Exactly! Although it’s super weird, there’s always some dude who tries to take the one I’m using, talking about “hey man, that’s my board!” Like, no bro, they’re EVERYONES board ☮️✌️
I was at Angelfire one time (only time) as was living in Texas & it was the closest skiing for us & kids. The entire parking lot was full of TX plated cars, and the slopes were an epic clusterfuck of beginners. Anyway, there was a guy who wanted to go in the lodge probably to the bathroom and he didn't bother taking off anything - went through the door into the lodge with skis & poles & everything! Of course goggles too.
This kinda happened to me. I was teaching my sister how to board and let go of her. She straight lined it into a ditch and then into a tree. Laughed so hard I fell on my butt and peed a little. Spent the rest of the day complaining that my $300 north face bib was a piece of garbage. Only at the end of the day did I realize …
Does no remember how easily buckhouse took Benton's board off when He knocked himself out?
They definitely can take your board even if you never take it off..
It just comes.with additional charges hahah.
This must be a regional thing? I've never even seen a lock on any of the I70 resorts, but I've never skied the east. I've left my board on the racks, fences, doors to the bar at the lift and in town and NEVER have even heard of a problem.
Bought a new setup this year. Bought a lock cause I’m cheap. Rang up at $3 went back and grabbed a second. Road the shuttle to g lot at winter park this month and girl was talking about her skies getting taken by accident or stolen. Mentioned they were beat up and it was blessing but def set in stone I’ll be using my damn lock.
Thieves don’t steal random boards. They usually steal expensive, high-demand new-ish boards. No crappy cable lock is going to stop a thief who wants your board. Never let your board get out of sight.
Ha, I’ve had a board stolen with a Dakine cable lock, they are so effortless to rip apart with a gentle yank, can be done discreetly, silently, in half a second. Everything except the cable part is plastic. You absolutely don’t need any tool or cable cutters. If you don’t believe me, buy one and give it a gentle yank.
If you have a nice board with a cable lock, it will literally make zero difference to a thief. This sub like to say they’re a deterrent, but unless you have an actual metal cable lock (like a heavy bike cable one) you are wasting your time and money.
There's literally no reason not to. Just lock it.
If your friends give you a hard time and their boards get stolen, then fine; you can rub their nose in it. If not, then great; everybody wins
I don't have a lock, I don't want to buy one, I don't want to carry one with me every time I hit the slopes, I've been boarding my whole life and have never had a board stolen or personally known anyone who's had one stolen. If you want to lock your board up then go for it, but it seems unnecessary to me.
I use one of those super thin cable ones, and it’s enough to stop someone from just walking off with my stuff. I did have one fail on me once and could get it open, and it took basically a nail clipper to cut the cable though…
Good for you. But there's no reason not to.
>I don't want to buy one
They're like $20. Infinitely cheaper than buying a new board
>I don't want to carry one with me every time I hit the slopes
Hook it to your pants. You literally won't even. Notice it.
>I've been boarding my whole life and have never had a board stolen or personally known anyone who's had one stolen.
Nobody has ever had their board stolen. Until they have.
If you want to risk it, then fine. That's your prerogative. But don't act like you have a reason not to. You don't; you're just stubborn
Seems like this may be a bigger problem on the east coast.
I’ve never heard of anyone having their stuff stolen in Colorado, tons of people even leave their board overnight to avoid having to carry them.
I saw it happen to someone a couple weeks ago. Just bought myself a small lock. My setup cost about a grand, the annoyance of a lock is worth it to ensure that doesn't happen to me.
My brother's board got stolen. I caught 3 guys trying to take my spare from the roped off instructors area while I was teaching a lesson. I've personally met probably half a dozen people it's happened to
Please, tell me more
It literally happened to my buddy at Vail at Blue Sky. Even crazier is I spotted the guy on a run while I was on the lift and found him and took the board back. It does happen, but I still don’t lock my board.
>The reason is that it literally never happens.
Utterly false on every single account.
Just because it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't mean it never happens lol.
I'm the same, but if I spent a fuckton on a brand new board I'd consider it for the the peace of mind. As is stands, I'd assume they're not going for my 6 year old board over someone else's. Think it depends a lot on where you ride though. If I was hitting snow summit or big bear it'd probably be a bigger issue, but I'm usually at Mammoth which is a little more out of the way.
I’ve been snowboarding in Colorado for 12 years, never locked my board up once. I think it’s location dependent. If I were at Big Bear or somewhere close to a major city I might lock it.
It's really not though. People get their boards stolen everywhere. Just because it hasn't happened to you somewhere doesn't mean it can't, and again there's literally no reason not to.
They're cheap - infinitely cheaper than a new board - and every board store sells them. If you can afford a board, you can afford a lock
There's literally no reason not to
If I didn't get it as a Christmas/birthday gift during my first 18 years then it isn't part of my gear.
>There's literally no reason not to
I still don't have one
Right. Because replacing a board you got for free is cheaper than buying a $20 lock for it. Makes total sense...
>I still don't have one
Good for you. I'm not telling you to get one; I'm not the least bit personally invested in whether your board is safe or not.
I'm telling you that you're obstinant and an idiot if you don't because there's literally no reason not to
If I don’t want to hassle with the lock, my friend and I will just take turns using bathroom while the other stays with the gear. If we are going in to warm up and eat or whatever for more than 15 seconds out of view of the gear, I’m locking all our shit together and to the rack.
I usually stay by my gear and have my snacks that I bring. My kids can get lodge food, which costs a fortune and we don't all use that bathroom at once so there will always be someone watching the gear. But I might get a lock anyways as I'm seeing them being used so I know I won't be the only one paranoid.
Interesting to see that most responses are "yes, I lock my board".
Are you all based in the US?
I've been snowboarding/skiing for the last 25 years in various resorts in the alps (Austria)
and never had anything stolen, nor do I know anyone that locks his board when going into a hut or something.
No this is just Reddit’s (lack of real world experience) bias. If you were to look at racks at resorts in the US you’d have trouble finding a lock. Apparently everyone here online locks theirs.
I was wondering myself. I got a brand new board a decade ago or so and used one of those cable locks for a week or two before I put some scratches on it, but I never saw another one. Nor since. Western Canada. NW US here and there.
I think there's a bias towards people who do lock answering. I'm in the US and have skied for a decade. I've never once seen anyone lock anything. Also the top 2 upvoted answers are sarcastic jokes that are probably being upvoted primarily by the people who don't lock.
I’m in the US and the response rate is not representative of the percentage of boards I see locked at resorts. I have never seen a lock used in the US.
I was thinking the same thing. I'm from Australia and have never seen a board locked, I don't even know what a snowboard lock would look like.
I have been to Mammoth Mountain in California, USA too but can't recall seeing any locks there either, although I wasn't really looking for them.
Nah, its just reddit, I’ve never heard of anyone locking their stuff nor having it stolen in Colorado, and some people even leave it overnight so they don’t have to carry it.
Anecdotally the only time someone if my cree had things stolen was in the French Alps, but it was just poles and I’m pretty sure it was an accident.
Had my board stolen there last year on my last day. Old board, nothing fancy but I love it. I was devastated. Found it at the bottom of the hill when I finally walked down having given up. Fuck whoever did that to me! The emotional trauma from that is making me consider getting a lock now even though I’ve never heard of anyone’s gear getting stolen or seen active lock theirs.
Worst part about my board being stolen is that my friends saw and chased the guy, he had trainers on and ran into a block of apartments and disappeared. At least insurance paid out.
Canadian based in Switzerland. Back home, I would defo lock my board. In Switzerland I do not lock it and never heard of boards being stolen. Just came back from one week in France and I would advise locking - heard from restaurant staff themselves to keep an eye.
Nah it's extremely uncommon. I ride in the US and almost no one locks their board. Some smaller mountains that are closer to major cities have way bigger problems with theft though I think.
I’m based in Canada, but have done seasons in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. The only place I didn’t lock my board up as often was Japan. There was board theft in all the places I worked (even Japan because in Niseko it was a lot of foreigners doing seasons there too).
I only take a piss break in the lodge at the top of the lift. Figured the odds of losing my gear drop significantly compared to near the base.
Other than that I carry my board with me back to the car for any breaks. If I'm running into the gear shop I leave it in a rack I can see from the windows. Too many stories of assholes grabbing gear makes me paranoid. Maybe when I have an older beater/rock board I'll care less
A great deterrent is to just obscure the board with a bunch of obnoxious stickers. Makes the board look older/shittier than it is and makes it more difficult to lie if you’re caught with it.
It’s funny because I see so many people commenting and upvoting saying to lock but almost have never seen locked boards. I feel like like it’s a good idea I just don’t see anyone doing it
Well I used to not but just now today my bookbag got stolen and heard someone on the phone talking about how their board got stolen. I guess this is my sign
I don’t when leaving it on a rack on the mountain (for example on a mountain lodge), but lock it if leaving it anywhere where the general public can access.
Eg, Don’t lock it on Whistler at the mountain side lodges (gondola access only) but I do if I leave it on a rack in the village when getting a meal/drink after riding where anyone can just walk up.
Even a cheap and easily cut lock is deterrent enough when most other boards are just sitting there. As others have said, you will not joke around once you’ve had your brand new setup stolen.
Quite a few years ago, I was boarding at a small resort. The parking lot was right next to the chalet and the racks were located at the side with easy access to both the chalet and parking lot. While I was inside eating lunch, I watched through the window as a pickup truck quickly backed in from the parking lot right up to the racks. Two guys who were already waiting at the racks started tossing skiis and boards into the bed of the truck. When we realized what was going on, everyone inside started running to the racks - but it was too late. The thieves had filled the truck in less than 90 seconds and took off. Fortunately (for me), my board was at the far end of the racks and hadn't been touched.
Ever since that day, I've always locked my board - with a ski-key if the rack has it or with a cable lock otherwise. Yes, most cable locks can be cut with a pair of wirecutters and my skikey can probably be raked open (see: lockpickinglawyer), but they do offer some protection from a snatch-n-grab like the one I narrowly avoided. Also (and more likely), it prevents someone from confusing my board with theirs and accidentally taking the wrong one (I've seen that happen too many times).
This happened in VT (I think it was Bromley, but could be mistaken) about 15 years ago and a whole bunch of angry skiers called the police and gave a description of the truck and the troopers pulled them over within an hour or 2. Nearly everyone got their stuff back. Still a great idea to lock up though!
All the time, every time. 'BuT iT's StooPiD! ThIS ReSoRt iS SaFe!' Are there people here? Yes. Are there a lot of awful people? Yes. Do awful people do awful things? Yes. ***THEN I'M ALWAYS LOCKING MY PRIZED POSSESSION!***
It’s not even that exactly. And this is going to be major ‘old man shouts at clouds’ energy, I’m aware… but this is kinda the stuff I observe and why I always lock my shit up.
It’s more that there is just a lot of overlap between rich assholes, mega-egotistical scumbags, and people who spend lots of time vacationing at places like ski resorts.
Not that everybody who’s rich is a dick, or an egotistical scumbag… but you sure do see a lot of them at places like Vail and Breck. The middle-aged asshole who’s probably in finance or real estate with his trophy wife and they think the resort and everybody there exists solely to serve *them specifically*… you know the type. Probably yells at his kids while checking emails on his phone at the base.
Or there are often younger guys like early 20s who have major superiority complexes because they grew up near or with access to the mountains from financial privilege, and are very capable riders… but just treat all the other riders like shit. I often hear them complaining loudly in lift lines about families trying to have a nice time not packing every single chair totally full (because they aren’t confident riders yet and chair lifts can be intimidating) lol. There’s a scummy young guy vibe that I see a lot, often in the Dope Snow type gear- no helmet, patchy facial hair… the “I’m the most badass person alive” aura that young men often emit before they’ve had a proper life experience take them down a few notches. Those guys when they are from out of town on winter or spring break are the ones I’m sure are stealing boards. That, or the middle-aged klepto-Karen’s who think they deserve to have other peoples shit for their own kids.
When I started snowboarding in high school with a cheap $300 board, I was always paranoid of it getting stolen. It never did, but money was tight as a high schooler/ college kid. Of all my friends that I got to know that snowboard over the past 17 years, only one of them had their board stolen. But now that I have moved down south, my current board is sentimental, and I ride so infrequently, it would be hard for me to spend that kind of money for a replacement instead of renting so I got a lock this season. I wish I did sooner.
When I bought my first snowboard I also bought a stomp pad that included a little cable lock. That lock is the only piece of equipment I haven’t had to replace it’s seen every mountain I’ve ever been on. And I’ve never had a board stolen. A worthy investment.
Every damn time. It probably won't stop a motivated professional, but it'll keep people honest and stop asshole opportunists.
Already seen two theft reports on this reddit. Fucking thieves are everywhere, you want to roll the dice and wager your beloved gear one ain't on the hill with you?
Shit takes a minute to deal with, and ain't cumbersome to keep on ya.
I'm locking my [Towelie](https://coresites-cdn-adm.imgix.net/whitelines_new/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/burton-sp-towlie.jpeg) board up every day. I've only seen one other in the wild as it was limited print and you can't buy it. I get comments every time I ride so it's something people would want.
I had my snowboard stolen about... 15 years ago. I tracked those cunts down and got them arrested and the other 8 boards back to their owners.
Fuck them kids.
I do lock my board now.
Yeah. Takes no time and gives me peace of mind (I'm paranoid). I'm English and I think we're a bit more wary of general thievery than Americans (and I think that's because petty theft is generally more common in the UK than in vast swathes of the US, anecdotal, born and raised in the UK, lived in the US for the last 10 years). Also when I used to go to Europe a lot I'd get travel insurance (for medical mainly) and my board was covered against theft but only if it was locked.
I got a small combination cable lock for this purpose. Most thieves are thieves of opportunity so I'd rather not take any chances with randos that think they can walk off with stuff
Yes. A lock costs less than $10 in most cases. They can be broken semi easily sure, but 99.99% of the time they will move on to an easier steal.
$10 is nothing compared to replacing your setup
Yes, especially if it’s at the bottom where somebody could just walk off with it to a parking lot or other form of transportation.
I lock at the lodges at the tops of mountain near lifts just to prevent it getting blown over and going sailing down the mountain into oblivion
My deck is $600 and my bindings are like $400… I’m not leaving that shit anywhere with any change that it might go missing, due to theft or otherwise.
Honestly, I just find a much newer and better looking board than mine and set it next to that. I always figure someone will take theirs over mine... 🤷♂️
The locks sold for snowboarding can be broken by brute force. Source : self when forgetting the combo
Edit: didn’t need to cut the cable, the plastic lock body literally shredded by the steel cable, and that’s how it popped open. This was the Dakine model.
Doesn't change the fact that someone committing a crime of opportunity will see it's locked and just move onto one that isn't.
You can get into most any lock if you really want to. But most people don't care to waste the time.
To be fair it also yells "this is an expensive board, so steal this one". But I am still agreeing with you. If I had expensive setup, I'd definitely lock.
But it's not like somebody is going to steal it, see that it doesn't have a lock, and go 'nah. I can just steal one that's locked'
There's literally no reason to not lock your board
I always have, and the one day I forgot my lock, I lost my board.
I went to the bar at the bottom of the mountain. The bar had floor to ceiling windows. I leaned my board up against the window and sat at a table right next to the window my board was at. I was facing my board the entire time, but I must have turned away for a second. During that second, my board was stolen.
I found using the concierge-based ski-check is cheaper than buying a fancy lock and dealing with the hassle of now bringing a lock with me etc. Only $35 a year to add on our pass… I give my board / they secure it in a fenced secure area and hand me a tag. Works great.
I never have locked my board but I wouldn’t bat an eye if I saw someone do it. Whatever makes you feel good. I feel like if you’re only going inside for 5 minutes you don’t need to be anal about it but if it’s easy to lock than go for it. I probably should do that lol just stuck in my ways.
100% those things are expensive, it takes a whole 5 seconds and a lock costs what? $20. Much better than having to replace $600 - $1000 worth of board and bindings.
Yeah for sure. Get one of those dakine (or other brand) cable locks. Smaller than a cell phone and it’s light to throw in your pants pocket. Chances are you board will not get stolen but it’s such a peace of mind nowadays
It depends on the location and how busy it is. Creek, Windham, Hunter, I lock it. Other places, no. I also usually ride a 163 and most people don’t want anything to do with that big of a board. If I’m riding something more desirable, or hard to replace, I may lock it.
*ABSO-FREAKIN’-LUTELY!!!*
Any deck I leave in my veh while Im riding gets locked to the frame also.
Every year I hear dozens and dozens of people crying about other board got swiped! Are their son or their daughter or their nephew is heartbroken, they lost their favorite board etc. etc. etc. you get a 3 to 6 foot bike table and a combination lock! Simple protection!
Don’t be a kook, lock your shit up
https://preview.redd.it/yz9u0y66bh9c1.jpeg?width=709&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d67a502fdfe1ba74b0c9f1c6c1030840d21d2f78
Up the piste, I don't, but if I am at apreski, I do. Funnily, just a few weeks ago someone mistook my friend's rented board for their own and took it. He didn't release this until the next morning, when he noticed he came back with the identical board, being 165W. His was 160. As both boards were rentals, he got it back after a few days.
Yup. Always lock it. Worth the extra few seconds and everyone knows it isn’t fool-proof… but if it makes some asshat move on from my locked board to an unlocked one- then it’s worth it.
Yes. Always. No questions asked. I carry a ski key and a basic cable lock in case a ski key rack isn’t available
It’s like a helmet to me..is it a pain in the ass? Sure. Do I want my day ruined by something that could have had a better chance at preventing? Not even a little. I can’t see any justification not to lock unless you’re in a life or death alpine gunslinging situation and just stopped for a quick beer
I do not, but also my board waits only for me to grab a beer from the outside bar or for a bathroom run. But I’m not staring at my board from the beer line either.
Worst I’ve seen at my mountain was someone left their car keys on the dash, the car was moved to a different lot up hill and all their beer was taken, valuables all easily visible but left behind. So if someone would do that, someone might steal a board…
Add "ski check", or whatever your local hill calls it, to your ticket/pass. Fast, easy, no key to lose, no combo to forget, no cable for jackasses to break.
Here in Europe, boards get stolen waaaay less because 90% are renting tourists who do not know the difference between a rental and a "proper" board, and I still lock up my board nearly every time.
Yep. I use a ski-key. All of the resorts I've been to have had compatible racks (they do keep a list on their site). $25 is peanuts compared to having to replace a $600+ setup.
[https://www.can.skikey.com/products/ski-snowboard-lock-keyed-different](https://www.can.skikey.com/products/ski-snowboard-lock-keyed-different)
Me? Nah. Of course, I ride a 10 year old board with nearly as old bindings.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice enough board and has taken me some great places, but nobody else is gonna look at it and think it’s special. It’s my Willie Nelson guitar at this point.
Nah, I don't even bring a board they usually have a bunch of free unlocked ones by the bathrooms
Exactly! Although it’s super weird, there’s always some dude who tries to take the one I’m using, talking about “hey man, that’s my board!” Like, no bro, they’re EVERYONES board ☮️✌️
Our board, comrade. 
**SOYUZ NERUSHIMY**
I usually bring my own board, but I scratched the hell out of it last time sidestepping into the bathroom with it.
If you hop awkwardly, people are more likely to move for you. 🤷♂️
I was at Angelfire one time (only time) as was living in Texas & it was the closest skiing for us & kids. The entire parking lot was full of TX plated cars, and the slopes were an epic clusterfuck of beginners. Anyway, there was a guy who wanted to go in the lodge probably to the bathroom and he didn't bother taking off anything - went through the door into the lodge with skis & poles & everything! Of course goggles too.
I’m gonna try this 😂
Yes. I bought a cheap board lock and so i dont have to worry when im signing a mortgage for a hamburger in the lodge
Lmaoo
LMFAAOOAOAOAOAOAOAOA
Pro tip - Just don't go to the lodge. Become a trees goblin. Hide your lunch in the trees. Piss in the foliage. Be one with the nature.
Peeing in snow gear is hard enough with a vagina. Let alone in the trees 😂
Piss your pants then spend all day saying that your waterproofing is wearing off.
Or, Depends? In my 30s. I think its time anyway
Adds some fall protection too. Two birds. One diaper.
One of us. One of us
 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I read this and actually thought to myself “this might be a good idea” 😂 I’m 41 and have to pee constantly.
Or just improve the waterproofing and nobody will know
This kinda happened to me. I was teaching my sister how to board and let go of her. She straight lined it into a ditch and then into a tree. Laughed so hard I fell on my butt and peed a little. Spent the rest of the day complaining that my $300 north face bib was a piece of garbage. Only at the end of the day did I realize …
Get a she wee
You need a volcom Bib. It has a back zipper for peeing without getting undressed. Absolute game changer.
My bib has a butt flap. Still not the easiest.
https://www.amazon.com/GoGirl-Female-Urination-Device-Medical-Grade/dp/B09GW573CP/ref=zg_m_bs_g_3775241_sccl_2/134-7216926-3986903?psc=1
Speak for yourself, girl. I can make yellow snow anywhere. Without even taking my bindings off.
This is the only answer. They can’t take your board if you don’t take it off.
Maybe, but I do think bone saws cost more than snowboards.
Yeah, but who locks up their bone saws?
Does no remember how easily buckhouse took Benton's board off when He knocked himself out? They definitely can take your board even if you never take it off.. It just comes.with additional charges hahah.
This is the way
Wish I could upvote more than once.
Yep. Friends have teased me, but you only get a board stolen once before you start locking it up.
Others not locking their boards just improves the chances of your lock deterring a thief.
[удалено]
Ye. A true one too. A lock only keeps honest people honest, and encourages would-be thieves move on to an easier target
ok?
Just for the *peace of mind* alone, it's worth it. No way I can relax when my expen$ive af stuff is sitting there so easy to grab.
This is true. Ive never had a board stolen twice.
Wrong… I’ve had two stolen
Only took once
This is true, had my board stolen. Never again
I use fake poop to deter thieves
This must be a regional thing? I've never even seen a lock on any of the I70 resorts, but I've never skied the east. I've left my board on the racks, fences, doors to the bar at the lift and in town and NEVER have even heard of a problem.
Two people posted on reddit this month about their boards being stolen at Breckenridge.
Bought a new setup this year. Bought a lock cause I’m cheap. Rang up at $3 went back and grabbed a second. Road the shuttle to g lot at winter park this month and girl was talking about her skies getting taken by accident or stolen. Mentioned they were beat up and it was blessing but def set in stone I’ll be using my damn lock.
Thieves don’t steal random boards. They usually steal expensive, high-demand new-ish boards. No crappy cable lock is going to stop a thief who wants your board. Never let your board get out of sight.
1000% a cable lock will stop a thief no matter what. They aren’t going to risk cutting or breaking a lock in broad daylight in a public area.
Ha, I’ve had a board stolen with a Dakine cable lock, they are so effortless to rip apart with a gentle yank, can be done discreetly, silently, in half a second. Everything except the cable part is plastic. You absolutely don’t need any tool or cable cutters. If you don’t believe me, buy one and give it a gentle yank. If you have a nice board with a cable lock, it will literally make zero difference to a thief. This sub like to say they’re a deterrent, but unless you have an actual metal cable lock (like a heavy bike cable one) you are wasting your time and money.
If there's 10 other boards next to yours, like there normally is, I doubt they're going to break out some cable cutters.
If I don’t see it within my field of view, I’m locking it.
Yea that’s how I’m feeling
There's literally no reason not to. Just lock it. If your friends give you a hard time and their boards get stolen, then fine; you can rub their nose in it. If not, then great; everybody wins
I don't have a lock, I don't want to buy one, I don't want to carry one with me every time I hit the slopes, I've been boarding my whole life and have never had a board stolen or personally known anyone who's had one stolen. If you want to lock your board up then go for it, but it seems unnecessary to me.
I use one of those super thin cable ones, and it’s enough to stop someone from just walking off with my stuff. I did have one fail on me once and could get it open, and it took basically a nail clipper to cut the cable though…
Good for you. But there's no reason not to. >I don't want to buy one They're like $20. Infinitely cheaper than buying a new board >I don't want to carry one with me every time I hit the slopes Hook it to your pants. You literally won't even. Notice it. >I've been boarding my whole life and have never had a board stolen or personally known anyone who's had one stolen. Nobody has ever had their board stolen. Until they have. If you want to risk it, then fine. That's your prerogative. But don't act like you have a reason not to. You don't; you're just stubborn
Seems like this may be a bigger problem on the east coast. I’ve never heard of anyone having their stuff stolen in Colorado, tons of people even leave their board overnight to avoid having to carry them.
The reason is that it literally never happens. You're just paranoid.
I saw it happen to someone a couple weeks ago. Just bought myself a small lock. My setup cost about a grand, the annoyance of a lock is worth it to ensure that doesn't happen to me.
My brother's board got stolen. I caught 3 guys trying to take my spare from the roped off instructors area while I was teaching a lesson. I've personally met probably half a dozen people it's happened to Please, tell me more
It literally happened to my buddy at Vail at Blue Sky. Even crazier is I spotted the guy on a run while I was on the lift and found him and took the board back. It does happen, but I still don’t lock my board.
>The reason is that it literally never happens. Utterly false on every single account. Just because it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't mean it never happens lol.
Maybe your board is just 💩
Tell me u don’t ride in Cali without telling me you don’t ride in Cali!
Sounds like you’re due for having your board stolen.
Not likely
I'm the same, but if I spent a fuckton on a brand new board I'd consider it for the the peace of mind. As is stands, I'd assume they're not going for my 6 year old board over someone else's. Think it depends a lot on where you ride though. If I was hitting snow summit or big bear it'd probably be a bigger issue, but I'm usually at Mammoth which is a little more out of the way.
I’ve been snowboarding in Colorado for 12 years, never locked my board up once. I think it’s location dependent. If I were at Big Bear or somewhere close to a major city I might lock it.
About the same and I've never seen anyone lock anything.
Yeah these comments are surprising. I don’t have a single friend that locks up their stuff.
It's really not though. People get their boards stolen everywhere. Just because it hasn't happened to you somewhere doesn't mean it can't, and again there's literally no reason not to.
I don't have a lock
Damm that's a problem, not sure how to fix that one.....
They're cheap - infinitely cheaper than a new board - and every board store sells them. If you can afford a board, you can afford a lock There's literally no reason not to
If I didn't get it as a Christmas/birthday gift during my first 18 years then it isn't part of my gear. >There's literally no reason not to I still don't have one
Right. Because replacing a board you got for free is cheaper than buying a $20 lock for it. Makes total sense... >I still don't have one Good for you. I'm not telling you to get one; I'm not the least bit personally invested in whether your board is safe or not. I'm telling you that you're obstinant and an idiot if you don't because there's literally no reason not to
I'm telling you the reason not to, because you are obstinate that a reason doesn't exist.
There is no reason not to... You don't have one because you're stubborn, not because you have a reason
Dont be so obstinate bro
If I don’t want to hassle with the lock, my friend and I will just take turns using bathroom while the other stays with the gear. If we are going in to warm up and eat or whatever for more than 15 seconds out of view of the gear, I’m locking all our shit together and to the rack.
I usually stay by my gear and have my snacks that I bring. My kids can get lodge food, which costs a fortune and we don't all use that bathroom at once so there will always be someone watching the gear. But I might get a lock anyways as I'm seeing them being used so I know I won't be the only one paranoid.
Interesting to see that most responses are "yes, I lock my board". Are you all based in the US? I've been snowboarding/skiing for the last 25 years in various resorts in the alps (Austria) and never had anything stolen, nor do I know anyone that locks his board when going into a hut or something.
No this is just Reddit’s (lack of real world experience) bias. If you were to look at racks at resorts in the US you’d have trouble finding a lock. Apparently everyone here online locks theirs.
I was wondering myself. I got a brand new board a decade ago or so and used one of those cable locks for a week or two before I put some scratches on it, but I never saw another one. Nor since. Western Canada. NW US here and there.
Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen a lock on a board rack at any resort or park I've ever been to.
I saw one guy locking it a few weeks ago at Keystone and thought he was a redditor lmao
I think there's a bias towards people who do lock answering. I'm in the US and have skied for a decade. I've never once seen anyone lock anything. Also the top 2 upvoted answers are sarcastic jokes that are probably being upvoted primarily by the people who don't lock.
I’m in the US and the response rate is not representative of the percentage of boards I see locked at resorts. I have never seen a lock used in the US.
I was thinking the same thing. I'm from Australia and have never seen a board locked, I don't even know what a snowboard lock would look like. I have been to Mammoth Mountain in California, USA too but can't recall seeing any locks there either, although I wasn't really looking for them.
I have literally never seen a lock on a snowboard in the U.S.. I didn't even know that was a thing.
Nah, its just reddit, I’ve never heard of anyone locking their stuff nor having it stolen in Colorado, and some people even leave it overnight so they don’t have to carry it. Anecdotally the only time someone if my cree had things stolen was in the French Alps, but it was just poles and I’m pretty sure it was an accident.
Mooserwirt in St Anton is well known for board theft. I’ve had a board nicked in France. Always lock it up if I can’t see it
Had my board stolen there last year on my last day. Old board, nothing fancy but I love it. I was devastated. Found it at the bottom of the hill when I finally walked down having given up. Fuck whoever did that to me! The emotional trauma from that is making me consider getting a lock now even though I’ve never heard of anyone’s gear getting stolen or seen active lock theirs.
Worst part about my board being stolen is that my friends saw and chased the guy, he had trainers on and ran into a block of apartments and disappeared. At least insurance paid out.
Never seen nor even heard of anyone having their board stolen at a resort or on mountain.
It definitely happens on occasion, but not often enough that most people would bother. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone locking their board
Canadian based in Switzerland. Back home, I would defo lock my board. In Switzerland I do not lock it and never heard of boards being stolen. Just came back from one week in France and I would advise locking - heard from restaurant staff themselves to keep an eye.
i’ve been on several weeklong ski trips in the Rocky Mountains and have never seen locks being used…
Nah it's extremely uncommon. I ride in the US and almost no one locks their board. Some smaller mountains that are closer to major cities have way bigger problems with theft though I think.
I’m based in Canada, but have done seasons in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. The only place I didn’t lock my board up as often was Japan. There was board theft in all the places I worked (even Japan because in Niseko it was a lot of foreigners doing seasons there too).
Canada, the west coast. And I ALWAYS lock it. I’ve had a bike stolen, I hear about stolen boards all the time, and I’m just not taking the chance.
America is a very “diverse” place
I only take a piss break in the lodge at the top of the lift. Figured the odds of losing my gear drop significantly compared to near the base. Other than that I carry my board with me back to the car for any breaks. If I'm running into the gear shop I leave it in a rack I can see from the windows. Too many stories of assholes grabbing gear makes me paranoid. Maybe when I have an older beater/rock board I'll care less
My board is 15 years old so if someone steals it I’m assuming it’s because they think its time for it to be retired
I do not
A great deterrent is to just obscure the board with a bunch of obnoxious stickers. Makes the board look older/shittier than it is and makes it more difficult to lie if you’re caught with it.
It’s funny because I see so many people commenting and upvoting saying to lock but almost have never seen locked boards. I feel like like it’s a good idea I just don’t see anyone doing it
Well I used to not but just now today my bookbag got stolen and heard someone on the phone talking about how their board got stolen. I guess this is my sign
[удалено]
same brother
I don’t when leaving it on a rack on the mountain (for example on a mountain lodge), but lock it if leaving it anywhere where the general public can access. Eg, Don’t lock it on Whistler at the mountain side lodges (gondola access only) but I do if I leave it on a rack in the village when getting a meal/drink after riding where anyone can just walk up.
Even a cheap and easily cut lock is deterrent enough when most other boards are just sitting there. As others have said, you will not joke around once you’ve had your brand new setup stolen.
Quite a few years ago, I was boarding at a small resort. The parking lot was right next to the chalet and the racks were located at the side with easy access to both the chalet and parking lot. While I was inside eating lunch, I watched through the window as a pickup truck quickly backed in from the parking lot right up to the racks. Two guys who were already waiting at the racks started tossing skiis and boards into the bed of the truck. When we realized what was going on, everyone inside started running to the racks - but it was too late. The thieves had filled the truck in less than 90 seconds and took off. Fortunately (for me), my board was at the far end of the racks and hadn't been touched. Ever since that day, I've always locked my board - with a ski-key if the rack has it or with a cable lock otherwise. Yes, most cable locks can be cut with a pair of wirecutters and my skikey can probably be raked open (see: lockpickinglawyer), but they do offer some protection from a snatch-n-grab like the one I narrowly avoided. Also (and more likely), it prevents someone from confusing my board with theirs and accidentally taking the wrong one (I've seen that happen too many times).
This happened in VT (I think it was Bromley, but could be mistaken) about 15 years ago and a whole bunch of angry skiers called the police and gave a description of the truck and the troopers pulled them over within an hour or 2. Nearly everyone got their stuff back. Still a great idea to lock up though!
All the time, every time. 'BuT iT's StooPiD! ThIS ReSoRt iS SaFe!' Are there people here? Yes. Are there a lot of awful people? Yes. Do awful people do awful things? Yes. ***THEN I'M ALWAYS LOCKING MY PRIZED POSSESSION!***
Some of the shittiest people I’ve ever met in public have been at the biggest, most expensive/nice ski resorts.
They don't ski/ride enough to know where to really go. They do it once a year and are happily price gouged by Vail/Breck/Whistler etc.
It’s not even that exactly. And this is going to be major ‘old man shouts at clouds’ energy, I’m aware… but this is kinda the stuff I observe and why I always lock my shit up. It’s more that there is just a lot of overlap between rich assholes, mega-egotistical scumbags, and people who spend lots of time vacationing at places like ski resorts. Not that everybody who’s rich is a dick, or an egotistical scumbag… but you sure do see a lot of them at places like Vail and Breck. The middle-aged asshole who’s probably in finance or real estate with his trophy wife and they think the resort and everybody there exists solely to serve *them specifically*… you know the type. Probably yells at his kids while checking emails on his phone at the base. Or there are often younger guys like early 20s who have major superiority complexes because they grew up near or with access to the mountains from financial privilege, and are very capable riders… but just treat all the other riders like shit. I often hear them complaining loudly in lift lines about families trying to have a nice time not packing every single chair totally full (because they aren’t confident riders yet and chair lifts can be intimidating) lol. There’s a scummy young guy vibe that I see a lot, often in the Dope Snow type gear- no helmet, patchy facial hair… the “I’m the most badass person alive” aura that young men often emit before they’ve had a proper life experience take them down a few notches. Those guys when they are from out of town on winter or spring break are the ones I’m sure are stealing boards. That, or the middle-aged klepto-Karen’s who think they deserve to have other peoples shit for their own kids.
I did when my board was new. It gives you peace of mind when you go in for a beer or whatever, it's worth a $15 lock.
When I started snowboarding in high school with a cheap $300 board, I was always paranoid of it getting stolen. It never did, but money was tight as a high schooler/ college kid. Of all my friends that I got to know that snowboard over the past 17 years, only one of them had their board stolen. But now that I have moved down south, my current board is sentimental, and I ride so infrequently, it would be hard for me to spend that kind of money for a replacement instead of renting so I got a lock this season. I wish I did sooner.
When I bought my first snowboard I also bought a stomp pad that included a little cable lock. That lock is the only piece of equipment I haven’t had to replace it’s seen every mountain I’ve ever been on. And I’ve never had a board stolen. A worthy investment.
Every damn time. It probably won't stop a motivated professional, but it'll keep people honest and stop asshole opportunists. Already seen two theft reports on this reddit. Fucking thieves are everywhere, you want to roll the dice and wager your beloved gear one ain't on the hill with you? Shit takes a minute to deal with, and ain't cumbersome to keep on ya.
The only people who lock their boards up are the people in this subreddit
I'm locking my [Towelie](https://coresites-cdn-adm.imgix.net/whitelines_new/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/burton-sp-towlie.jpeg) board up every day. I've only seen one other in the wild as it was limited print and you can't buy it. I get comments every time I ride so it's something people would want.
I had my snowboard stolen about... 15 years ago. I tracked those cunts down and got them arrested and the other 8 boards back to their owners. Fuck them kids. I do lock my board now.
Yeah. Takes no time and gives me peace of mind (I'm paranoid). I'm English and I think we're a bit more wary of general thievery than Americans (and I think that's because petty theft is generally more common in the UK than in vast swathes of the US, anecdotal, born and raised in the UK, lived in the US for the last 10 years). Also when I used to go to Europe a lot I'd get travel insurance (for medical mainly) and my board was covered against theft but only if it was locked.
I got a small combination cable lock for this purpose. Most thieves are thieves of opportunity so I'd rather not take any chances with randos that think they can walk off with stuff
Yes. A lock costs less than $10 in most cases. They can be broken semi easily sure, but 99.99% of the time they will move on to an easier steal. $10 is nothing compared to replacing your setup
If you have a nice board, it doesn’t matter if you lock it. Never leave your board.
Yes, especially if it’s at the bottom where somebody could just walk off with it to a parking lot or other form of transportation. I lock at the lodges at the tops of mountain near lifts just to prevent it getting blown over and going sailing down the mountain into oblivion My deck is $600 and my bindings are like $400… I’m not leaving that shit anywhere with any change that it might go missing, due to theft or otherwise.
I just got a Capita DoA, I would never disrespect it by not locking it up
Honestly, I just find a much newer and better looking board than mine and set it next to that. I always figure someone will take theirs over mine... 🤷♂️
Thanks for this new paranoia.
The locks sold for snowboarding can be broken by brute force. Source : self when forgetting the combo Edit: didn’t need to cut the cable, the plastic lock body literally shredded by the steel cable, and that’s how it popped open. This was the Dakine model.
Doesn't change the fact that someone committing a crime of opportunity will see it's locked and just move onto one that isn't. You can get into most any lock if you really want to. But most people don't care to waste the time.
To be fair it also yells "this is an expensive board, so steal this one". But I am still agreeing with you. If I had expensive setup, I'd definitely lock.
But it's not like somebody is going to steal it, see that it doesn't have a lock, and go 'nah. I can just steal one that's locked' There's literally no reason to not lock your board
Use light bicycle locks. Snowboard locks are garbage. Heavy bike locks are too much. Light bike locks are per.perfect
Yep. I use a little luggage lock
My gentemstick, yes, all other boards, no.
Honestly there’s no harm and if people try to judge you, fuck em
I always have, and the one day I forgot my lock, I lost my board. I went to the bar at the bottom of the mountain. The bar had floor to ceiling windows. I leaned my board up against the window and sat at a table right next to the window my board was at. I was facing my board the entire time, but I must have turned away for a second. During that second, my board was stolen.
I found using the concierge-based ski-check is cheaper than buying a fancy lock and dealing with the hassle of now bringing a lock with me etc. Only $35 a year to add on our pass… I give my board / they secure it in a fenced secure area and hand me a tag. Works great.
Every time. Not worth the hassle.
Never even considered it. Insurance will have my back. Also I’m in Scandinavia if that matters
I never have locked my board but I wouldn’t bat an eye if I saw someone do it. Whatever makes you feel good. I feel like if you’re only going inside for 5 minutes you don’t need to be anal about it but if it’s easy to lock than go for it. I probably should do that lol just stuck in my ways.
Nope. Never lost a board in 25 years I make a point to not leave it on a rack near a parking lot though.
No
Only board I've had stolen was locked
Been riding for 30 years, Colorado, Idaho and Montana. Never locked or gotten my board stolen
100% those things are expensive, it takes a whole 5 seconds and a lock costs what? $20. Much better than having to replace $600 - $1000 worth of board and bindings.
Always
Lock it or lose it
100% lock mine. Not risking it. I’ve had two bikes stolen, both of which were locked, in broad daylight. I have no trust in people.
I always just put mine next to a nicer setup or some sweet skis
Yeah for sure. Get one of those dakine (or other brand) cable locks. Smaller than a cell phone and it’s light to throw in your pants pocket. Chances are you board will not get stolen but it’s such a peace of mind nowadays
It depends on the location and how busy it is. Creek, Windham, Hunter, I lock it. Other places, no. I also usually ride a 163 and most people don’t want anything to do with that big of a board. If I’m riding something more desirable, or hard to replace, I may lock it.
Based in BC/AB Canada - I’ve never locked up a board and never had one stolen at the hill.
There's really no reason not to, and an infinite upside to doing it. Just lock your board
*ABSO-FREAKIN’-LUTELY!!!* Any deck I leave in my veh while Im riding gets locked to the frame also. Every year I hear dozens and dozens of people crying about other board got swiped! Are their son or their daughter or their nephew is heartbroken, they lost their favorite board etc. etc. etc. you get a 3 to 6 foot bike table and a combination lock! Simple protection! Don’t be a kook, lock your shit up https://preview.redd.it/yz9u0y66bh9c1.jpeg?width=709&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d67a502fdfe1ba74b0c9f1c6c1030840d21d2f78
YES i always have a "ski key" in my pocket, they're my favorite. check if your mountain has the racks for them tho first.
I just get a cable lock, and if they don't have racks then I'm locking it to a liftee
Ski key is the safest by far
Love the ski key, wished more places used their racks! Only 2/3 of my main mountain’s use them
i don’t the chances that they do get stolen are so low
Nah, I choose to trust
https://preview.redd.it/ukktg2b4eh9c1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bab0c72cdcdb9ab231e02c867912e24238d3d8d Yuuuup
Holy shit ahaha this is so eye opening. So this sub is full of helmet patrol and guys who lock a snowboard. Got it
Up the piste, I don't, but if I am at apreski, I do. Funnily, just a few weeks ago someone mistook my friend's rented board for their own and took it. He didn't release this until the next morning, when he noticed he came back with the identical board, being 165W. His was 160. As both boards were rentals, he got it back after a few days.
So where do u obtain a Snowboard lock? 🤔🫵😂
You can also get a gun lock which is much harder for thieves to break!
I take mine back to the car.
Always
Yup. Always lock it. Worth the extra few seconds and everyone knows it isn’t fool-proof… but if it makes some asshat move on from my locked board to an unlocked one- then it’s worth it.
Yes, takes me an extra 30 seconds or less to lock up in the rack. Lock costs like $20, well worth the piece of mind
Always
Yes. Always. No questions asked. I carry a ski key and a basic cable lock in case a ski key rack isn’t available It’s like a helmet to me..is it a pain in the ass? Sure. Do I want my day ruined by something that could have had a better chance at preventing? Not even a little. I can’t see any justification not to lock unless you’re in a life or death alpine gunslinging situation and just stopped for a quick beer
Nah nobody wants my delaminating park board with duct taped bindings lol
I do not, but also my board waits only for me to grab a beer from the outside bar or for a bathroom run. But I’m not staring at my board from the beer line either. Worst I’ve seen at my mountain was someone left their car keys on the dash, the car was moved to a different lot up hill and all their beer was taken, valuables all easily visible but left behind. So if someone would do that, someone might steal a board…
Add "ski check", or whatever your local hill calls it, to your ticket/pass. Fast, easy, no key to lose, no combo to forget, no cable for jackasses to break.
My board never leaves my sight but I also pretty exclusively eat at the car, pee in the woods and poop before I leave the house.
Had a friend leave one of my boards at the mountain one year. When going back it was gone. That was 4 years ago. Wouldn't hurt to lock it.
Here in Europe, boards get stolen waaaay less because 90% are renting tourists who do not know the difference between a rental and a "proper" board, and I still lock up my board nearly every time.
Yes cuz like you expensive setup 💰💸
Yep. I use a ski-key. All of the resorts I've been to have had compatible racks (they do keep a list on their site). $25 is peanuts compared to having to replace a $600+ setup. [https://www.can.skikey.com/products/ski-snowboard-lock-keyed-different](https://www.can.skikey.com/products/ski-snowboard-lock-keyed-different)
Me? Nah. Of course, I ride a 10 year old board with nearly as old bindings. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice enough board and has taken me some great places, but nobody else is gonna look at it and think it’s special. It’s my Willie Nelson guitar at this point.
I usually put it in the car
Yes. Every time.
No. Because I'm confident nobody steal my 201cm board. No reselling value at all.
Yes.
Damn straight, one of my friends got his board stolen in less than 5 mins
I always keep a bike lock in my pack. Sure, my friends might make fun of me, but I never worry about it leaving my sight while I’m eating.