How do you protect your skis from theft?

[SnowGlider]

I just sold my old skis to a woman who had hers stolen at Loon Mt., NH. I never worry about ski theft here in NH, but I just got some shiny new skis and I would be really, really upset if they were stolen.

A website about Mt. Tremblant says there are GANGS of people who steal skis, just like the bicycle thieves.

So I'm wondering:

1) Is theft more common at certain types of resorts, e.g. large ones?

2) Do the rest of you worry about this?

3) What measures do you take to protect your skis from theft?

 

[volklgirl]

At our home area, we park about 30ft from the lift, so we just toss our skis in the car.

Anywhere else, I keep a retractable lock in my poket and use it. We also put our name, initials, or SS# on our skis in a clearly visible place.

I had a snowboard stolen many years ago. I was teaching on the bunny hill, had it stolen from the instructors' area, and actually watched the guy carry it out to the parking lot without knowing it was mine until too late.

 

[skigirl]

Buy a lock!! I always say to anyone who has skis or a board stolen, you spent hundreds of dollars on equipment, you really should have spent $20 on lock. We have boards and skis stolen all the time where we ski. I don't recommend anyone ever put their Social Security Number on anything, having your identity stolen is a lot more costly than your skis.

 

[ski now work later]

I always lock and have taught my kids to do the same. 99% of the time it's a waste of time, but it's that 1% that I worry about....

 

[persee]

Yup. We always lock too. It's kinda like wearing a seat belt. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Lori_K]

Yeah, locks here, too. They're a cheap investment, compared to the skis. And if a thief REALLY wants your skis, a lock isn't going to stop them. But the way I look at it is, the quick grab-n-go type thief has plenty of other unlocked options.

 

[persee]

Yeah, locks here, too. They're a cheap investment, compared to the skis. And if a thief REALLY wants your skis, a lock isn't going to stop them. But the way I look at it is, the quick grab-n-go type thief has plenty of other unlocked options.

Well that's the truth with any type of theft. If someone REALLY wants to break into your house it doesn't matter what type of dog, alarm, or whatever you have. However thieves are generally oportunistic and will go with whatever is easiest so if your skis are locked, while someone else's aren't your skis won't be touched because they require more time and effort, so harder to get away with.

 

[altagirl]

I don't do anything other than lock them in our roof racks. Oh... and I have big skis that mostly guys would be interested in, with big stickers that say "Ski like a Girl!" I think some sort of identifying marks like that help make it more obvious whose they are. The one time someone took my husband's skis, it was just an idiot who grabbed the wrong pair of the same skis, and he eventually got them back. That, and we can see them from where we eat, so while I'm not looking all the time, there's a good chance I'd see someone walking away with them.

The one guy I know who had his skis stolen this year had them locked inside his car - they smashed his windows and stole all his ski clothing, backpack, backcountry gear and several pairs of skis while he was in eating dinner.

It's probably a good idea to lock them up. But I pretty much figure if someone really wanted them, they'd get them anyway.

 

[Jilly]

We lock either with "ski key" or retractable. 1/2 the time the ski key racks are full, broken or iced over. So the retractable is better. And I sell locks for a living, so my advice is the IR - Kryptonite. It comes in different sizes and you decide on the code. No keys. Last year Hubby had his Solmon's switched on the gondola at Tremblant. This year it was a pair of Scott Carbonfiber Poles. He'd only split the skis, no locking up. Now he locks up everything.

 

[liquidfeet]

I'd like to lock up my Atomics, and I have a ski lock with one of those long thin metal cords, but the bindings have no place to slip the cord through.

What do others who own Atomics do about this?

 

[dloveski]

depends on the skis I'm using that day---some skis in my quiver, whatever--if they take them, I can deal with it. But if it's my favs, like the Pocket Rockets or demo skis, then it's a different issue.

If I am working at the ski resort and will be distracted, I put my good skis inside the lodge or my car. NEVER do I put my skis on the racks by any parking lot---the Urban Legend has it that 'drive bys' can put them into the car and take off (though I'd like to see statistics on this).

One trick---split up your skis on the racks, so if someone wants to take 'em, they've got to pair them up.

I've had more problems with poles than skiis. I have to have multiple sets as my poles 'go missing' all the time. Likely just folks grabbing them randomly.

 

[Jilly]

Splitting skis doesn't always work. The theives are watching if it's the base area. Lock im up! Liquidfeet, I had C-9's from Atomic. One of my recoiler locks has a tiny end that slips into the lock. It fits into a hole in the brake shoe. I looked high and low for that lock. The name on it is Transport.

 

[ski diva]

Right now I wish someone would just TAKE my skis. I'm dying to get a new pair! :D

Seriously, I had skis stolen once from the lock-up at an inn at Mt. Snow, VT. I think it was an inside job.

The lesson from this: bring 'em to your room.

 

[SnowHot]

At our home area, we park about 30ft from the lift, so we just toss our skis in the car.

No kidding, this pic of Num, SnowHot and Volklgirl at the base of Buck was taken by Mr Volklgirl standing right next to his van. My jeep was parallel parked immediately in front of their van.
There is no safer place to put the skis than in a vehicle with a car alarm, about 50 ft away from a liftie you just fed with your tailgate leftovers:D

 

[SnowGlider]

Right now I wish someone would just TAKE my skis. I'm dying to get a new pair! :D QUOTE]

Buy 'em already, SkiDiva! You DESERVE new skis!!! You NEED new skis to go with you new boots!

It took me only 1 day to sell my skis on Craigslist. It turned out that someone out there wanted exactly the characteristics that I disliked about those skis. The profit from the sale covered 75% of the new skis!!

 

[dburdenbates]

Hubby had his skis stolen last season at Deer Valley (you really wouldn't expect it to happen there and to this day Deer Valley refuses to admit that they were actually stolen). We bought a Kryptonite lock to use after that experience and we promptly locked ourselves out of it on the first day of the season this year. I have no idea how we managed to reset the combo without knowing what we set it to, but we did. :o

 

[liquidfeet]

Liquidfeet, I had C-9's from Atomic. One of my recoiler locks has a tiny end that slips into the lock. It fits into a hole in the brake shoe. I looked high and low for that lock. The name on it is Transport.

Jilly, I will be shopping for a Transport lock this weekend. Thanks for the info. I do have a lock now with a tiny end, but it just won't fit through any of the itsybitsy teenytiny holes on these Atomic bindings. I hope I can find the Transport lock.