Former nuclear plant employee charged with ski theft

Featured image: Sam Taggart

One of the wildest headlines of the summer was the allegation that a former Atomic employee from the brand's factory in Altenmarkt am Pongau, Austria, had stolen 1,900 pairs of skis and resold them.

The story was originally brought to light by Andreas Widmayer of the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper, dating back several years but only recently discovered. Widmayer published his article earlier this month (August 2, 2024) and said he found public court documents from the Salzburg Public Prosecutor's Office in Austria. Atomic was made aware of the ongoing theft and subsequently fired the employee in question in November 2023.

During a raid, 300 pairs of skis were later discovered at the employee's home. Atomic filed charges against the 57-year-old and a suspected accomplice. The two now face possible prison sentences of up to three years, reports Julia Schneemann of Snow Brains. The trial is still ongoing.

According to Widmayer, the employee had started this major robbery in August 2021 and for two and a half years had been taking skis with “minor defects” out of the factory and selling them for €50. While many brand representatives or ski shops sell used demo equipment at the end of the season with drill marks from old bindings or other obvious defects, this is something completely different. These skis were classified as defective by the production line and Atomic had instructed the employee to dispose of them properly.

If a company knowingly sells defective skis, it can often be held liable if an injury occurs. For example, in Colorado, where over 14 million ski resorts were visited in the 2023-24 winter, ski operators or product manufacturers can be sued based on either a negligence or a liability standard. Atomic, which sells over a million pairs of skis annually to 49 countries, must follow strict rules regarding negligence and liability related to its products because they are spread across so many different jurisdictions.

The case is still ongoing, but the whole issue raises a good question: Do major outdoor companies know where their defective gear is going? Is it being funneled into their regular product stream? This Atomic employee clearly didn't just mix in skis and sell them like any other pair, but was able to sneak hundreds upon hundreds of pairs away undetected over the course of 36 months.

This is important because, unlike many other global manufacturers, the equipment that outdoor companies make can have life-threatening consequences. If a ski, beacon, climbing rope, life jacket or other tool is defective, the consequences can be fatal. Atomic obviously acted quickly and professionally to stop this scammer, but the ordeal raises the question: will this be the last time we hear of someone trying to profit from life-threatening products?