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Equipment Theft

gmcunni

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while planning some trips for the season i was researching theft statistics so i'd know which mountains to avoid. came across this so thought the group here could benefit from it:

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Unfortunately, your ski equipment is an easy target, especially during busy weekends where a thief could easily take your skis and blend in as just another skier. Your ski equipment is valuable, and theft can be devastating. Follow these tips to prevent the theft of your ski equipment.
  • Whenever possible, keep your skis locked. Many ski resorts provide stations to lock skis, but bring your own ski lock too. Lock your skis to the rack.
  • If possible, strive to keep your skis in sight at all times.
  • Remember to loop your poles over your skis, as while this may not prevent your poles from being stolen, it will prevent an accidental mix-up and it does make your poles harder to simply pick up and carry away.
  • If you forgot your ski lock or if you can't find a place to lock your skis, separate them - place one ski on one rack and place another ski on a different rack. Or, swap skis with a friend and create two unmatched pairs. Most thieves don't have the patience to search for your the other ski. However, be sure to take careful note of where you place your two separate skis.
  • Many ski resorts provide lockers to lock your equipment in while you're out skiing. While many skiers don't use lockers, locking your bag away is a great way to prevent theft.
  • Keep a record of your boots, skis, and poles. Be sure to include the make and model of the equipment, the serial number, and include any identifying marks or characteristics in your records. In case of theft, these details need to be reported to the police as they can help you recover your skis.
  • Many resorts or hotels have a special area where skis can be checked either overnight or during the day. Take advantage of these secured areas in order to prevent theft. However, if you choose to leave your skis in your hotel room overnight or while you're out enjoying other activities, be sure to lock your hotel room.
  • If you have extra equipment that you store in your car, keep it out of view. If possible, hide it under your back seat or cover it with a blanket.
Check with the ski resort and find out if they have a ski registration program. Most programs allow you to register your skis, provide methods to prevent theft, and also help owners to track down stolen property.[h=3]If your skis have been stolen...[/h]
  • Before you do anything else, double-check the area where your skis last were, including the racks around it.
  • Call the police immediately and report it to the resort, as well. This way, necessary action can be taken as soon as possible.
  • Check your insurance policies. Some policies will take care of stolen skis if the theft has been reported to the police in a timely manner. Also, if skis that you were renting have been stolen, your insurance may reimburse you if the rental shop charges you a fee for the stolen skis.
  • Searching websites like eBay is worth a shot, as sometimes thieves will try to sell stolen equipment on auction sites.
- - - -

stay safe, lock 'em if you luv 'em


 

ScottySkis

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They don't steal skis, snowboards or stuff were I go in the Cats.
 

Hawkshot99

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They don't steal skis, snowboards or stuff were I go in the Cats.

skiis get stolen everywhere!

Putting a unknown easy ID mark on your skiis/board is easy. Remove your binding from the ski/board and put your initials on the top sheet under where the binding goes with a sharpie. This way if they do get stolen, and you see the person do it, you can prove that they are yours, and not the thiefs as they can claim they own them.
 

severine

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I saw some snowboards get recovered one year because of quick action. AND the owner had photos on his cell phone to prove the board was his. Might be something to consider--a quick picture or two before you start the ski day. Not foolproof, but it helped in identification.
 

riverc0il

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I look my skis when they are new and I care about them. After a few seasons, I honestly get lazy. Though given that my binding (Look Pivot 14) is probably worth more than my skis, I may just keep looking the binding long after the skis have been beat into the ground. :lol:

I need to start following the suggestion of looping your poles over your skis. Last season, someone walked off with my poles (quite by accident!). Thankfully, it just happened when I came out of the lodge and I was able to ask the person who took them if they had the right poles. At first I thought they were intentionally stolen (BD Traverse, not cheap!) but I saw them in the hands of a rank beginner. She was renting and had no idea what her poles looked like.

And you'd think this sort of thing only happens at larger resorts, but this instance actually happened at MRG.
 

steamboat1

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I look my skis when they are new and I care about them. After a few seasons, I honestly get lazy. Though given that my binding (Look Pivot 14) is probably worth more than my skis, I may just keep looking the binding long after the skis have been beat into the ground. :lol:

I need to start following the suggestion of looping your poles over your skis. Last season, someone walked off with my poles (quite by accident!). Thankfully, it just happened when I came out of the lodge and I was able to ask the person who took them if they had the right poles. At first I thought they were intentionally stolen (BD Traverse, not cheap!) but I saw them in the hands of a rank beginner. She was renting and had no idea what her poles looked like.

And you'd think this sort of thing only happens at larger resorts, but this instance actually happened at MRG.
I rank beginner at MRG.

Who'd of thunk?
 

bobbutts

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I took the wrong poles once by mistake and didn't notice til it was too late. Hopefully the victim took mine in return.
 

steamboat1

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Back to the thread. I've never had any ski equipment stolen. Don't lock em but I do occasionally put my pole straps over the tips. It's just easier sometimes.
 

BenedictGomez

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My poles were stolen at Jay Peak a few years ago, and it definitely wasn't a mistake because they were those "rubbery plastic breakaway grips with no straps" kind that nobody uses.
 

ScottySkis

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Not 100% correct for this thread but when I was a teenager my dad took me to Vernon Valley in the summer for the water park, and ended up dating a crazy under cover security women that worked their, she should not have had a job doing security but she did,(will not into details just an unfortunately long part of both of our lives.)
 

skiNEwhere

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Where to begin..........
  • If you forgot your ski lock or if you can't find a place to lock your skis, separate them - place one ski on one rack and place another ski on a different rack. Or, swap skis with a friend and create two unmatched pairs. Most thieves don't have the patience to search for your the other ski. However, be sure to take careful note of where you place your two separate skis.
My parents did this at King Pine, they had new top of the line ski's and separated them and locked them together. Some thief stole one pair, so instead of one of my parents not being able to ski, both weren't
  • Many ski resorts provide lockers to lock your equipment in while you're out skiing. While many skiers don't use lockers, locking your bag away is a great way to prevent theft.
Before we got anything ever stolen, my parents stuck our ski bag under the table at the cafeteria at King Pine, once again. When we took a break for lunch, we saw that it was gone.
  • Keep a record of your boots, skis, and poles. Be sure to include the make and model of the equipment, the serial number, and include any identifying marks or characteristics in your records. In case of theft, these details need to be reported to the police as they can help you recover your skis.
The police are just about useless. The only way that they could help you is if you found the perpetrator, but they aren't going to help you find the ski's. All they are going to do is file a report and stuff it in their filing cabinet
  • Check your insurance policies. Some policies will take care of stolen skis if the theft has been reported to the police in a timely manner. Also, if skis that you were renting have been stolen, your insurance may reimburse you if the rental shop charges you a fee for the stolen skis.
Not only did our insurance company not reimburse us, they dropped us from our policy and even tried to charge us with insurance fraud because we had so much stolen. We finally found another company that would insure us but the cost was astronomical, so we wouldn't have been able to afford it.
 

deadheadskier

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Never had skis stolen at the mountain. Have had them stolen from home though.

My parents ski home at Okemo was broken into twice when I was a kid. The second time occurred after a home security system was installed. All skis, home electronics and booze gone. So, it was likely kids. This was a pretty big problem in Ludlow in the late 80s, early 90s.

Cops really didn't do much except file a report. Didn't bother trying to lift fingerprints or anything. They simply assumed that it was unlikely the perpetrators had prints on file that they'd be able to match them too.
 

Nick

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Nick

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My parents ski home at Okemo was broken into twice when I was a kid. The second time occurred after a home security system was installed. All skis, home electronics and booze gone. So, it was likely kids. This was a pretty big problem in Ludlow in the late 80s, early 90s.

30316823.jpg
 

Cornhead

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I've never had gear stolen but like river when I get new gear I will lock it with one of the Quick Release style locks. You could probably cut the cable with some scissors but it does prevent someone from just grabbing & going.
http://www.backcountry.com/dakine-m...-8C2D-E211-A87C-001B21A69EB8&mr:referralID=NA

View attachment 6852

I keep it in my chest pocket. It's $10 and takes about 5 seconds to hook up.

I think this is enough to deter thieves. Why bother messing with a locked pair when there are unlocked skis everywhere? I had a similar Kryptonite lock that gave up the ghost after years of use. I now have a heftier cable lock. I use it in the off season as a bicycle lock. I don't think I'd trust it overnight, but for quick errands, it does the job. I've had one pair of skis stolen, Greek Peak, I left them unlocked in the rack in front of the lift. I had planned on a quick stop, but lingered at the bar. When I returned, the skis and poles were gone. I think it pissed me off more that they took the poles. The poles were Kerma graphite, nice poles. The skis weren't so hot, K2 Axis, I bought them cheap off a buddy of mine. The thieves didn't have very good taste in ski equipment. I blame myself for leaving them so long unattended, on a Holiday weekend.

Scotty, I have a hard time imagining getting your gear stolen at Plattekill, but you never know. Platty is probably the last place thieves would think of going to steal gear. Works for skiers too, not many consider Platty as a destination. That said, I've locked my skis there too.
 

BenedictGomez

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Scotty, I have a hard time imagining getting your gear stolen at Plattekill, but you never know. Platty is probably the last place thieves would think of going to steal gear. Works for skiers too, not many consider Platty as a destination. That said, I've locked my skis there too.

Plattekill. Even the thieves dont know it's there. (it's funny because it's true - said in that Family Guy character's voice)

I lock my skis EVERYWHERE, including Plattekill. Never really understood why people dont, but I'd agree that less than 1/2 do. I carry a ski-key and a cable lock (in case the ski-key racks are full), and together they probably only weigh 1/2lb.
 
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