55' versus 5'

While taking a handle order the other day, the skier said he wanted his handle strung up in polypro instead of the spectra because the spectra hurt his elbows; he did add that he is an older skier.  I am not disputing his experience, but would like to throw a few things out there for my skiers to think about.  The handle section is 5' long.  My spectra rope is 1/4" in diameter and since it is so strong I can string spectra handles up using 2 rope construction at the V to a single braid which means I only have 11' of rope in the handle section.  Using polypropylene rope I have to use 4 rope construction at the V to a double braid which means I have 19.5' of rope in the handle section.  Double thickness of rope makes the rope stiff alleviating stretch or give to the handle section.  In the polypro handles you not only have double thickness of rope, but also four thickness of rope in two different places, at the V and right after the loop.  My competitor uses 3/8" polypro rope in their handle sections.  I contend there is not a significant difference in 'give' between a 1/4" spectra 5' section with 11' of rope compared to a 3/8" polypro 5' section with 19.5' of rope.  That's why I use 5/16" rope to string up my polypro handles.  

Really what I think my skiers ought to consider is the 31' to 55' section of rope that they hook their slalom handle up to.  This length of rope has a much stronger bearing on how your elbows feel, your shoulders, your back, your neck.....polypropylene dries out and becomes stiff which makes skiing on old ropes hard on a skier's body.  Most skiers don't even realize just how long it has been since they got a new slalom mainline.