So heres the deal, back in mid February I got a pair of Fatypus G-butters from sponsorship, mounted with a pair of look p12's. A pretty unique setup, especially on the East Coast and A very sick setup I must say. I got these skis, and rode on them for about 4 days, the Jib Academy Weekend in Loon, and another few days, then it happened.
I went into the Lodge at my home mountain (Whiteface in NY) for about 15 minutes I was inside just getting food and whatnot, then when I go back outside I see that my skis aren't on the racks where they were. My first instinct was," oh haha my friends moved them as a joke this isnt the first time its happened." So i wait about 10 minutes till my friends come back down from a run and they come over to the lodge where Im at and i say hey guys what did you do with my skis. They say they havent seen them at all and assure me they arent messin around. So then I think oh ok maybe they just got moved.
I look around all the ski racks and everywhere skis are put around the lodge and they are nowhere to be found. I hang out for about another 2 hours at the bottom keeping an eye out for anyone who may be riding on my new babies. I tell the lifties and some other guys inside the lodge at guest services etc. By around 1pm Im so frustrated at this point I just say fuck it and go home, without filing a police report of any kind becuase I just didnt wanna deal with that shit.
The worst part is I was leaving to visit my sister out in Park City 3 days from the time the skis got stolen. Not good. Luckily I get ahold of Fatypus and they ship out a pair to her address for a pro form price and I just brought a pair of old bindings to get mounted out there, easy enough. Wellll my first day, first run on a sunny beautiful day at PC the binding breaks and is not fixable by the shop, so i have to buy a brand new pair of bindings from the shop to get mounted. Fuck. I ski the rest of my time at PC on my new skis and bindings and its all good.
Fast Forward to March. I get a call from one of my friends saying he say a guy at Gore (the mountain about an hour away from whiteface) riding my skis. The dude riding says he bought them off craigslist (which is bullshit most likley) and my friend doesnt see him the rest of the day. He tells me the kid is a huge scumbag and has a history of stealing shit. I don't really know what to do so I just say whatever at least I know they are in the area and I semi forget about my stolen skis....
NOW, fast forward to about 3 weeks ago. I get a call from one of my friends saying hes got some really exciting news. A pair of fatypus g-butters with look p12s have been brought in to a ski shop about 2 hours south of me for binding repair.
I am estatic at this point, this could finally be my chance to get them back! I call up fatypus and they give me the serial number for the skis in an email that i print out, as well as the binding receipt from ebay. Im semi doubtful at this point because I never filed a police report and I feel it may be too late. So I headed down there today with all my info...
I get to the shop and and explain the situation to the owner and he says hes been notified about the potentially stolen skis. The serial number matches up and he says he believes me but theres not much he can do so directs me to the local police station. I go to the police station and they say its not thier jurisdiction so then I call the state police. They say they arent sure what they can do but they will have a deputy meet me at the shop.
The cop meets me at the ski shop and i explain to him basically what i just told you guys in the above paragraphs, he then takes me into his police car and i give him the full rundown in a narrative thats like a contract. he then prints out that narrative, has me sign it and then he asks if I want the person responsible for the stolen skis to be arrested. Fuck yes. He takes the skis as evidence and now Its just a waiting game until he calls up the guy that brought them into the shop (which was the same guy riding them at gore that my friend saw) and then once hes proven guilty and all that shenanigans, they will most likley be returned to me.
Ill keep you guys updated when I get more info, but the moral of the story is if you have had your skis stolen NEVER give up hope and file a report right away becuase you never know when you may see them again!
