UPDATE — Adjustability
The twist-lock adjustability system on the pre-production Sonic didn’t work well for me. There were times when I’d plant the pole, move forward, pull the pole out of the snow, and the inner shaft would come out, throwing me off balance. (There’s no stop on the inner shaft, so it can come all the way out.)
But after some ~12,000 vertical feet of skinning at the local resort, and about seven lift-served days, I can report that I haven’t experienced any slippage issues with the production version of this pole, nor has the handle broken when I tightened down the adjustment mechanism, as it did with the previous version I’d tested.
In an email, Swix claimed that they’ve modified their gluing process for the handle, going so far as to move the entire gluing process from China to Lithuania to better control the quality of the final project.
While the note didn’t make any specific mention of changes to the twist-lock mechanism, I did notice that the threads on the production pole are much finer than on the pole I originally tested. I suspect this increase in surface area and grip has something to do with the much-improved performance.
I’ve tried to get the pole to slip—I’ve pole planted hard in moguls, pushed hard on the poles on the uphills, and even slammed down on the pole on snow and rock—to no avail. I did get the original poles to slip even after I’d tightened them. So it appears that the adjustability issue has been resolved.
If, however, there is an issue with this system, there isn’t a way to fix it. Black Diamond’s FlickLock comes with a little set screw you can tighten if the camming mechanism comes loose, which can happen over time. But I found that the only way to fix the Sonic’s adjustability issue is to use some sort of thread-locker or plumber’s tape to tighten up the threads—and then you’ve got a less-adjustable pole.
Durability
In addition to skiing with these poles, I chucked them into and out of the car and a heli basket, and I stuffed them into an overloaded ski bag on my way to and from New Zealand. Other than a few small scratches, the poles themselves are undamaged.
While the flexibility of the basket is a nice feature, it appears to be less durable than a fixed basket. After two days out with the production poles, both baskets were getting tattered. They’re still functional, but that sort of wear after just two tours is rather disconcerting.
Bottom Line
There are aspects of the Sonic R1 that I really, really like, and that I think are very well designed: the baskets, the weight-to-stiffness ratio, and the soft foam grip.
But an adjustable pole hinges on the ease and reliability of its adjustment system, and, initially, the twist-lock on the Sonic R1 didn’t work well for me while hiking, skiing, or waiting in a lift line.
Thankfully, it seems that those adjustability issues have been addressed in the production pole.
$250 for a set of poles, Yeah right. You can buy a season pass at some resorts for that kind of money.
Nice and light poles which feel really good. Unfortunately, l snapped one in half when telemark skiing this winter at Niseko in Japan. It made me question the strength of the carbon used in these poles. I needed to buy another brand of ski stocks because none of the local ski shops stocked this brand. It seems you definitely pay a price for lightness. But, that said l still like the Swix Sonic poles.
I bought these poles and snapped them after one run. I would steer clear of these. Back to el-cheapo aluminium for me.
I snapped the shaft in two when whacking snow off my skins. Not great on day one of a 3 day tour! Great poles to ski with apart from this durability issue.
I’ve had a pair of the R1 Sonic Carbons for two and a half seasons now. The length adjustment is easy enough to do with gloves on if you want to lose 5cm or so for a bump run or two. They swing and place better than any other pole I’ve owned. I use them mostly inbounds at Alta/Snowbird. I haven’t broken them yet. Reported fragility may indicate some (batch?) fabrication problems, but mine have held up fine. I’ve fallen on them once or twice and tipped them hard onto rocks more than a few times. I saw them at the shop, swung them and others on the rack a few times and liked them a lot. Honestly when I saw the price it made me feel a little precious, but I treated myself to a late Christmas present anyway and I’ve never regretted it on the hill. I figure 100+ days – at about $2/day. I’ve spent more than that on coffee.