Question for owners of skis

A snowHead

@pam w, true, evidence doesn't imply causality. Maybe it's the very distinctive topsheets, general batteredness, or just blind luck. All have worked so far. Very Happy

I will be locking my new skis though, don't want to tempt fate.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Never locked any of our skis.....still have them all, even the ones we don’t want anymore

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I wish more resorts would use a system like SkiKey

https://usa.skikey.com

The lock is matchbox sized and easily fits in a pocket. Takes a few seconds to lock and unlock your skis.

Val d'Isere started putting a number of racks in and selling the locks.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

My Brother and I lock our kit up if we stop for lunch or coffee at a café/restaurant, whether it's in resort or on the mountain somewhere. Have a Skikey for if a rack is available, and a DaKine coiled cable lock. Also try and find a seat where we can keep an eye on the kit as well.
I don't think I would be very polite if I saw some thieving scumbag trying to help themselves to any of my boards or any of my Brothers skis...

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I've got numerous customers that have had their skis stolen and on of the big difficulties is getting the crime registered with the local cops who are reluctant to admit that they have a theft problem.

So one of the big benefits of even a flimsy lock like mine is that even if you return to find the lock snipped and your skis gone you can prove that a theft has taken place (take a pic of the lock on the rack/floor) so they have to give you a crime number which you then need to substantiate your insurance claim.

And make sure that you keep your skis/bindings purchase receipts for any insurance claim and also check that your policy covers you for sufficient value. Both of these are even more important if the kit is new.

After all it is free

Must admit I don’t bother to lock mine anymore. Especially after I found how easy it was to cut the wire (my lock failed and I just borrowed a tiny pair of pliers and it was like a knife through butter).

Never lock mine. Never had any bother, nor heard of any of my mates having any bother (never asked them if they use locks though). In fact, thinking about, I rarely see any that are locked up outside restaurants etc.

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Many years ago I indulged in somewhat excessive apres ski in central Morzine which carried on well past evening meal time. Wandered out of the bar eventually, remembered I’d just lumped my skis into a large pile and wasn’t really sure where I’d left them. They were the only ones left there! Either had a charmed life or they were too rubbish to bother with Very Happy

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Also, a few years later, got in the big red ‘Westgipfelbahn’ Gondola to download to Hinterglemm with the Mrs after lunch (the red down was a bit much for her). On the way down I noticed her skis were longer than mine! So we had to go all the way back up to find hers and replace the ‘stolen’ ones. IIRC they both had some white on them, but were different manufacturers Shocked

She was lucky we had the children with us or I would have bailed on the second trip downhill and skied rolling eyes

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No never use them, don't split either. But you can.

I do, I lock mine and the wife's together preferably to something if its out of sight for more than a quick pop to the toilet. A couple of minutes to lock them up might just save the headache of replacing them should they go walkies. In what other circumstances would you leave over a grand's worth of possessions unattended and unprotected.

Do get some funny looks though form time to time, it doesn't seem to be that common to lock up your kit.

You know it makes sense.

Anywhere up the mountain through the day thats only accessible on skis - probably nothing unless I had particular cause for concern.
Anywhere up the mountain through the day thats accessible by lift on foot - Cable locked and split up/mis-matched if accompanied.
Anywhere up the mountain for Apreś - cable locked and split up/mis-matched.
Anywhere and anytime at resort level - comfort break length of time only and always cable locked. If anything longer back into a secure locker or the hotel first.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I suppose it would stop my mates nicking one of mine, skiing down to the valley floor with it and then sending a photo of it sat at the gondola station waiting for me Evil or Very Mad

A snowHead

I bought a cable lock when I got my (wonderful) BBRs. Occasionally I locked them when I remembered if I'm down in resort. Now I've got a board I'll religiously lock it...if I remember. So not much then!

A snowHead

Never used a lock. When I'm using skis that are particularly nickable (new, expensive, attractive models for skibums) and I'm in a high risk location (e.g., at a restaurant close to a car park) then I will split them and tuck one in a hard to see location. Once they are 3 seasons old I get pretty relaxed.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Too much faff. I just separate them, nobody wants to steal one ski. And make sure there's nicer pairs on the rack (almost always!) just in case.

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I'll lock my skis with a cycle cable lock if at resort level or at a big party hut venue, it would need a fairly decent cutter to get through, beyond a multitool one. With touring bindings or newish skis it's a little piece of mind.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We never lock them but do split them for restaurant stops. My wife has had a pair taken by mistake. The perpetrator had the same size boots and it wasn't until they were half way up the lift that they realised and skied back down. Luckily we were at an out of the way coffee hut at the bottom of a run with only one way out on the lift.

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@Canuck, you must have a low faff threshold. I keep a lock in my pocket, it's a retractable cable with a 4 digit combination lock. Unlike Scarpa's I suspect that a multi-tool would get through it, but even if that alone stops some git from nicking my poles again then it's worth the 30 seconds or so of effort.

And just because there are nicer skis in the rack when you arrive, doesn't mean that the owner isn't just about to ski off with them.

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@SnoodlesMcFlude,

I'm with you on this one - scooting backwards and forwards distributing skis around a rack and in hidey holes seems so much more effort than attaching a lock.

After all it is free

Our lock is too thick and well made for a multitool, it's made with 5mm stainless cable, but good wire cutters would snip it in seconds, but who other than a determined thief has them, and we can't stop them. We just want to stop the careless taking them by mistake, or the opportunist who wants to make a quick buck to pay for a nights beer.

Also important for insurance. Our lock is 1.2m long too, so is long enough for both sets of skis, and we always lock them to something. Takes about 1 minute, so worth it I reckon.

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@thecramps, my multi tool has a decent wire cutter on it Wink

As you say, someone that has gone out to deliberately steal skis will get them, even with a proper chain (I had cause to use a bolt cutter on a decent padlock a while back and it was shocking how easily a small bolt cutter could get through a reasonable padlock). But I'm mostly looking at stopping someone accidentally taking them or someone that thinks "those skis are nicer than mine". And having had £100 worth of poles go missing during a short lunch break I'm no longer as blase as I was previously.

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I use a retractable wire lock on the "stops accidental or opportunist theft" basis. I also recommend checking your insurance cover most will not do anything like "replacement as new" so your just over 2 year old, hardly used skis are probably only worth 45% or so of the original purchase price assuming you still have the receipt and there will be an excess too! Mine fall into the over 5 years old category, so not worth anything according to the last policy I had so I would be looking at the full replacement cost so any protection from loss/theft is worthwhile.

@tarrantd, mpi it's 65% for 2 year old skis, but it's still shoit, I'd rather try and prevent them getting swiped whether theft or incompetence.

You know it makes sense.

I use this one. Locks the skis and poles together onto the rack. It aint cheap, but neither are skis.

https://www.loqski.com/products/ski-lock

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@thecramps, I think my policy said "up to" 2 years so ski's bought 1st Jan 2017 are now over 2 years old even if only used for 1 week so only 45% if stolen (less the £50 excess). Can't help feeling that cover for lost/stolen skis should be an optional extra!

A snowHead

@holidayloverxx,

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@jedster, but if you’re in that % just once....
For the sake of a few quid and a few seconds I like being slightly protected against having to walk/download, rent for the rest of the trip and then claim the peanuts from my insurance company.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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After all it is free

@robboj, I have one of those locks as well, bought it last season. Easily fits in your pocket, am sure it has a carry bag to keep it in (not anywhere near to check today), not heavy at all either. Though very sturdy!!

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Question for owners of skis

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