[注意] 到Cypress滑雪, 要提防小偷

Local slopes targeted by gear thieves
Lora Grindlay, The Province
Published: Monday, January 07, 2008
Skiers and boarders should consider themselves warned -- thieves want your gear.

West Vancouver police are urging people to secure their gear after a rash of ski and snowboard thefts from Cypress Mountain.

Five thefts were reported at Cypress from Dec. 24 to Jan. 4, said police spokes-man Const. Jeff Palmer.

In every case, the equipment was stolen after being left unlocked on racks or in snowbanks.

"My message would be prevention all the way -- check it, lock it or perhaps lose it," said Kent Rideout, director of the Cypress snow school.

Rideout said great skiing conditions have made for busy days and many customers are using new gear.

"The thieves tend to come when it's busy because it's easier for them to hide," he said.

"There's a lot of people at Christmas who have come out with brand-new equipment. The thieves know what's good and what's valuable."

Rideout said staff are always on the lookout for theft but skiers bear a big responsibility.

"You can check your equipment for $3," he said. "To me, that's pretty inexpensive insurance if you've got over $1,000 tied up in a snowboard or a pair of skis."

Every skier should also have an inexpensive and widely available lock designed especially for skis and snowboards, he said.

"Thieves are not going to stop and cut your cable lock. The thieves go after the easy mark. They are going to do the grab-and-dash routine.

"If you lock your equipment in any way, they are probably going to bypass you."

Rideout believes the gear is being stolen by non-skiers selling the equipment to obtain money for drugs.

Chris Dagenais, Grouse Mountain's marketing manager, said having the tram between the parking lot and Grouse's ski area is the "ultimate security device."

"Every single individual on that mountain has to go through the turnstiles at the tram and, as a result, they are all on camera, which is a deterrent right there," Dagenais said yesterday.

"We make a concerted effort with our skyride operators to not permit anybody to bring more than one piece of equipment down the mountain. You will be asked why that is happening."