Most ski poles are straight, but the crooked or curved ones you see—especially in racing—are shaped that way mainly for aerodynamics and control at high speed.

The quick answer

When racers tuck (crouch down to go faster), a straight pole sticks out into the wind and creates drag. Curved poles wrap around the skier’s body, so more of the pole is hidden behind the torso and legs, slightly reducing air resistance and helping squeeze out extra speed.

Mini breakdown: what the bend does

  • Reduces wind drag by tucking the pole shaft closer to the body in a racing tuck.
  • Lowers the chance of poles snagging on boots, skis, or slalom gates during aggressive turns.
  • Can be shaped to match each athlete’s stance so it “fits” their body position at speed.
  • Often paired with smaller, more aerodynamic baskets and lightweight materials to save every fraction of a second.

In everyday resort skiing, most people still use straight poles—bent/curved ones are mainly a performance tweak for high‑speed alpine disciplines like downhill, super‑G, and giant slalom.

Quick forum-style perspective

“They’re not broken, they’re fast.”
Think of them like a cyclist’s aero handlebars: the weird shape isn’t cosmetic, it’s just there to shave off drag and keep everything tucked in when racers are bombing straight down the hill at highway speeds.

TL;DR: Ski poles look crooked in racing because the bend lets them sit snugly along the skier’s body in a tuck, cutting wind resistance and reducing snagging—tiny advantages that matter when medals are decided by hundredths of a second.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.