 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My personal inclination on ski locks is that there is really no point trying to lock your skis up like fort knox, at the end of the day unless you're going to carry a motorbike chain around all day, there will be professional thieves operating in resort who will have a way to get your skis off. It's an unfortunate reality that there will always be times when you have to leave your skis out of sight, which when you have a pair of skis which, with bindings and poles, will probably tot up at over £1000 is a horrible thing to have to do!
This year I will probably lock mine up but I will use something quick, simple and lightweight. All I'm really going to do is make my skis more of a PITA to steal than somebody else's. As long as I do that, my hope is that they'll just steal somebody else's instead*.
(Obviously I'd rather they didn't steal anyone's at all...)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@AdTee, I like the look of kickstarter. Do you have a commercial / manufacturing interest?
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Was just thinking about this myself as have my own skis for the first time. Like dp I'm interested more as a deterrent, without a proper ski rack to lock them in it's difficult to do much more than that. Thankfully my skis aren't huge money either, but the hassle of them going missing would ruin a trip.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@achilles, Nope, I just found it after trawling google results. Would put my name down for one now, but won't get it in time for BB13!
@dp, I agree but I want to avoid the hassle of spending time trying to loop a cable tight enough around the skis (and whatever I'm locking them to) that they can't be wriggled out of it (especially as one of my pairs are on demo bindings), so something that simply clasps around the skis first is what I'm after.
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@AdTee, I've got the Dakine Cam Lock, and it is more robust than the simple wire and combination type. You wouldn't be able to cut it with a typical multi-tool for example, but it wouldn't stand up to small bolt croppers. It only takes seconds to fit and pull tight.
The main point is to make it obvious that they are locked, either in the case of a deliberate theft attempt, or a case of mistaken identity.
I only tend to lock mine in easy access areas, for example if you can get there without skiing, such as a main lift. Having said that, now I'm on Dynafit bindings, a ski away theft is much less likely 
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Just don't leave them out of sight, then. I may be a saddo, but the only time my skis or board leave my or someone in my party's sight is when locked into accommodation's locker or ski room. Not deliberate, just on my feet or being carried...
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@Grizzler, I assume you never have lunch in a mountain restaurant, or do you make someone sit outside?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Grizzler, bit difficult if you're skiing alone and want to eat or pee.
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@PowderAdict, thanks, I may well go for that then.
@Grizzler,I hate being the one in the group who is paranoid about my skis when in a mountain restaurant, so knowing that I have at least done something is good.
Also I'm sure the t&c's in the MPI insurance said skis need to be split but that's another matter entirely... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I got a chandler to make up a cable, looped ends, using stainless steel wire rope - the sort used for stays. It is light and flexible. Keeps the honest people honest.
If somebody is determined to steal the skis, they will regardless of what you use, short of them being secured by a motorcycle chain, as somebody suggested above.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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That Dakine Cam Lock looks good, think I might do that myself
My 2 main theories are:
1) If it's harder to get mine off than the next pair of high end skis, they'll take the next pair and leave mine alone.
2) If they're unlocked and somebody picks them up in my sightline - they can say "oh sorry I thought they were mine" and I have to let it go, at least long enough to check if the racks have got another pair of the same skis with the same bindings on. (Unlikely, but possible). If I see somebody trying to get the lock off, I can more legitimately walk up to them and wrap a pint glass around their face (obviously at ski resort prices I would drink the beer first).
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@PowderAdict, no, better things to do with snow time and money.
@SnoodyMcFlude, being alone and needing pee, fair point tho'.
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You know it makes sense.
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I didn't personally like the dakine cam lock. I found it really fiddly to put on and although it seemed very tough I was always the last one with my skis back on after lunch. It also had a wicked recoil when taking it out of the rack.
After that holiday I can't see me using on the slope again.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Is theft of skis that big a problem?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I stopped at a restaurant for lunch last year and when I came back to my skis I found that some idiot had put a lock on them and attached their poles. They're quite distinctive and have marker schizo bindings with white and blue on opposite ways on each ski so not easy to mix up. I picked them up still locked together and marched angrily around the restaurant terrace holding them aloft seeing if anyone reacted.
My wife then came out from visiting the loo and upon asking what I was doing, walked over to the ski rack to see if hers were ok.......not the same rack I'd picked these up from though  It turns out that my skis were not as individual as I'd thought as mine were still on the rack where I'd left them and I was the fool with someone else's skis.
I suppose the moral/point of this story is that I would've taken those skis thinking they were mine if they weren't locked up and lost an £80 pair of poles too.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| t44tomo wrote: |
| Is theft of skis that big a problem? |
I suspect it is not as common as people believe. Paranoia is a disease not a hobby. Unless you have top of the range equipment or leave your kit unattended for a considerable time I think the risk is very low. Even a cheap lock will act as a deterrent if there are other people around. My advice is to be sensible but not to go to extremes.
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| t44tomo wrote: |
| Is theft of skis that big a problem? |
I think its more likely some idiot picks them up by mistake. Happened to a friend last year in Morzine. To some people all skis look the same and as long as their boot fits in, off they go. They were both hire skis from the same shop fortunately so they were able to sort it out.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Themasterpiece, +1
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If people are concerned about the risk of people confusing skis, IE @897sma story, can I suggest these?
They're rubbish for actually holding your skis together, but they're great for putting on your skis when leaving them in ski racks.
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| Rabbie wrote: |
| t44tomo wrote: |
| Is theft of skis that big a problem? |
I suspect it is not as common as people believe. Paranoia is a disease not a hobby. Unless you have top of the range equipment or leave your kit unattended for a considerable time I think the risk is very low. Even a cheap lock will act as a deterrent if there are other people around. My advice is to be sensible but not to go to extremes. |
Opposite scenario in my experience. People have been doing it for years and are very trusting so do not take the threat seriously. In areas that you have to ski to, it does tend to be a more a case of mistaken identity. But in areas you can reach on foot.... well let me put it this way, would you leave a £1000 bike sat outside a restaurant in a french town for an hour whilst you had lunch, without putting a lock on it?
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Plus at the bottom of the mountains there have been cases of people in vans grabbiing a lot of skis in a short time. I just use a light coiled cable bike lock, 6mm braided steel with a sleeve so it will take more than a pair of side cutters to crop.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I use one of these . . .https://www.amazon.co.uk/LOCK-AGENT-classic-keys-SILVER/dp/B000KKFEP6?tag=amz07b-21 . . .which can also double as a compact bike lock (without the excess cable)
The agent ski lock is much smaller and lighter than you think and definitely a step up from the Dakine Wire/Combo lock jobbies . . .really easy to attach to pretty much anything, the key lock stops a lot of fiddling about with tumbler codes and you can do it with your gloves on . . .I carry mine in a small pack so no bother - reckon you could carry in your jacket pocket if required . . .recommended
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I use a SAFEMAN (available on line) very neat and a good gauge cable.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@chocksaway, me too.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| dp wrote: |
If people are concerned about the risk of people confusing skis, IE @897sma story, can I suggest these?
They're rubbish for actually holding your skis together, but they're great for putting on your skis when leaving them in ski racks.
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Yep I have some decathlon ones of those, and a bright pink one, which is easy to spot!
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| SnoodyMcFlude wrote: |
| @Grizzler, bit difficult if you're skiing alone and want to eat or pee. |
You can eat and pee when the lifts are closed 
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You know it makes sense.
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| chocksaway wrote: |
| I use a SAFEMAN (available on line) very neat and a good gauge cable. |
A word of caution... The key snapped in one of my Safemans a few weeks ago, leaving us with two very expensive and much loved bikes very neatly secured against an immovable object nearly twenty miles from home. The other Safeman went in the bin when we finally got home.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Thornyhill, like it! Must admit that I tend to use a cheap cable lock, mainly because Are has one main rental outlet (SkiStar) and they only seem to have one type of intermediate ski. Hence, hundreds of pairs of identical skis on the mountain.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Belch wrote: |
I use one of these . . .https://www.amazon.co.uk/LOCK-AGENT-classic-keys-SILVER/dp/B000KKFEP6?tag=amz07b-21 . . .which can also double as a compact bike lock (without the excess cable)
The agent ski lock is much smaller and lighter than you think and definitely a step up from the Dakine Wire/Combo lock jobbies . . .really easy to attach to pretty much anything, the key lock stops a lot of fiddling about with tumbler codes and you can do it with your gloves on . . .I carry mine in a small pack so no bother - reckon you could carry in your jacket pocket if required . . .recommended |
We have 2 of these, or something extremely similar, and they do fit in a pocket. We use them to lock up our skis for peace of mind and to avoid someone else walking away with them accidentally. In reality our skis ain't that expensive or desirable but I'd hate the hassle of walking out of a restaurant half way up a mountain to find them gone.
If you use one per set of skis you can secure them to a rack etc. Alternatively sometimes we just take one and lock the wife and I's skis together.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Been using a Dakine branded safeman for over 10 years now. perfect. long enough and also Ok if you crash with it in a pocket which is more than can be said for some locks!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I have a dirt cheap £2 ultralightweight combi lock.
I'm protecting my ski's against someone who *didn't* want to steal them, that's the only problems I've ever had.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I had some poles taken a couple of seasons ago. This was from a restaurant at the bottom near a car park, which was lucky as I was able to just go into the nearest ski shop and buy some. Better than losing your gear half way up a mountain. - I think I shall start using my cycle cafe-stop lock - lightweight combination lock - for my skis. It's a shame to have to do it, but better than losing equipment and hours of skiing time as you try to file police reports and hire new skis.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I personally know two people who have had their skis nicked in the 3V's. One had his brand new race skis nicked from underneath what is now the Folie Douce in VT (was just a restaurant then) and one had her limited edition Lines nicked from outside her chalet whilst she went inside for a coffee. I've had my Leki poles nicked (well, actually deliberately swapped with an old knackered pair) whilst I was teaching a group of beginners on skis only. I've heard other stories of people's skis going outside the Rond Point in Meribel (it's next to a bus stop).
As @Scarpa says, there are plenty of stories of vans going down the valley with a full load in the back. The resorts should do more to raise awareness of theft but of course they don't want to acknowledge the problem because it reflects negatively on their image.
The alternative would be to change the ski racks. When I skied in Whistler a few years back, I noticed that pretty much all the mountain restaurants had the type of ski rack with individual sections and a sliding bar across the top. So all you had to do was carry a padlock in your pocket to lock the bar and your skis were safe. I guess that's a benefit of a resort under sole ownership who can insist on these standards as opposed to a load of freehold businesses who just view the investment as a dent in their profits...
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@Raceplate, the other half takes her poles in to restos with her as they are only a year old and it was tricky finding bright yellow fluo ones to replace her 20 year old ones.
We use the little coiling cable combo locks. As said elsewhere it's never going to deter a deliberate theft but it will reduce likelihood of either opportunistic theft or stupidity.
And they are almost never left outside bars or restaurants off the mountain.
There was a gang operating in Morzine in 1988 (showing my age) who would regularly sweep fairly large quantities into a van while apres ski drinking going on.
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I think the risk of theft on the mountain is pretty minimal. The risk of skis being taken through an honest mistake is far greater. Some rental shops now slap a piece of sticky tape on the skis with your initials on it and that seems an eminently sensible idea. If I were to go back to owning my own skis then I doubt I'd bother with the hassle of locking them (half the time there is nothing to lock them to anyway apart from each other) but I would 'customise' them to make it less likely someone else will pick them up in error. Six inches of duct tape and a permanent marker should sort them out.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@under a new name, I also use a coiling combo lock but for sure you could cut it with a Leatherman if you wanted to. It's just to stop the "wrong ski" idiots rather than a proper thief. Think I saw one advertised somewhere that had an automatic alarm if the cable was cut - that seemed a step up.
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@Scarpa, I'm sure Folie Douces are an absolute magnet for thieves, especially the ones with pedestrian access. "I'm just carrying these for my friend, he's too drunk to ski down..." as if the lifties would give a toss anyway... 
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