What was the point of the Ski Speeders?

They were basically a suicide mission from the get go. If anyone got there, you did what you had to do.
The big problem with the plan ended up being they never got there in time and the beam was charged and ready to fire before it could be destroyed (as evidenced by Finn's ship being torn apart).

 

They existed because.....

1. Plot.

2. Sell toys.

 

I think was their last hope.

And Finn was about to sacrifice himself and probably destroy (or damage) the cannon, Rose stopped him at the very end.

 

So one more reason than when George kept Han alive?

 

Like most questions about The Last Jedi the answer can be found in the film.

In the film it's explained that they hoped to buy more time to for the signal to reach allies. The odds of successfully stopping the cannon were long as mentioned by Poe at the onset of the attack. In the end they fail to stop the cannon, but the signal was successfully sent out.

All hope is lost until Luke shows up to buy more time so they're able to escape.

 

Good point for @DailyPlunge

I'd add that the skispeeders were designed to "unquiet" the audience.
Remember, at this time, the Resistance has been bombed, they crashed on Crayt, ending up being just a fistful, and they're cornered in that old abandoned station.
The skispeeders are old, obsolete, rusty, some cannot even fly straight, and they are ridiculous in front of the giant walkers and the giant cannon.

To me, all of this is set to lead the audience to think : well, this is the end.
You know : hope is truly lost, both for the GFFA, and IRL for the audience.
And also, all of this prepares and will enhance the Return of the Jedi (Luke).

 

I thought this thread was asking what the practical in-universe application of the vehicles themselves were

Oddly specific design. Seems to be made just to kick up some cool looking red dust clouds. My, such whimsy the Rebellion had

 

Basically Star Wars' version of this:

 

They are sought after against imperials in Star Wars commander game- haven’t unlocked mine yet unfortunately but hoping to soon

 

Funny you bring up the T-47s that stood no chance. That makes less sense to me than anything that happens in the TLJ. The Rebels have X-Wings available and they send T-47s out? It's Star Wars though so I love it.

 

They lay it out off the top. The odds aren’t great but they’re hoping to try and take out the canon while buying time for the communications team in the back to send out its distress signal in the hopes of someone coming. It was a last stand situation.

The film also shows the introduction of the aerial supremacy of the First Order as the turning point that three hoped they wouldn’t have to deal with. As soon as the TIEs arrive on the scene it turns the situation from unlikely to almost impossible and Poe makes the call to save who they can and prepare for the last stand and/or help arriving instead.

 

Luke has a perfectly good X-Wing and chooses to get into another less useful ship. My intention here isn't to argue about the Empire Strikes Back, but maybe urge you to use the same imagination you're using for that film for the question asked in this thread.

 

Like all of the TLJ this is a gorgeous looking scene where the look and design far outweigh any actual drama or exciting plot point.

I still find it laughable that Rose can turn her ski speeder all the way around, head the other direction back towards the base (even looking over her shoulder to see Finn headed for the cannon), turn around again and still get to Finn before he hits the cannon. Apparently of all the crappy rusted out speeders Finn got the slowest one. I guess the canon beam was slowing him down...and despite melting part of his speeder he was fine in the open air cockpit.

And then even after the implausible crash where both Finn and Rose survive, they are able to walk back into the base with no attention paid to them by any of the multiple walkers or even Stormtroopers that were showed on the ground near the cannon.

Just like the throne room scene you are forced to suspend any sense of even remote logic to buy the sequence of events.

 

I apologize if my example of an odd moment in ESB that you're willing to defend puts you at odds with a perfectibility explainable moment in The Last Jedi.

Yikes. Sorry you didn't like the film, but you're not gonna find a lot of Star Wars fans who didn't love that scene. It's amazing.

 

That’s ok. I don’t need others to validate my personal opinion.

Similar to the ski speeders I found the throne scene wonderful visually and the high point of the film....until the actual combat began. The way Snoke was killed was brilliant imo, but the battle with the guards was overly choreographed and carried not an ounce of drama for me. It was more like a dance routine. The fact that it was later pointed out they had to remove a weapon from the guards hand via FX simply emphasized to me how silly and unrealistic the “fight” was.

(And sorry, this is off topic for the thread)...back to the ski speeders.