How do you secure your skis outside the lodge

[Ron]

85? Try 78. gcool

you mean 66?

 

[Philpug]

I am less concered with them taking the ski for the skis but more for the bindings. Pivot 15 and Pivot 18's (along with FKS versions) are the Honda Civic V-Tec of the ski world. Huge following from the seedy underground and mean streets of the ski world.

 

[Ron]

This is true, a phillips screwdriver and about 3 minutes with cold hands is all that would take. But you might find them on TGR at a great price.

 

[Redleg]

You just secure your skis.

 

[crgildart]

I am less concered with them taking the ski for the skis but more for the bindings. Pivot 15 and Pivot 18's (along with FKS versions) are the Honda Civic V-Tec of the ski world. Huge following from the seedy underground and mean streets of the ski world.

Used A/T bindings are going for stoopid money these days. The skis might be torn up from the floor up but good bindings are always in demand.

 

[Bill Talbot]

I am less concered with them taking the ski for the skis but more for the bindings. Pivot 15 and Pivot 18's (along with FKS versions) are the Honda Civic V-Tec of the ski world. Huge following from the seedy underground and mean streets of the ski world.

Nobody best be messing with my Pivots... Ziggy's got my back on this...

 

[Levy1]

I use a chain from Home Depot and a lock it all fits nicely in my backpack. I sit somewhere where I can watch my skis.

 

[Michael R.]

Short of actually locking my skis, I'll just park them next to someone who has a much nicer set than mine. I would hope a potential thief would check out my bases first though, so that he'd see numerous scratches and base welds and maybe look for a better set.

 

[Michael R.]

There are three different kinds of ski thieves. There is the picky pro that works with a lookout and watches for what they know are high dollar skis. They'll watch you put them on the rack and will even pay enough attention to get them if you try to split them up. They carry clippers that will cut most $10 ski cable locks too. If you have older skis they won't bother them.

Then, there is the smash and grab where they have a partner pull a truck in to the drop off area with the crook just walking over to the rack and grabbing as many as they can carry then trotting to the truck where they toss them in the back and drive off.

And finally, there is the clueless tourist that accidentally takes your skis by mistake because they look similar..

My parents had scenario #1 happen to them. My parents split the skis, locked them, and one set of mismatched skis still got stolen, (but not the other set); so now both couldn't ski. Must've been stolen by the grab and go type of scenario #2. Or they didn't want to steal per se but just be complete dicks.

Scenario #3 my dad did. He took the skis of someone else who had the exact same straight skis as he did (it was 2009 mind you), figured someone stole his poles, did a run without his poles, and it was only when he took his skis back off a couple runs later and didn't see the "ski market" sticker under his binding that he realized he had the wrong skis. Same BSL and everything, what are the odds.

Our family had so much stuff stolen skiing in Vermont, even though we took precautions, it was crazy. Thankfully none of that's happened out here (knock on wood)

There was some New Yorker who was caught stealing from Stratton. He had like a dozen pairs of skis in his Mercedes. So even the ski world isn't immune to those who make their "living" off of being a professional thief.

 

[eok]

We rack our skis real close to where we'll be hanging out & keep our eyes on 'em. If I see someone suspicious enough lurking about the rack, I'll react. I've had a few situations where the 'dude gave the "Oh, sorry, I grabbed the wrong skis". Once, I had the opportunity to get off a photo of the 'perp before I intercepted them (didn't really help much due to his hoodie). I report incidents when I can.

One thing I witnessed recently is a dude using his smartphone in camera mode to covertly look over his target and (seemingly) to discretely check to see if anyone is watching. My skis (Kastles) were about 50ft from the bench I was sitting on. The guy strolled up (between me and my skis), looking into his phone. I was so close I could see how he was using the phone's live camera view & it seemed odd a first. He stood over my skis while looking at his phone & eyeballing my gear (I can just imagine him texting his partner in crime "hey, want these?"). I'm sure to most folks he appeared like any other young dude immersed in his phone. Anyway, he then kind of turned in a circle while seemingly immersed in his phone. Probably looking to see if anyone was watching. Then he started to look back at my skis again and... bend over towards them. At that point I just yelled "YO!" (I can get pretty loud), got up and started moving towards him & my skis. That got his attention. We made eye contact. He stepped away from my skis and then made a beeline to the lodge stairway (presumably to the parking lot). I reported the incident to the staff @ the nearby ticket window.

Yes, there's always the possibility the dude was not trying to snag my gear and actually got the fudge scared out of him by a paranoid crazy geezer. I'd like to think that's not the case. He sure seemed in the process of doing a snatch&run with my skis. Honest. ;^)

Anyway, the phone cam gimmick he employed was a new one for me.

 

[liv2ski]

Pffffft, just be sure you're rocking the longest skis in the rack and they don't get stolen.

 

[Dave Petersen]

Geeze, after reading all these I am getting a little paranoid. I need to be more careful.

 

[Dave Petersen]

You have opened my eyes! My new plan...

Or I suppose this could prove effective as well...

 

[Dave Petersen]

Although you know sometimes the simplest approach is the best ...

 

[Don in Morrison]

It seems someone would notice if someone was cutting a cable with a tool, or unscrewing bindings or brakes so they could pilfer the skis. It would take a lot of chutzpah to start cutting a cable on a rack where dozens of people were milling around picking up or stacking skis.

My retro skis are the only ones I lock, with a cable lock. My newer skis are now old enough to be way out of style, so I don't lock them.

I realize that isn't necessarily a workable plan, in light of the fact that my oldest son had the same old junk bike stolen twice. It was a Frankenbike that I built out of random loose parts. We recovered it both times, but later he traded it on the street with another kid for a broken down mountain bike. When he brought it home, I told him "Somebody got ripped off, but I'm not sure who."

 

[Dave Petersen]

We have a security system for our home. While it isn't full-proof, it is enough of a hassle that would be burglars would most likely just move on to something easier...thus all the security company stickers on the windows and sign out front.

 

[crgildart]

Your skis are in the basement of the Alamo now!

Special high five to whoever can draw the direct connection between Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Better Off Dead...

 

[John O]

I always used to use a ski lock - the simple retractable cable lock. I realize it would only take a few seconds to cut with the right tool, but it's like the story of the guy doing up his running shoes when the bear charges: "I don't have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you." In other words, make your skis harder to take than the ones next to you.

That's my exact rationale for using a cable lock. I also have the benefit of the fact that I usually ski through lunch (sandwich in my pack) so there are plenty days where my skis never leave me feet until I'm back at the parking lot.

 

[David Chaus]

When my skis are pretty new, I use a ski lock. Once I've had some wear and scrapes on the top sheets, I don't seem to worry about it as much. I usually have last seasons close out model anyway, then adorn with a Pugski sticker, next to an Epicski sticker.

For good measure I carefully place my skis next to someone else's expensive hot model skis. Bonafides and Souls 7's have been very good to my Heads.

 

[crgildart]

Your skis are in the basement of the Alamo now!

Special high five to whoever can draw the direct connection between Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Better Off Dead...

Hint..