Sure, you can order the latest, most excellent mountain sled on the market, which will undoubtedly help. But even a top-of-the-line powder pony will only deliver you where you want to go with the correct input. Dropping a few thousand on a big-boost turbocharger will get you up a wide-open hill faster, but it will only do a little for you wiggling through some technical tree lines if you have the skill to harness the extra power.
However, there are a few techniques to make your sled more capable - in all situations - and easier to operate. Shocks of superior quality are one instance. The Munster Finger Throttle, which swaps out the stock thumb throttle lever, is an additional option.
More Control:
Numerous professional athletes have praised the Munster Finger Throttle in the past. However, most of us need help to relate to riders launching gaps, launching massive cliffs, and sniping narrow tree lines at high speeds. The finger throttle can help them, but what about the rest of us common folk?
The benefit comes from the grip. It's just way more secure to have your thumb wrapped around the bar than it is to be dangling out in space on a lever. And superior grip leads to better control.
For example, how many times has your right hand slipped off the grip of the bars when you're riding in rugged terrain? Usually, it happens when you're tired and hit some tricky snow or hard object that causes the skis to deflect and the handlebar grip to twist out of your hand.
The next thing you know, you're flailing to grab the hold as the throttle snaps off and momentum tosses you over the bars. This scenario only plays out when you've got a solid grip on the bars. It makes a huge difference, especially for those prone to late-day fatigue, occasional bouts of poor technique, and "regular" fitness levels. A better grip means better control. Better control results in more confidence. And high levels of trust lead to more capability as a rider.
You Will Never Go Back:
"I will never go back." You hear this all the time from the finger throttle faithful. It makes sense for riders who want to push their riding or be as capable as possible.
Family Or Shared Sled:
If several different people use your sled, say, a family sled or a shared work sled, it might be most reasonable to stick with the stock, traditional thumb lever. The sled should be set up generically and not fine-tuned for any specific rider in the family. This way, everyone won't have to get used to doing things differently, and just about anyone who has ever ridden a sled before should be able to hop on it and safely go for a rip.
If You Ride More Than One Sled Regularly:
If you get used to the benefits of a Munster throttle, you will probably want to ride with one all the time. But if you ride different sleds regularly, the necessity- painless though it may be - of mentally going from a finger throttle back to a thumb and back again might make you want to keep things simple, stupid, and stick with one way of doing things.
You Don't Want To Spend The Extra Dough To Get To The Cabin:
If your sled's primary purpose is to get you to the place where you spend the rest of the day standing around smoking darts and hacking up a lung, then no, you don't need one of these.
Beyond those particular situations, anyone riding near their limits in challenging terrain can benefit from the extra control granted by using a finger throttle. The Munster Finger Throttle is a big hit with elite-level riders.
But "average" riders are also pushing their limits to try to hang with better riders every day. For those sliders, the finger throttle can be a simple modification to help them feel more capable and confident every time they ride.
