Photo: Unsplash//Andri Klopfenstein
A former employee of Atomic is being accused of stealing as many as 1,900 pairs of skis from the company over the course of two years. The report originally comes from Salzburg Nachrichten, in which the newspaper uncovered public court documents detailing an alleged operation by a 57-year-old employee working in the company’s Pongau, Austria factory. One of the man’s tasks was to dispose of skis with minor defects, but along with the help of an accomplice, he was instead selling the equipment for €50 per pair.
This could reportedly bring a charge of “serious commercial theft” in the Salzburg district court, which according to Snow Brains could include up to three years in prison.
Salzburg Nachrichten reports the employee had allegedly begun stealing and selling the equipment back in 2021 and a 2023 raid on his home uncovered 300 pairs of skis. They say he “sold most of” the 1,900 pairs he’s accused of having stolen and the company let him go in November of 2023.
While other industry employees like regional sales reps are known to sell off demo equipment and samples in the same way, this particular case involved equipment that was supposed to be disposed of entirely. Manufacturers regularly unload and dispose of any defective equipment in order to keep it from reaching the public. Someone on the hill with a faulty pair of skis, bindings, or boots, can obviously lead to something disastrous in a worst case scenario.
