1. Its the last thing a skier has to use before he or she hits the ground hard.

2. Helps the skier to not ever be in the situation where they would be hitting the ground in the first place, gives them balance.

3. Gives you something to d with your hands instead of just sitting there looking dumb.

4. In the off- chance a skier gets attacked poles are a better defense that your bare or gloved hands.

5. To stop you from looking like one of those idiot amateurs that just goes straight down the mountain in jeans and an L.L. Bean jacket with no poles having skied once in their entire life thinking their good.

6. Something to hit the ground(or other things)with when you screw up a jump or hit something you do not want to hit when you fall off a rail.

7.Its much harder to get someones attention in th lodge when your outside or when you fell in the backcountry of any mountain and are half buried in snow cant move and need to signal a helicopter.

8. They come in handy when your skiing along a flat and someone cuts you off so you need to pole in order to finish the flat (or catch up with the idiot that cut you off)

9. How can you call it a yard sale if all you have to lose is your dignity and your skis.

10. And finally maybe it is just me but I think it ads a little to a trick with ski poles sticking out on either side.