Eight Great Ways To Stop Ski Thieves In Their Tracks
Carefree holidaymakers offer rich pickings to opportunistic thieves looking to loot expensive ski and snowboard equipment.
It's interesting to compare your
attitude to your ski equipment to a bicycle you may use at home.
Whereas you would be very reluctant to leave your bicycle unlocked
in a public area, you would more freely leave a pair of skis or
snowboard of equal or greater value unattended.
The uncomfortable reality is that ski and snowboard equipment is easily targeted - especially during busy weekends where a thief can swipe your skis and quickly blend into the crowd. This equipment is also expensive and easily resold.
This realisation need not spoil a holiday. In fact if holiday makers were better prepared for the possibility of theft, there would be far less chance of it becoming an issue.
It's Easy to Protect Your Ski & Snowboard
Equipment
Follow these tips to foil holiday-wrecking ski swindlers.
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Whenever possible, keep your skis locked. Many ski resorts provide stations to lock skis. The most convenient locking mechanism is offered by a Canadian company called Ski Key Systems. You can buy a small match-box sized lock either online at www.skikey.com or at your resort (in over 60 ski areas in the USA and most major ski areas in Canada). Then rest your snowboard or skis in between the slats on the standing or wall mounted racks located appropriately in your resort town. The little ski key locks fit snugly in the racks to lock your equipment safely behind adjustable fitted bars. At around CAN$24 the locks aren't expensive and they are pocket portable, meaning you have no noticeable extra weight to carry.
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Never leave your equipment unlocked or out of view. A few seconds is all it takes for it to be stolen. If you don't have a skikey lock, use the buddy system and ask a friend to watch your skis or snowboard while you're gone.
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You can't split a snowboard in two (and then put it back together!), but when going into a lodge, it is a good idea to separate your skis and put them in two different racks. When two people ski together, they often share the split, effectively creating two pairs of mismatched skis. However, be sure to take careful note of where you place your two separate skis.
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Remember to loop your poles over your skis, as while this may not prevent your poles from being nicked, it will prevent an accidental mix-up and it does make your poles harder to quickly swipe and carry away.
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Keep a record of your boots, skis, and poles. Include the make and model of the equipment, the serial number, and any marks or characteristics in your records. Also, it's a good idea to clearly identify your equipment with your driver's licence number, initials or another mark to help police identify you as the owner.
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Most resorts or hotels have a special area where skis can be checked either overnight or during the day. Take advantage of these secured areas to store your gear safely.
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Bring only what you need to the hill. Leave other items at home or locked in your vehicle. 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.
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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.
Tags: ski theft, ski racks, ski loft, ski, skiing
