carbon fiber lower shaft.	$120
	115-140 cm	105.5 cm	590 g
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Pure Carbon	95-145 cm	94.5 cm	600 g	2-piece, all Carbon pole. 16/14mm diam. w/grip xtension.	$140
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Traverse	95-145 cm	95 cm	585 g	All Al 2-section FlickLock® w/16/14mm diam. shafts.	$ 80
	105-155 cm	105 cm	600 g
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Whippet SA Pole	97-140 cm	97 cm	420 g	2-piece, all Al pole. 16/14mm diam. w/Self Arrest Pick.	$100
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All photos above courtesy Black Diamond Equipment, Inc.

© 2012