October 27, 2003 – Sometime during the night of Wednesday, October 22  two new rails were stolen from Whistler Blackcomb. The missing rails are red and gray 8″ flat bars, ten feet in length and approximately three feet  high. The missing rails were brand new, built for the expanded Chipmunk Park on Whistler, and intended for introductory rail riding. Whistler Blackcomb  officials believe the two 8″ flat bar rails were taken because they were the lightest rail features, and easiest for the thieves to lift into a  vehicle.

The two missing 8″ flat bar rails were built by Whistler  Blackcomb Rail Construction Team members Steve Petrie and Yan Rioux, who have been working hard this fall to create new jib features for all of the Park areas. The rail theft will affect the Park rider community this season.

Stu Osborne, Whistler Blackcomb Terrain Park supervisor, is very disappointed. He stated, “It's too bad because this affects  construction of future rails and jibs. The culprits who stole the rails have stolen from the whole jib community and have now jeopardized construction of  a feature rail we wanted to build.”

The rail crew will now have to  replace the two missing rails, intended for beginners, at the cost of building something new for the more advanced Park areas. The stolen rails were worth $800, which would have helped pay for the construction of a big wall ride, the feature that was next on the list to be built.

The  RCMP have been notified, but if the rails are returned, no charges will be  laid. Osborne went on to state, “return the two missing 8″ flat bar  rails to where they were taken from by Sunday night, no questions asked, no charges laid. We have already caught one group of riders who stole another  jibbing feature from the mountain, and the rail was returned without  incident.”

 If the rails are not returned by the morning of November 3, Whistler Blackcomb will consider this an act of theft, and will press  charges if the rails are discovered.

Osborne hopes the thieves will  think about the impact their actions will have on the Whistler jib  community.  Rails intended for introductory riders have been stolen, and  the loss is going to affect all of the advanced riders out there. He stated, “Think about it, someone stole the kids rails and now we won't get  the big boys feature.”