Skis Are Target As Thieves Ply Slippery Slopes Of The Cascades -- $120,000 In Equipment Lost

All it takes is a larcenous heart and a little bit of daring - and a variety of skis, poles and snowboards are there for the taking, hundreds on almost any day at popular Cascades ski areas.

Just ask any of the almost 300 people who have lost more than $122,400 worth of skis and snowboards at Snoqualmie Pass, Stevens Pass and Crystal Mountain since late November.

The handful of law-enforcement and security personnel responsible for patrolling ski areas face the problem of picking out thieves who mingle with the thousands of skiers and snowboarders flocking to the winter slopes. All three ski areas employ their own full-time private security forces supported by volunteer personnel at peak traffic times.

The number of thefts this year is down from previous years because poor weather has kept skiers away. But Mike Hunter, the King County deputy sheriff assigned to the western half of Snoqualmie Pass, says thefts had been climbing at a 10 percent increase before the current season.

So far this year, 26 ski and board thieves have been arrested at Stevens Pass, seven at Ski Acres and Hyak, three at Crystal Mountain and none at the Summit and Alpental.

"What skiers don't realize is that a lot of people who frequent ski areas aren't skiers," says Hunter, "and a lot of those are there for only one reason - to steal."

Hunter's counterpart at Snoqualmie Pass, Deputy Dan Papineau of Kittitas County, who patrols the east side of the pass, agrees.

"Lose a pair of skis or snowboard, and tracking them is like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Papineau says.

One common ploy is the old switcheroo. Skiers come off the slope, leave their average-price skis or snowboard leaning against a rack, walk off, return a few minutes later and pick off someone else's more expensive equipment - trading up, as it were.

Therein lies the biggest problem - leaving skis, poles and snowboards at unattended racks or just sticking them in the snow while stopping for a brew, sandwich or call of nature.

That's the ritual at all ski areas.

"Someone may be watching closely," Hunter says, "and as soon as the owner disappears into a restaurant or whatever, the move is made and the skis or snowboard are gone."

Randy Anderson, head of private security at Stevens Pass for eight years, says most thieves caught there are skiers and snowboarders - and most are teenagers.

"I don't know of any other sport that has this type of theft among its participants," he says.

Anderson has worked out a profile of the stereotype ski and snowboard thief, which is used by other ski-area security personnel. He's reluctant to explain the profile, but says he and his staff know what to look for and how to talk to anyone who is a suspect.

In general, ski-area security people watch for:

-- Someone not dressed for skiing who is loitering around a ski rack.

-- Someone carrying more than one pair of skis or two snowboards to a car in the parking lot.

-- Someone examining several different pairs of skis at a rack.

Several days ago the profile came into play after Anderson saw a man following another skier. When the skier split his skis on two different racks and left, the thief moved in and grabbed them up.

"We caught him heading to the parking lot," Anderson recalls. "At first he said he picked up the wrong skis. But he soon confessed."

Anderson attributes his 43 percent recovery rate of equipment to a well-trained security staff and a video-camera system around the lodge.

The video camera has given Anderson an edge. Last week, for example, a skier reported his skis stolen from an unattended rack - and the culprit was caught within an hour.

"We simply ran the tape back and saw the guy take the skis," Anderson explains matter-of-factly. "Using his clothing as a guide, we soon spotted him at the lifts and made the arrest."

Stevens Pass is the only ski area using video cameras.

The predicament of stolen skis and snowboards is often compounded when the owner has not recorded the serial number or placed an identifying mark on the equipment. Trying to recover such gear is nearly impossible, police say. The skis and snowboards are quickly taken from the slopes and sold at garage sales, swap meets or, in many cases, taken to be sold at out-of-state ski areas.

Police don't understand why most skiers won't pay the one-time $1.50 to check their equipment at an attended rack when they take a break.

"It's only a fraction of the cost for a day of skiing," Papineau says. "Would you leave your wallet or expensive stereo equipment on a restaurant table without watching it?"

Bill Steel, director of planning and facilities at Crystal Mountain, says skiers there are good about using the ski check, and while thefts do occur the numbers are low. So far this season, only 20 pairs of skis and five snowboards have been reported stolen.

Thieves face a special problem at Crystal - the ski area is at the end of a private, no-outlet road from state Highway 410. "If there's a theft," Steel says, "we can stop motorists on the road and check for stolen property."

Otherwise, if someone is identified as a possible ski thief and has left Crystal in a hurry, Steel notifies the State Patrol, Pierce County sheriff's office and Enumclaw police. Motorists can travel only west from Crystal on the highway because Chinook Pass is closed in winter.

Suspect cars are stopped and occupants are questioned.

At the end of each season, Steel meets with law-enforcement people from the other ski areas to compare notes and discuss ways to prevent thefts.

One answer to the sales of stolen skis and snowboards is to distribute a list of "hot" serial numbers to sport shops, says Steel, who thinks this could go along way in collaring more thieves.

TIPS TO PREVENT THEFT

-- Do not leave equipment unat tended. -- Record the serial number; put in a safe place; carry a copy when you ski. -- Keep sales receipt. -- Place a personal mark - Social Security number, name, initials or birth date - on the equipment. -- Report a theft immediately.