Theft Story? Tell Yours

[Grizwald]

When I was first learning to kite at South Padre, I tried a turn that resulted in the kite and lines coming down all over me. I was trussed up like the christmas goose. After getting me unwound enough that I wouldn't drown my instructor took my board to shore then came back to try and sort me out. While he was coming out to get me a boat raced into the shore and grabbed the board then took off. Three days later after I had gone back to California the thieves walked into the shop and tried to sell it to my instructor claiming they had found it floating in the bay.
On the positive side, a fellow in the gorge went the extra mile to contact me then meet up the next day when I left a board at the launch. He wouldn't even let me buy him a coffee, so I am slightly on the positive side of the people are scum versus people are great equation.

[Zen_Rider]

I got a non-electronic key cut for my kite car, simple to put around neck under a wetsuit and keep the electric fob under a seat... Not 100% secure, but I know somebody who had an aqua pack leak and break their electric key, not only was it a £400 replacement but they also had to, borrow money from a random local, and take a 2hr train & tube ride home in a wet wetsuit with all kit.

[skullcandy]

I live an hour inland from the sea and used to drive a distinctive pick up. Must have been followed home after a session one day, as that night my garage was robbed. They took 3 boards, 4 kites, 2 bars, wetsuits, spare lines and fins and even wax, but left all the tools, bikes, garden tools etc

So was definitely a kiter as they knew where I lived and what to take, the thing that made me angry was knowing I’d been followed.
Mike

This one is brutal!!! Wow.

[skullcandy]

Never had anything stolen, but have had my board returned to me several times

Where do people leave their keys? I am not all that happy leaving it in the bag, but not exactly a given that you won't lose them out on the water either. So lesser evil for me leaving them on the beach.

Good point... I hide mine by my car

[br44]

There is a lot of value in leaving nothing - absolutely nothing - behind.

One time, a ranger was trying to enforce a local law which to his understanding prohibited snowkiting on a local lake. [Not true!! spelled very clearly right in the text of the law. And I was not bothering anyone in any way - didn't matter. He had seen my blue "parachute" from the highway.] Seeing that I was not paying attention to his waiving, he then proceeded to "steal" my sled, where I had left a spare kite and some other equipment. So I had to go in - ruined session, plus a lot of BS and even threats to listen to.

Another time I was having a great time foiling by an amusement park. At some point, I noticed someone waiting on the beach, by the bags I had left behind. Waiving, some yelling, and definitely not leaving - but at least no "theft" attempt. It was park security, claiming that riding there was entirely fine - but not launching! Session cut short.

Both cases may have been different had I left nothing behind.

[longwhitecloud]

Freshly designed new wakestyle board out of the press, custom graphic... 1st time out.

Switched to surfboard at remote location, raced back downwind when I saw someone pick it up, they saw me ran to car and spend off in a wall of smoke.

F×=×ers

[GregK]

Pretty safe at most of our local beaches, biggest hazard when leaving a kitebag on the beach is dog walkers not paying attention to their mutt, who gives the bag a sniff and then decides to pee all over it.

Now I hang my kite bag up high & out of range ...

[Kamikuza]

In Japan -- people leave the back door of their vans wide open in the carpark and wander off to the beach.

In NZ -- you just don't leave stuff in your car even. One of the guys had a board stolen from his car, and it turned up in a garage sale not far from his place. The cops were called and he got his board back but nothing else happened.

When I was back home last year, one of the headlines was "800 burglaries a month in Canterbury" and apparently, the cops have no idea what to do about it

[Havre]

Yeah. Japan is on another level when it comes to these kind of things.

[BigBafana]

Only place I have been to where I really didn't like leaving the keys at the beach was Tarifa. So many people. Huge parking lots with a lot of cars. Easy place to just grab some keys - find the a car and drive off.

Funny story as I’m also as non-trusting especially in Tarifa, but exactly there at Valdevaqueros sitting on the lawn at a sundowner, my wallet must have slipped out of my pockets. Went back home later and suddenly got that sunken feeling that my wallet is gone/stolen. An hour later an Arab family calls me and tells me that they found my wallet and would even bring it to my place. And when they did, I offered them €50 reward money and told them their dinner is on me today. They refused, said no problem at all and happy to see me get my wallet back. Sometimes you’ll be surprised.

Btw I always leave a business card of mine in my wallet with my mobile number highlighted, just for those kind of scenarios.